Sometimes Always, the first exhibition of collaborative paintings by Sam Jackson and Zavier Ellis will be hosted by Gramercy Park Studios this week.
Sam, Senior Lecturer on MA Painting at Arts University Bournemouth (AUB), is a contemporary artist recognised for his intensely psychological portrait paintings, often at an intimate scale. Meanwhile, his collaborator Zavier is known for monumental abstract works that combine expressive painting, text and collage.
The pair have worked together since Zavier spotted Sam’s work at his Royal Academy Schools final show in 2007. Unusually, Zavier has always maintained his own practice alongside his curatorial work, and in recent years the two artists have begun to show together, and now, they’re making work together.
When they work together, Zavier begins the paintings in his usual manner, although on canvas rather than board. But before working them to completion, he hands them over to Sam, who says of the process: “These are open paintings, works in progress where Zavier’s provided technical and theoretical conundrums for me by using mixed materials and collage elements for me to work with, for example, matte or gloss paper on to the painterly canvas surface.
“This is a new challenge for me, I ordinarily paint directly onto the manufactured base tone of board, with no ground or previous contact, no primer, underpaint or sizing. I also have no idea of the condition of each painting until I have it. With each work, a new terrain of impasto paint, torn collaged paper, staples and text has been applied, glued, wrapped and layered onto the canvas for me to renegotiate anew each time.”
The original works have been made in response to Zavier’s research into history, which moves through different passages of time. The outcome is new and unique paintings that retain the character of each artist within a new manifestation.
Zavier Ellis X Sam Jackson: Sometimes Always will open with a private view on Thursday 12 September at Gramercy Park Studios, Soho; opening to the public from Friday 13 September thereafter until Friday 4 October.
