converge / diverge

Julia Farrer, Peter Abrahams, Tom Henderson

The works in converge/diverge examine the way that artists use line, texture, shade and form to create space, both real and illusionary.

The works exhibited play with the idea of space, movement and illusion. Some hint of a blueprint for a yet to be realised architectural form. In others, volumes appear to have been de-constructed onto a two dimensional plane. The group of works exhibited includes a selection of diverse materials and media, including paintings, photographs and 3 dimensional constructions.

Fragments of thresholds, doors, steps, curbs and pillars, appear in Peter Abrahams'scolorful and painterly photographs. Familiar architectural elements of London's streets are captured by his camera. However the spectator is not allowed a full view; it is always a corner, where a door and its frame converge, where a pillar becomes a wall. These deconstructed elements become flat surfaces of colour and texture. By offering a partial and enlarged view, Abrahams renders these familiar elements as painterly abstract works. Peter Abrahams works across the various media of painting, photography and print. He trained at St Martins College of Art and Design, Royal Academy Schools and Camberwell School of Art.

Julia Farrer's works challenge the line between painting and sculpture. Her paintings on shaped panels explore the illusion of space and volume, with a particular use of geometry. Her new works appear to be models for geometric constructions, much like an architect's 3 dimensional blueprint. Farrer was awarded the First Prize in 2007 in the Kaupthing Singer & Friedlander/Sunday Times watercolour competition for her work titled "Bridge". She trained at the Slade and has exhibited widely in Europe and North America. She has been a Harkness Fellow at the University of New Mexico and in New York, and her work can be found in many important collections, including the Arts Council, the Yale Center for British Art and the Tate.

Tom Henderson's works use audio, video tape and aluminum to create interactive sculptures that play with optical illusion and spatial relationships. The vertical stripes arranged in patterns create unique rhythms that can only be experienced physically, to the extent that the plane of the tape and the edges of the sculpture are as intriguing as the optical face. The works are simple, yet beautiful, conveying ever changing reflections of light and imperceptible movement. Tom Henderson studied Fine Art at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. His works are in private and corporate collections where he has been commissioned various site specific installations.