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Richard Walker - House Paintings - Exhibitions - Alexandre Gallery

The gallery is pleased to present Richard Walker: House Paintings, an exhibition of nineteen new small and medium-scaled paintings by the Scottish-born artist in his second show at the gallery. The exhibition will be accompanied by a catalogue with an interview with the artist by fellow painter Merlin James.

Since his first public exhibition in 1983, Richard Walker has explored various genres and styles, but his work has always had at its core a commitment to working from direct observation. Working from life allows Walker a unique engagement with reality that allows for complications of depth and complexities of color and tone. These new interiors have an intimate semi-abstract quality that is defined by rough loaded brush marks and simplified blocks of color. Precedents include Fairfield Porter’s paintings, among others.

The subject of Walker’s new work involves using rooms of an old mansion house as a cross between a theater stage, artist’s studio and film set. The furniture, paintings, mirrors and painting paraphernalia become props in the paintings. He also makes use of projected images to challenge the viewer as to what is “real” in the paintings and to deal with ideas related to image making in general. The work depicts light in different forms: projected light, spotlight, daylight, reflected light, all of which have their own psychological, visual and symbolic possibilities. Light obscures and reveals, with cast shadow, silhouette and negative light.

Walker has had numerous exhibitions, including solo shows at the Talbot Rice Gallery in Edinburgh and at the Andrew Mummery Gallery, London. He has been the recipient of a Pollock/Krasner Award and a residency at the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation in Connecticut. In this new show at Alexandre Gallery, Walker exhibits the work from a recent Royal Scottish Academy Residency.

Installations

Installations Thumbnails
Photograph showing a view of an exhibition space, with six small paintings hanging on a white wall
Photograph showing a view of an exhibition space, with four small paintings hanging on a white wall
Photograph showing a view of an exhibition space, with three small paintings hanging on a white wall
Photograph showing a view of an exhibition space, with four small paintings hanging on a white wall
Photograph showing a view of an exhibition space, with nine small paintings hanging on white walls
Photograph showing a view of an exhibition space, with six small paintings hanging on a white wall
Photograph showing a view of an exhibition space, with four small paintings hanging on a white wall
Photograph showing a view of an exhibition space, with three small paintings hanging on a white wall
Photograph showing a view of an exhibition space, with four small paintings hanging on a white wall
Photograph showing a view of an exhibition space, with nine small paintings hanging on white walls

Selected Works

Selected Works Thumbnails
Painting of a dark interior with a bust on a table to the left, and a projected image of a bust on a cloth draped between two stands

Bust, 2011, oil on canvas, 22 x 26 inches

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Painting of a dark interior with luminous green projected onto one of the walls

Library with Landscape, 2011, oil on panel, 15 x 22 1/2 inches

 

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Painting of a dark interior with a bust on a small table and a projected image of an interior on a cloth draped between two stands

Projection, 2011, oil on panel, 16 x 25 1/2 inches

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Painting of a dark interior with a dark green curtain hanging in the center left

Curtain II, 2011, oil on panel, 16 x 24 inches

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Painting of a figure standing in a dark interior

Pamela, 2011, oil on panel, 17 1/2 x 23 1/2 inches

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Painting of a dark interior with green walls and traces of light emerging through covered windows

Green Interior, 2011, oil on panel, 16 x 24 inches

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Painting of a dark green and red interior

Mirror and Wall, 2011, oil on panel, 16 x 21 inches

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Painting of a dark brown and green interior with a red lamp on a table in the lower middle of the canvas

Red Lamp and Shutter, 2011, oil on panel, 15 x 22 1/2 inches

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Painting of a dark brown interior with a piano in the back of the room and a laptop sitting on a large table in the foreground

Brown Interior, 2011, oil on panel, 18 1/2 x 24 inches

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Painting of a dark interior with a large table, with projection of light and cast shadows against the back wall

Table and Shadow, 2011, oil on panel, 18 1/2 x 24 inches

 

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Painting of a dark green interior with fragments of light on the wall

Green Room with Lamp, 2011, oil on panel, 14 x 21 inches

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Painting of a dark brown and black interior with framed pictures hanging over a fireplace to the left, and light projected onto the back wall

