Peter Halley

Waddington Galleries are pleased to announce an exhibition of seven new paintings by Peter Halley. The paintings show the continued development of a select group of forms that Halley has been engaged with over the last three decades: "cells", "conduits", "windows" and "prisons". Three of the paintings, "The Unseen" (2009),"Dust" (2009) and "Forever" (2009), draw on the duality of two identically sized cells, placed one above the other, connected in varying ways by conduits. Each element is defined by a single solid vibrant colour. In "Six Prisons" (2009) the cells have no connecting channels, no inflow or outflow. The refined motif of the prison is repeated six times with each prison window painted the same colour as its surrounding background. This gives the appearance of each cell existing within its own autonomous space and opens a dialogue between the individual and the serial, between the painting's open minimal composition and its confined subject; between the flamboyant Day-Glo paint and its serene application.

 

Peter Halley has stated that his methodical working practice is organised on the same principles as that of an architect's office. He begins each work by making a line drawing on the computer. After he has produced a finished drawing he starts to work with colour, using a traditional paint and brush to make a small study. Each colour component of the drawing is then noted so that the study can be translated into a larger painting. A painting such as "Dust" (2009) originates from a small drawing of several inches and is scaled up to a canvas of over six feet.