Paul Ettedgui creates multi-layered works depicting urban spaces and landscapes. The selection spans multiple series of works grouped under themes such as People and Infrastructure, Glimpses of the Cityscape, Landscape and Infrastructure, Historic Building and Construction, and Thames Routes.
The paintings portray surprisingly homogeneous pictures with saccadic movements and posterised-like surfaces. Dense layers of shapes and intertwined patches of colour tones present a rich amalgam of daily scenes and situations intensely lively, despite being frozen in time and space. The technique used by the artist produces a peculiar abstraction of heavily detailed scenery, which appears to be simultaneously in and out of focus. Clear delineating lines – signage with occasional sharp words mixed with blurred texts – are overlaid on the canvases like an involuntary grid, echoing the infrastructure and mapping systems of the location. Paul’s works vividly capture the character and sense of a place familiar to many, grounding them for the viewer.
In Maria Watford’s words, ‘Paul Ettedgui is interested in the points at which different aspects of urban environments intersect. He examines ways in which people interact with urban systems and landscapes, either working to build or travelling through the city, often seemingly in their own worlds, daydreaming or using mobiles. His work renders what are fleeting glimpses in paint, to create a more considered view. The paintings bring together images made whilst travelling on transport networks and sites where the landscape is changing due to development or demolition of buildings including old power stations that are taking on a new form. These works reflect on ebb and flow within a highly built up environment. They show the contrast between the movements of people and vehicles used by transport systems with the liminal spaces where vegetation emerges amidst the hard landscaping.’
Paul Ettedgui (b. 1967, London, UK) lives and works in London. After a foundation at Camberwell School of Art he then completed a degree in Fine Art at the Kent Institute of Art and Design.
Paul has, in previous years, often exhibited at the Islington Art Fair and the Chelsea Art Fair with Patrick Davies CA and in a group show at the Davies and Tooth Gallery, Dover Street. He has also previously exhibited with Cynthia Corbett Gallery, at the Islington Art Fair and at other shows with her including at Leadenhall. Additionally, Paul has shown in independent group exhibitions including a pop up show in Clifford Street and participated in open studio events in London. He has exhibited at the Discerning Eye event for smaller works.
Exhibition text by Rajaa Paixão
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