Brent Wadden

Brent Wadden Untitled 2012

Brent Wadden installation YOUNG TURKS @ CONTEXT Gallery (Derry, Ireland)

From BlouinArtInfo: 

The geometric patterning within the paintings gives immediate reference to traditional arts such as Navajo rug weavings. However, Wadden says, “I’m not directly referencing that, but I am really interested in aboriginal art and the totem poles on the west coast of Canada.” Instead, the geometrical patterns that are consistent across all of his current body of work come from and equally historical painterly reference: the grid. “The canvas is broken up into sections by a freehanded grid pattern. Then from there I draw diagonals, and then I break it up with the spheres, which make the portraits or the characters.” 

At first, these characters lay outside of the eye’s focus. Because of their immediate approachability as a form of reference to traditional arts or op-art, one passes over the fact that in many ways, they’re a form of portraiture. “Eventually the characters pull out of the pieces,” says Wadden. “For me each painting has a different mood even though I use the exact same structure for each painting. I’m just working within this grid pattern, but whether through color or technique something different comes out, each takes on a different identity,” he continues. “Within the space when they’re hung, each of the characters are either looking at each other or looking away from each other. This is determined by the placement of an eye consisting of two black and white right-angled triangles placed back to back. If I removed these triangles or simply changed the colors, the characters would probably disappear entirely and the painting would become a pure abstraction.” 

Brent Wadden Untitled 2012