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Dig: An exhibition of paintings by Ralph Anderson.

Past exhibition
23 October - 30 November 2024
  • Images
  • Overview
  • Selected Works
Images
Overview
Ralph Anderson, 'Harlech', 2024, acrylic on linen, 30.5cm x 35.5cm. Image courtesy of JGM Gallery.
Ralph Anderson, 'Harlech', 2024, acrylic on linen, 30.5cm x 35.5cm. Image courtesy of JGM Gallery.
JGM Gallery presents Dig, an exhibition of paintings by Glasgow-born artist, Ralph Anderson. 
 
Anderson's use of a rotary tool to sand down layers of paint strikes a line of continuity between his early and current practice. The exhibition's title takes inspiration from this technique. The resulting scratches, inscriptions and hollows, which figuratively 'dig' through the surface of these paintings, are the artist's primary motifs in this exhibition.
 
Anderson refers to these works as Echo Paintings, a term used by Walter Sickert to describe a series he made late in his career, in which he would appropriate black and white illustrations from mid-Victorian journals, and then transform them into vibrant paintings. In Dig, Anderson takes a similar conceptual approach, copying landscapes that he produced in 2006 and 2007, the imagery and attitude of these earlier works resurfacing like echoes of the past. As this series developed, he began to incorporate photographs from everyday life, using this new technique to convey impressions of memory and time. 
 
In archaeological terms, a 'dig' displaces layers of earth to uncover the remains of historic civilisations, and through this act, restore our cultural memory. In this sense, one digs when there is something to recover, but also when there is something to bury or dispose of. Anderson's process can be understood within this context, as a dialectic of both addition and subtraction. By excavating the strata of his paintings, as seen in the eroded finish of Llandudno Promenade, Anderson removes his earlier markings whilst creating a new image from their remains. His abrasive treatment distorts figures and architectural elements, perhaps suggesting an irreverance for the realist tradition. It is as though he considers this manner of representation to be a fragment from a gradually disintegrating past. Yet, by extracting figurative features from beneath the blotches and stains of paint, Anderson renews the relevance of the realist tradition, as would an archaeologist with the artefacts of an ancient civilisation. 
 
Abstraction and more traditional genres, such as landscape, portraiture and still life, have an almost combative relationship in Dig, the former overlapping and disfiguring the others. As time passes, the matter of objects and bodies deteriorate, as does our memory of them. The paintings in Dig show Anderson to be working with an integrated understanding of this process, in which he simulates, through his abstractions, the appearance of threadbare fabric, a worn patina or other forms of natural decay. However, the reappearance of traditional genres in Anderson's paintings, uncovered through the 'digging' process, demonstrates their relevance to his artistic practice.
 
Jennifer Guerrini Maraldi (Director of JGM Gallery), says that "The success of these works is the reward Ralph deserves for continually pushing the boundaries of his practice. I am confident that these Echo Paintings will solidify his place as an artist of true significance." 

Exhibition Walkthrough Event : 

 

Saturday, 23 November, 2pm - 5pm

24 Howie Street, 

London SW11 4AY

 

For further information, press enquiries, or to RSVP, please contact info@jgmgallery.com.

 
Click here to RSVP


  • JGM DISCOURSE | RALPH ANDERSON VIDEO INTERVIEW
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Selected Works
  • Ralph Anderson Llandudno Promenade, 2024 Acrylic on linen 136cm x 106cm
    Ralph Anderson
    Llandudno Promenade, 2024
    Acrylic on linen
    136cm x 106cm
  • Ralph Anderson Abstracted, 2024 Acrylic on linen 95cm x 95cm
    Ralph Anderson
    Abstracted, 2024
    Acrylic on linen
    95cm x 95cm
  • Ralph Anderson Waiting For A Kingfisher, 2024 Acrylic on linen 46cm x 36cm
    Ralph Anderson
    Waiting For A Kingfisher, 2024
    Acrylic on linen
    46cm x 36cm
  • Ralph Anderson Harlech, 2024 Acrylic on linen 30.5cm x 35.5cm
    Ralph Anderson
    Harlech, 2024
    Acrylic on linen
    30.5cm x 35.5cm
  • Ralph Anderson Julsø, 2024 Acrylic on jute 140cm x 217cm
    Ralph Anderson
    Julsø, 2024
    Acrylic on jute
    140cm x 217cm
  • Ralph Anderson August Wonderland, 2023 Acrylic on jute 60cm x 45cm
    Ralph Anderson
    August Wonderland, 2023
    Acrylic on jute
    60cm x 45cm
  • Ralph Anderson Speyside, 2024 Acrylic on linen 135cm x 100cm
    Ralph Anderson
    Speyside, 2024
    Acrylic on linen
    135cm x 100cm
  • Ralph Anderson Inverfarigaig, 2024 Acrylic on jute 31cm x 26cm
    Ralph Anderson
    Inverfarigaig, 2024
    Acrylic on jute
    31cm x 26cm
  • Ralph Anderson Matthiola, 2024 Acrylic on linen 95cm x 75cm
    Ralph Anderson
    Matthiola, 2024
    Acrylic on linen
    95cm x 75cm
  • Ralph Anderson Alice, Lowestoft, 2024 Acrylic on linen 51cm x 41cm
    Ralph Anderson
    Alice, Lowestoft, 2024
    Acrylic on linen
    51cm x 41cm
  • Ralph Anderson Relic, 2024 Acrylic on linen 31cm x 26cm
    Ralph Anderson
    Relic, 2024
    Acrylic on linen
    31cm x 26cm
  • Ralph Anderson Roses, 2024 Acrylic on linen 80cm x 60cm
    Ralph Anderson
    Roses, 2024
    Acrylic on linen
    80cm x 60cm
  • Ralph Anderson The Barn, 2024 Acrylic on jute 60cm x 85cm
    Ralph Anderson
    The Barn, 2024
    Acrylic on jute
    60cm x 85cm
  • Ralph Anderson The Boats, 2024 Acrylic on jute 55cm x 45cm
    Ralph Anderson
    The Boats, 2024
    Acrylic on jute
    55cm x 45cm
  • Ralph Anderson The Campsite, 2024 Acrylic on jute 80cm x 60cm
    Ralph Anderson
    The Campsite, 2024
    Acrylic on jute
    80cm x 60cm
  • Ralph Anderson The Motorway, 2024 Acrylic on jute 26cm x 36cm
    Ralph Anderson
    The Motorway, 2024
    Acrylic on jute
    26cm x 36cm
  • Ralph Anderson The Picnic, 2024 Acrylic on linen 91.5cm x 71.5cm
    Ralph Anderson
    The Picnic, 2024
    Acrylic on linen
    91.5cm x 71.5cm
  • Ralph Anderson Self Portrait In Denim Shirt, 2024 Acrylic on linen 51cm x 41cm
    Ralph Anderson
    Self Portrait In Denim Shirt, 2024
    Acrylic on linen
    51cm x 41cm

Related artist

  • Ralph Anderson

    Ralph Anderson

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