Cut Through

The Beacon Arts Centre, Greenock, 2nd March – 13th April 2024

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Exhibition Text:

Everyone has a ‘cut through’; a quicker route, an easier path, or a shorter way to get to where they want to go.

Cut Through is an exhibition developed for the Beacon Arts Centre, by Glasgow-based artist Graham Lister.

The abstract paintings shown within this exhibition foreground engagement with the painted surface; with different ‘versions’ of works being made, a focus on brushwork, grids and diagrammatic painted lines offering moments of recognition. The repeated gestures and patterns within the works allow for link-ups, for visual short cuts between them to be made by viewers.

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This expansive solo exhibition was developed for the Beacon, and drew upon previous bodies of work. My current studio activities investigate patterns, rhythms and engagements with the painted surface by looking to repeat and gradually alter markmaking processes. This gives rise to work which shares an aesthetic focus with, for example, specific brushmarks, or curving forms being recognisable as they are transposed from one piece to another.

The various iterations do not necessarily represent a causal timeline of studio making, but rather seek to showcase the ebb and flow of making activities; where previous ideas can be recalled, copied or find their way into the most recent works.