The Poetics of Obsolescence

In his father's garage, artist Laurence Noga discovered a hoard of objects and memorabilia - tools, packets, washers, menus, books photographs and the like - that his family has collected over the years. He became intrigued by the emotional narratives associated with the objects, the human stories that ran alongside both the practical attributes and aesthetics of each item. No longer in working order, many of these items had become simple design pieces and mementos to past events. This garage hoard is the source of Noga's latest body of work, a series of assemblages, paintings and mixed- media works showcased in Poetics of Obsolescence.

Noga's work is a unique combination of geometric painting and systematic assemblage. He intuitively selects and arranges strips of paint and found material into a panoramic format that combines personal visual references with a strong geometric sensibility. The ten multi-layered works in the exhibition immerse the viewer in a universe that the artist describes as "imperfect geometry." He uses a variety of materials, including acrylic, oil, collage, powdered pigment, steel, wood and enamel. Highly saturated colour is essential to the approach and this is intended to disorientate the viewer, allowing the colour (applied in ordered segments) to create an odd field of depth that calls into question notions of order and disorder. 

Curator Vivienne Roberts describes her fascination with Noga's work: "Laurence Noga's paintings are highly-coloured objects. Often on wood, they conjure up memories of cubism, notably Fernand Leger and Juan Gris. The scale of these pieces adds a preciousness to their quality so that even a tiny piece has an enormous presence." 

Laurence Noga is a graduate of Wimbledon College of Art (BA Hons. Fine Art 1984) and he completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Fine Art at Byam Shaw (Central St. Martin's College of Art) in 1991, receiving the Postgraduate Award of Merit for Fine Art. He is an artist curator and writer. He was shortlisted for the John Moores Painting Prize in 2018 and has exhibited extensively in group and solo shows across the UK and in Holland. His work is regularly shown at art fairs such as Sluice and the London Art Fair. Noga lectures for the University of the Arts London (UAL) at Camberwell College of Arts and regularly gives talks at Camberwell and at Wimbledon College of Arts. He belongs to the APT community of artists in South London. 

Aleph Contemporary is a London based contemporary art gallery with an international roster of emerging and mid-career artists and a forward-looking programme of curated collections, publications, virtual exhibitions and pop- up events. The name Aleph is inspired by Jorge Luis Borges' story of the same name and expresses a commitment to the importance of dialogue, invention, and the value of experiencing and understanding art today. 

This is one of two exhibitions curated by Aleph Contemporary taking place at 12 Piccadilly Arcade.

Others Details

Instagram: https://go.evvnt.com/844701-2?pid=6581 Artist: Laurence Noga Category: Arts | Visual Arts Time: 9:00 am to 8:00 pm