Hurvin Anderson
Born in Birmingham, UK, of Jamaican parents, Hurvin Anderson comments on the 'exotic' - what is generally expected from lush Caribbean landscapes or interiors in which people relax or unwind. Drawing from his time spent in an artist's residency in Trinidad, his family in Jamaica, and his home in London, his work establishes a constant dialogue between both worlds. Beneath the level of observation, Anderson offers not only a kind of social commentary but also a contemplation of his own relationship with the Caribbean. Belying scenes of traditional places of leisure; parks, swimming pools, bars and restaurants is a sense of detachment and even unease.
This theme persists in the rigorous, almost geometrical renditions of his interiors shown here. Working from photographic material rather than memory to replicate his subject, Anderson constantly reworks the themes and images that interest him. Here we see more from his Welcome series in which the security grilles, prevalent on West Indian bars, are depicted as being beautiful and accomplished in their architectural detail. On large sheets of paper, the grilles have been reduced to pure abstraction and though an elegant motif, they are, still, a method of keeping someone either in, or out. In further paintings from the Marlene's series, another room is glimpsed through the grilles, intricate in its detail and depth of perspective. Here and in his Barbershop, Anderson's multi-layered interior is at once inviting in its sense of familiarity and yet somehow feels isolated. Mirrors in the background create an infinite perspective, heightening a sense of the depth of the interior that remains apparently unattainable to the viewer.
