LONDON.- Bartha_contemporary is presenting the group exhibition RED on view until June 29, 2024. The exhibition showcases works by Jill Baroff, Stefana McClure, Giulia Ricci, Winston Roeth, and Ignacio Uriarte.
RED constitutes a monochrome survey of works featuring the colour red. Associated with myriad idioms, red commands a strong call for attention by symbolising all-consuming emotions ranging from love to anger. This bold colour takes many forms in the exhibition, recontextualising the hue and evoking different connotations of red across each work.
Jill Baroff’s red Tide Drawing, Hurricane Laura, documents data surrounding tidal movements collected over a defined period. The piece’s concentric circles trace the shift in water levels at New York Harbour, illustrating the effects of Hurricane Laura on the tidal movement. The bold image conveys an impending sense of urgency and danger during the hurricane.
In Positive and negative red space, Ignacio Uriarte draws in red ink on paper, using standard office supplies, to poke at the banality of the modern workplace. With his meticulous, intricate drawings, Uriarte romanticises escaping the monotony of the office environment; he employs the colour red to enhance his unique pen strokes and, further, the notions of excitement and individuality.
Giulia Ricci’s AD G506 portrays pure geometry composed of red, elongated triangles on pre-coloured black paper. The unique work represents the sharpness of fundamental forms, only enhanced by a striking contrast between the two hues. Using the deep pigmentation of gouache paint, the colours appear highly saturated. Ricci’s triangles result in a dizzying grid, playing with the viewer’s perception of shape and the profound vibrance of red.
Red / Gold by Winston Roeth contains a monochrome colour field within an animated border. The artist's handmade brushstrokes become indiscernible by manipulating the pigments and applying paint in seemingly infinite layers. The piece offers a level of dynamism underlined by the depth of the red field and the interplay with its contrasting gold frame. The border shifts in tone depending on the viewpoint, enticing the viewer while the red appears unchanged.
Fear and Trembling, part of Stefana McClure’s ongoing Films on Paper series, similarly depicts condensed information. Named after the 2003 film, Fear and Trembling recounts the story of protagonist Amelie. McClure’s choice of distilling the piece to red reflects the overarching tenor of the film. Left with two bands of illegible text, we experience the film in a single instance. Indeed, the work depicts superimposed subtitles of the entire movie subtracted from its monochromatic background.
In representing universal experiences and ranging emotions, each work in the exhibition explores a shared means of expression: the colour red.
