Please join us for the exhibition opening of John Beard's On the Beach on Saturday 21st September from 3-5pm at Dominik Mersch Gallery.

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JOHN BEARD On the Beach
21.09. - 12.10.24

John Beard continues his exploration into the concepts of sight and vision, and perception and illusion. His paintings’ surfaces, after first inspection and then upon closer viewing, evolve over time; subtleties come to light in the layers of waxy paint and forms materialise taking on new shapes and deeper meanings. Through Beard’s unique rendition of objects and subjects, he questions the very notions of authenticity in painting and the representation of image.

On his new body of work, Beard says: “The idea for this series of paintings began with an impromptu visit to McMasters beach on the central coast of NSW in October 2022. I witnessed three horizontal bands of muted colour – the sky, the sea and the sand. The totality was lit softly, as if from behind. Clean and still, revealing subtle variations of a distilled cohesive vista. But it was the superimposition of man-made objects into this natural scene that sharply enlivened my interest – FLAGS, blowing in the wind, sometimes drooping their animated presence with momentary stillness.

The crisp geometric forms presented a dramatic incongruity, flying with heraldic irreverence. The two pairs of colours, black and white, and red and yellow, created a stunning contrast within the natures environ….I was seduced! I thought a few days later that the raw sienna hue of the sand would continue and run on into the square of Sienna itself, and the heraldic forms would appear in combat within the Palio horse race held in the caramel-coloured arena.

On return to England and throughout the winter, my thoughts returned to the memorable encounter many times over, although I was not sure if, why, and how I would externalise the experience. Untouched by human presence, the landscape itself was enough, but it seemed on refection that the flags defined the beauty and wonder of it – enabling the seeing and appreciation of it. Most importantly, the feeling that came away with me – a blood remembering. An autopsy which enables a realisation for oneself – and for the first time.

I recalled a similar feeling when I stood before Cezanne’s painting The Gardener, ( the version held in the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid ). The very nature and facture of the painting allowed me to witness the appreciation of the structure and composition that constructs and presents nature to us. It was as if the gardener was formed by components of natural matter from the garden itself. this sensation has stayed with me, perhaps a romantic visual parallel with Sir D’arcy Thompson’s enlightening treatise On Growth and form. The awe and wonder of what we feel and witness.

I’m not going to say anything else about the other intrusions that have taken place. I am not convinced that they are necessary as they rupture the feeling of the painting and in a way diminish their ambiguity. To some degree, the decision came from anger and frustration. The historical references made me less doubtful.

Finally, I had to witness the paintings for myself.”

Image caption: ‘On the Beach 2’ (detail), oil/acrylic and wax on linen, 183 x 183 cm