 Dtem, 2004 oil on linen, 147.3 x 116.8 cm Nicola Tyson In both her paintings and drawings Nicola Tyson strikes an intriguing balance between the abstract and figurative. Her figures combine elements of both the comic and the grotesque; they possess a primal energy, but their strength is often undercut by a sense of vulnerability. In her portraits the objective head and shoulders shots of the passport booth are rendered subjective via the expressive distortion of their features. Limbless, bizarrely proportioned figures, at once amorphous and angular emerge as sexualized beings. Within the paintings strident tones seem to be Tyson's main means of articulating psychological depth, but within the black and white drawings it becomes plain that form plays an equally significant role. Their automatic aspect forges links with the surrealists, a link extended further via the sexual edge and psychological bent that underscores both the drawings and paintings. Exhibition: 19 January - 19 February 2005 Gallery hours: Tue-Sat 10 am - 6 pm Sadie Coles Gallery 35 Heddon Street GB-London W1B 4BP Telephone +44 20 7434 2227 Fax +44 20 7434 2228 www.sadiecoles.com |
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