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A Fresh Perspective
Foreword by Bridget Sterling
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Foreword for the Bath Contemporary exhibition, curated by Bridget Sterling.
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March 2017
Chuck Elliott overlaps the precision and order of symmetrical geometry with mesmerizing digitally drawn non-repeating patterns. He explores notions of contemporary drawing using a high-end computing system and the latest digital drawing tools. His vibrant prints are energetic yet rhythmically soothing; pools of colour ripple, whilst smooth chromatic ribbons flow with electronic clarity, sheening like a lacquered metallic surface. There is reference to psychedelia in the visual indulgence of Elliott’s work, but it is rooted intellectually by his meticulous attention to detail and the mathematical application of numeric formulae and 3D simulation programmes.
The intensity of Elliott’s work offers a dynamic visual aesthetic for both modern and classical settings. The sense of free-flowing vitality, under-layered with an appealing sense of order, replicates the familiarity of architectural rhythm and asymmetrical structures found within the natural world. Elliott’s work connects us with energies which govern the geometry of life, whilst plugging into the processes which expand the reaches of contemporary culture. There is also a departure from traditional forms of framing. Elliott will occasionally frame his printed work behind glass, yet the majority sits between two plates of Perspex, with the front mounting as a clear, high-grade, UV filter. Sitting without a border, the resulting work has an extremely crisp and highly durable finish.
Through digital imagery Elliott questions what drawing can be. His experimental curiosity has led to new work with moving images and the idea of ‘digital fluency’. This also calls into question notions of ownership, as this artwork exists as a cache of data rather than a physical object. It has multiple options for display, from domestic projectors and idle widescreen televisions, to large multi-screens in corporate spaces.
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Bridget Sterling, Bath Contemporary, March 2017