Liam Stevens: Resonant Line Apr 14 – Jun 27, 2020

Resonant Line is a solo show by Liam Stevens, featuring works in washed pigment and pencil on canvas, folded reliefs in paper, and a selection of drawing studies. Composed of abstract, repeating patterns, the works reveal a subtle rhythm to the viewer, as well as drawing their attention to the spaces between the forms. Stevens begins these works as small sketches, and uses a grid on the final canvas to scale up the composition. “I work with smaller scale studies, and explore different arrangements until I discover a configuration of negative space that I connect with in some way,” he says. “It’s a kind of resonance, or a connection to memory – something I am not consciously aware of. I pin down this connection I sense as a physical thing, and offer that to the viewer, who can perhaps then sense and respond to the composition as well.”

The concept of phasing, such as that explored in the music of Steve Reich, inspired the direction of this show. “The idea of repeated sound, going steadily out of phase with itself, initially informed this body of work to some degree,” says Stevens. “The vertical lines on my canvases behave as a set tempo, while the horizontal forms shift every few steps, creating a phasing rhythm around the regular pulse of the grid.” However, Stevens stresses this idea acted as a point of departure, and welcomes a process of letting go as he allows his work to develop organically. “It is good to not be too wedded to an idea. As I work, I progress and uncover new things, and something else might become apparent and become part of the piece,” he says. “I like to celebrate these moments of surprise that occur when I relax my control.”

The washed surfaces of the large format canvas works in Resonant Line create subtle, dappled patterns against the walls of the gallery. In the back room, smaller canvases in deep blue hues lean above the dado. In the main gallery room, relief works are aligned above a floating bench, their folded paper forms casting rhythmic panes of shadow. “These are a more direct representation of architectural space,” Stevens says. “Light can engage with the physicality of the forms, as opposed to my paintings on canvas, which create the illusion of light. They also feel like a bridge to potential works – larger pieces made in folded metal. I always feel it is better when ideas are not fully complete. It allows breathing space for future works to come into my practice.”