Cadogan Gallery is delighted to announce Shelter Island, an exhibition of new paintings by British artist Deborah Tarr, the second show at their new gallery space in Milan. ‘Shelter Island’ is a real place - a small, remote location off Long Island in the US - yet Tarr intended this title to have a more ambiguous meaning, one that evokes a sense of protection and quietude. The exhibition touches upon human interaction with nature and a return to archaic landscapes.
From pure abstraction to varying levels of representation, some pieces are clearly of ‘somewhere’, reminiscent of places that Tarr has spent time in over the past few years. Yet these depictions of places are not literal, they are memories made visual. Other works might refer to a moment in the artist’s life – a distillation of her thoughts and memories. Tarr’s range is vast, varied, and personal, as we are taken on a stimulating visual odyssey and given an insight into the environments the artist inhabits.
Each painting has its own story to tell. From the primordial expanse of ‘Durdle Door’, with soft layers of forms evoking ancient rock formations, to the graphic simplicity of ‘Saffron Rock’. Some are real places, some are imagined. But whether they are real or not does not matter. It is the feeling for the viewer that is paramount. There is a world to discover and celebrate in each painting – a kind of visual poetry, perhaps a route into a reflective space away from the buzz and hassle of modern day life. As viewers, we are encouraged to participate in this reverie – to make the space and associations our own. The work speaks to our subconscious mind as she strives to give each painting an emotional content to empathise with the viewer on a human level, making her work powerful and universal.
Tarr describes the process of painting as a ‘conundrum’ – a constant cycle of decision making and self-discipline where a myriad of thoughts are tempered. Her paintings are tangible and conceptual, but even in the most reductive and abstract paintings there is an organic, living line. With so much thought put into each brushstroke, finding this balance between abstraction and figuration is what Tarr does best.
Tarr’s paintings emphasise their own materiality, her output is fine-tuned and each painting becomes a complete and individual object. In her works, removal and restraint are often more important than adding the next thing, an expression of life’s inherent duality and fragility. What to keep in, what to erase? Rags are as much a part of her toolkit as brushes. This cathartic process is apparently endless until that moment arrives where a point of balance is achieved. This balance is defined as much by the grain of the canvas and the careful application of paint, as by the carefully chosen frames. Sourcing and choosing the frame is a vital part of Tarr’s artistic process. From antique and reclaimed to clean and modern custom-made frames, the juxtaposition between traditional and modern, organic and man-made, makes her work satisfying and reassuring in its wholeness.
About the Artist
Deborah Tarr studied painting at the Winchester School of Art, earning her BA in 1988. Since then, her beautifully designed abstract works have been featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Britain and the United States. She has been represented by Cadogan since 2002. Her career has gone from strength to strength and her base of collectors is extensive and truly international.
About the Gallery
Cadogan is an independent contemporary art gallery with spaces in London, Hampshire and Milan. For over forty years our mission has been to represent, support and curate the work of a diverse roster of emerging and mid-career artists. Since joining the gallery in 2014, Freddie Burness has added a new international perspective to the rich history and distinctive approach of the gallery’s programme.
