Project Space is a new initiative that seeks to present work made in response to the ground floor gallery. For the first Project Space, lan Davenport has been invited to make a series of paintings that takes account of the architecture of the gallery. The tall, narrow format of these works has been influenced by the height of the gallery and the six cast iron columns that punctuate the space.
Davenport's paintings are large, bold and vibrant. Rather than using a brush to apply the paint, Davenport has perfected a technique whereby household paint (usually gloss but sometimes matt) is poured onto an angled surface to create curved planes of intense colour. The repetition of forms creates a sense of rhythm and a strong physical presence. The juxtaposition of artificial colours and the realisation that the surfaces are not as perfect as they at first appear produces an ambiguous meaning. The production of these paintings relies on split-second timing and an element of human chance.
Davenport likes the fact that his studio was previously a factory and that the method of production follows a defined process. Although process is an important aspect of Davenport's work, he is clear to point out that it is not the only factor involved: 'Process is a tool, it's not the point of the paintings. The point is the richness of the final outcome, which is intertwined with a set of procedures.'
In the Project Space, this richness is apparent in the use of a broad array of colours. Pastel shades of pink and yellow vie with exotic blues and purples. The sumptuous surfaces reflect the space, their slight imperfections creating a tension, heightened by the stone floor marked with the history of this building.
