Scale, Colour and the Sculptural Language of Form
John Carpenter’s abstract paintings are defined by a striking balance between boldness and refinement. Trained as an illustrator at the University of Westminster before completing his master’s degree at the Royal College of Art, Carpenter brings a highly considered approach to composition, scale and colour. His visual language can be challenging and declarative, yet there is also a softness within the work, a carefully held sense of balance that prevents the image from becoming purely graphic or formal.
Geometry lies at the centre of Carpenter’s practice. Shapes found in nature, architecture and memory are sketched, refined and adjusted until they arrive at a state of visual tension and harmony. Working initially on an iPad allows him to test proportion, structure and colour with flexibility, while some compositions arrive more intuitively, appearing as vivid abstract forms when his mind is most active. This combination of precision and instinct gives his paintings their distinctive energy.
Although rooted in abstraction, Carpenter’s work often carries narrative through title, structure and emotional association. Works such as Eclipse, Voyage and Suspension suggest movement, transition and psychological states, leaving room for the viewer to bring their own interpretations. Influenced by artists including Jean Arp, Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth, Bridget Riley, Henry Moore and Richard Diebenkorn, Carpenter brings a sculptural sensibility to the painted surface, creating works that feel designed, built and held in space.
Based in his light-filled studio near Bermondsey Street in London, Carpenter also works closely with collectors, interior designers and private clients on bespoke commissions. His interest in scale, proportion and setting makes his practice particularly attuned to architecture and interiors, with recent commissions including works for a waterfront villa in Nice and a private yacht. In September, Carpenter will exhibit with FLUX in Marylebone, presenting work that continues to explore abstraction as a language of structure, feeling and form.
For more information visit Johncarpenter.uk
Images © John Dawson – Instagram @johndawsonphotographer
Are you self-taught, or did you undertake formal artistic training?
For my first degree I trained as an illustrator at the University of Westminster, I then attended the Royal College of Art for my master’s degree. I was taught how to draw and paint from a young age by my parents who were both art teachers. Whilst I was at school I was lucky enough to spend many of my summer holidays travelling across Europe, emersed in the art galleries.
How would you define your visual language or conceptual approach?
My visual language can be bold and challenging at times with a softness, I hope! It is certainly my aim to make a statement. My approach is very considered and I am a big believer in ensuring that the scale of a piece is as critical as the composition and the colour palette.
Can you describe your creative process from conception to completion?
My process varies, sometimes I will see certain shapes in nature or in architecture then my process starts with sketching, refining compositions, establishing a geometry and adjusting proportions, and developing the narrative. I find working on an iPad gives me the best flexibility to sketch and adjust my compositions. I then add the colour until I achieve a state of balance. Sometimes developing a composition can be achieved within a matter of minutes, some larger and complex works can take a day or longer to refine.
On occasions abstract compositions and vivid colours come to me when I close my eyes, invariably at night when my mind is racing before I go to sleep. It becomes a form of mediation. I am lucky that I have a very strong visual memory, so I can generally remember the colours and compositions. This probably gives me the best results.
Does narrative, symbolism, or storytelling play a role within your work?
As an abstract artist the titles of my paintings provide the narrative, for example my painting ‘Eclipse’, shows the transition of a crescent shape moving from light to dark across the painting. My painting ‘Voyage’ features the shapes of billowing boat sails, which gave me the geometry and the structure for the painting. My painting ‘Suspension’ shows a series of discordant shapes in suspended animation. I painted this at a very difficult time in my life, when I felt my life itself was in a state of shock and in a form of suspended animation. Despite the trauma behind the concept it is probably one of my favourite paintings.
I also encourage the viewer to find their own symbolism and narrative, and people often surprise me with their interpretations of my work, which I always take as a complement when someone takes the time to study and find their own meaning. For me that is the power of abstract art.
Which artists have most influenced you historically or contemporarily and why?
I have many influences however I tend to draw the most influence from the early to mid 20th century, and I would certainly list Jean Arp, Ben Nicholson, Barbra Hepworth, Giacomo Balla, Bridget Riley, Henry Moore as influences. As you can see this list includes several artists renowned for their sculpture, I try to bring a sculptural feel to my paintings, and I think my most successful paintings include a sculptural element. In terms of colourists I am influenced by Richard Deibenkorn, Jean Deyrolle, Othello Radu and Ivon Hitchens, I love their use of colour.
Where is your studio based, and how does the space inform your creativity?
I work from my home studio just off Bermondsey Street, close to London Bridge, one street away from the white Cube Gallery. I have a very bright studio with full height wrap around windows which floods my work space with light. it is a very quiet space and aids my concentration. Having said that I do work anywhere, and I can often spend an entire flight working on a new composition, sketching away on my Ipad. I have produced some of my best concepts on planes!
Do you have any rituals or rhythms that anchor your studio practice?
I can be very solitary, as can many artists. I can work for hours and hours without a break in the quest for attaining my own version of perfection. I have been with my husband Richard for 24years, thankfully he grounds me and brings me back to reality.
What bodies of work or projects are you currently developing?
I have just finished a bespoke commission for a client for their waterfront villa in Nice, last year the same client also commissioned a bespoke painting for their yacht, I was recommended to the client by London based interior designer’s Todhunter Earle, for which I am very grateful.
I very much enjoy creating bespoke art for interiors, and designing a piece in context to work with the fabrics finishes and proportions of an interior. It is one of my strengths.
I was delighted to be named as “best bespoke art studio, London” by Lux Life Magazine last year.
With regards to the immediate future, I am currently in preliminary discussions to produce a series of limited edition giclee prints for a refurbished private hospital in London.
Where can collectors encounter or acquire your work?
In April this year I had my largest London exhibition to date at St. Katherine’s Docks, by Tower Bridge. I am excited to be exhibiting with Flux in Marylebone this coming September. I can be contacted via my website www.johncarpenter.uk and also via Instagram: johncarpenterart for bespoke commissions and sales.
