Oltre La Vista

em>From Sharne Wolff…

Perhaps Mason Kimber‘s new body of work Oltre La Vista (or beyond the view) could equally have been titled When in Rome. Inspired by a recent artist residency at the British School at Rome, Kimber’s artistic eye fastened on classical architecture and the frescoes of Rome, Naples and Pompeii. During his stay, he researched, developed and adopted new (old) painting techniques. In this show, just over half of the fourteen paintings are oils on canvas while the remaining group – all titled Fresco (fresh in Italian) – were painted using Kimber’s old-school method of combining pigment with sand, high-calcium lime and wet plaster. Painted direct onto panels, the paint is absorbed by its plywood support giving these pictures their unique texture and muted appearance.

Kimber’s interest lies in visually capturing the traces of memory found lingering in architectural spaces. Using strong lines, blocks of colour and drawing on the icons of classical art and sculpture, Kimber’s compositions are dominated by aquas, marine blues and purples punctuated by small doses of yellow and ochre. Encouraging the viewer’s attention with shifting shapes and floating decoys, Kimber sets up elusive narratives. When it becomes impossible to pin down any single prospect, looking beyond the view becomes inescapable.

Until April 26
Galerie Pompom, Chippendale
Pic: Mason Kimber Fresco 2, 2015, pigment, sand & lime plaster on plywood, 41 x 36 cm (framed). Courtesy the artist and Galerie Pompom.