Gallery Representation of Liam Stevens
We are pleased to announce the representation of London-based artist, Liam Stevens. His solo exhibition at Francis Gallery will launch digitally next month.
Working in layered pigment washes with pencil on canvas, and constructed reliefs, Stevens’ creations are composed of repeated lines and forms, creating a sense of rhythm in the negative space. “I am often working with elements that have no compositional hierarchy, as the component parts are all the same size,” he says. “I look for sets of rules, of repeated groupings or clusters, to suggest a rhythm that the viewer is subconsciously aware of, but also not aware of. There is something safe and familiar about repetition; we use it to make sense of the world around us, and our response to it can evoke deep contemplation.”
Familiar urban and natural landscapes inform much of Stevens’ practice. “There is a dichotomy to growing up in the countryside in Somerset and now living in Zone 1 in London,” he says. “I am deeply connected to the memory of being surrounded by nature, all the while experiencing the energy, culture, chaos and connectedness of a busy city. I live on the seventh floor, and can see 30 or more skyscrapers on the horizon from my apartment. I find the effect of this setting similar to that of a rural landscape, which also consists of repeated structures and forms. My work is a distinctly personal melding of these two environments. The need to balance them forces me to withdraw into my own space to process what’s going on around me.”
Stevens’ paintings and reliefs have been exhibited at Fotokino in Marseille, One Four in Seoul, and a touring show with the publisher Booklet in Tokyo. A tranquil quality emerges from his creative process. “Each canvas is stained with pigment washes up to 30 times,” he says. “I focus on certain areas, and work more quickly over others, to create different inflections on the surface. I find this methodical application very calming, and hope that the final piece exhibits a kind of perfect imperfection in its surface.”
Related
- 04.18.23
Liam Stevens, New Work
Read moreLiam Stevens presents new work, including five paintings and two limited edition prints. “Painting is a continuous investigation,” Stevens says. “How to paint and what can be achieved is in itself a layering of time, thought and procedure, which runs mutually with the culmination of pigment and repeat washes in producing a work.”
- 10.17.21
Iteration Series
Read morePainted largely during the transition from winter to spring, this body of work by Liam Stevens draws from the emerging palettes of fresh colour found within the spaces where he lives. “The periodical shifts in nature’s tone and luminance through the year are a discernible reminder of continuous change for me,” he says. “The virgin leaves of a tree, or the crisp hue of an early morning sky, can bring a sense of optimism and renewed vigour.” At a time when we have perhaps been living a more insular life, he intends these works to affirm brighter experiences ahead.
- 05.28.20
The Space in Everything
Read moreFor his first solo show at Francis Gallery, titled Resonant Line, London-based artist Liam Stevens creates a sense of rhythm with repeated lines and forms, while drawing equal attention to the negative space around them. Featuring layered pigment washes with pencil on canvas, constructed reliefs, and a selection of drawing studies, his work is inspired by the repeating structures he identifies in natural and urban landscapes, as well as his connection to music, which often takes a visual form. In his canvas compositions, subtle vertical grids act as a regular tempo, while groups of horizontal lines create a sense of movement, progressively stepping out of phase with the grid.