Shadow and Fireplace, 2011, oil on panel, 15 x 22 1/2 inches

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Painting of a blue and brown interior with a red lamp in the lower right of the canvas

Blue Room, 2011, oil on panel, 15 x 22 1/2 inches

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Painting of a dark interior with a green light cast onto the back wall

Curtain I, 2011, oil on panel, 15 x 22 1/2 inches

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Painting of a dark interior with closed windows and foliage projected on the back left wall

Foliage and Shutter,  2011, oil on panel, 16 x 20 1/2 inches

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Painting of a dark interior with areas of light illuminating and casting shadows off the furniture

Reflection, 2011, oil on panel, 13 x 19 inches

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Painting of a dark green interior filled with various items of furniture, with a round mirror on the back wall and a pile of cloth on a chair to the left

Carpets and Mirror, 2011, oil on panel, 14 x 21 inches

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Painting of a dark interior with a staircase on the left and a large painting on the wall to the right

Staircase, 2011, oil on panel, 14 x 21 inches

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Painting of a dark interior with the image of a tree in a landscape projected on the back wall

Tree,  2011, oil on panel, 14 x 20 inches

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Painting of a dark interior with a bust on a table to the left, and a projected image of a bust on a cloth draped between two stands

Bust, 2011, oil on canvas, 22 x 26 inches

Painting of a dark interior with luminous green projected onto one of the walls

Library with Landscape, 2011, oil on panel, 15 x 22 1/2 inches

 

Painting of a dark interior with a bust on a small table and a projected image of an interior on a cloth draped between two stands

Projection, 2011, oil on panel, 16 x 25 1/2 inches

Painting of a dark interior with a dark green curtain hanging in the center left

Curtain II, 2011, oil on panel, 16 x 24 inches

Painting of a figure standing in a dark interior

Pamela, 2011, oil on panel, 17 1/2 x 23 1/2 inches

Painting of a dark interior with green walls and traces of light emerging through covered windows

Green Interior, 2011, oil on panel, 16 x 24 inches

Painting of a dark green and red interior

Mirror and Wall, 2011, oil on panel, 16 x 21 inches

Painting of a dark brown and green interior with a red lamp on a table in the lower middle of the canvas

Red Lamp and Shutter, 2011, oil on panel, 15 x 22 1/2 inches

Painting of a dark brown interior with a piano in the back of the room and a laptop sitting on a large table in the foreground

Brown Interior, 2011, oil on panel, 18 1/2 x 24 inches

Painting of a dark interior with a large table, with projection of light and cast shadows against the back wall

Table and Shadow, 2011, oil on panel, 18 1/2 x 24 inches

 

Painting of a dark green interior with fragments of light on the wall

Green Room with Lamp, 2011, oil on panel, 14 x 21 inches

Painting of a dark brown and black interior with framed pictures hanging over a fireplace to the left, and light projected onto the back wall

Shadow and Fireplace, 2011, oil on panel, 15 x 22 1/2 inches

Painting of a blue and brown interior with a red lamp in the lower right of the canvas

Blue Room, 2011, oil on panel, 15 x 22 1/2 inches

Painting of a dark interior with a green light cast onto the back wall

Curtain I, 2011, oil on panel, 15 x 22 1/2 inches

Painting of a dark interior with closed windows and foliage projected on the back left wall

Foliage and Shutter,  2011, oil on panel, 16 x 20 1/2 inches

Painting of a dark interior with areas of light illuminating and casting shadows off the furniture

Reflection, 2011, oil on panel, 13 x 19 inches

Painting of a dark green interior filled with various items of furniture, with a round mirror on the back wall and a pile of cloth on a chair to the left

Carpets and Mirror, 2011, oil on panel, 14 x 21 inches

Painting of a dark interior with a staircase on the left and a large painting on the wall to the right

Staircase, 2011, oil on panel, 14 x 21 inches

Painting of a dark interior with the image of a tree in a landscape projected on the back wall

Tree,  2011, oil on panel, 14 x 20 inches