McLeod and Taylor show

Press, 28 August 1984, Page 23

McLeod and Taylor show

“New Paintings,” by Robert McLeod and Rob Taylor at the Brooke-Gifford Gallery until August 31. Reviewed by John Hurrell. The Wellington artists, Robert McLeod and Rob Taylor, have been exhibiting together in Christchurch for some years now. Although the two friends are both abstract painters, their styles are quite different. So different in fact, that in a two-person show such as this, it seems as if the gallery were split diagonally across, with the four walls not relating to each other.

Rob Taylor’s five large paintings look back to fragmented forms of Analytical Cubism as demonstrated by Picasso and Braque, except using much more decentralised configurations of shapes and glyphs compared to Cubism’s objects and figures. These works are quite varied in their colour and complexity. In two the artist has used deep reds, oranges, and ochres, in two others a pale magenta, and in the fifth, a mixture. “Wall-Weave,” the most complicated work, has a tapestry-like quality to it, and shows Mr Taylor’s handling of paint to maximum advantage. The rich reds and purples give it a sense of pageantry which suits the decorative symbols and motifs spread across the surface. The other works are not so successful because of his inability to integrate or combine .different painting techniques together. Some works use an energetically mainipulated skin of paint, often along with thin glazes that accentuate linear designs. Sometimes flat monotonous colour covers over very textured areas. One often gets the feeling that three different artists are working together on the one canvas, and that they are not able to blurr the distinctions between their three hands. The work could be three separate works cut up and collaged together. Robert McLeod’s paintings are much simpler, using what appears to be initially just one colour.

These works are square, with very thick oil paint brushed or scraped on in vertical strokes; with a little of the stained canvas in another colour, peeking through at the edges. The texture and viscosity of the paint is most apparent, plus the intensity of its colour, so these works have a very strong sensual appeal. As paintings, these are far less complicated than the other very patterned McLeods in the McDougall’s

“Grid Show,” now on. The best ones here are the small box-like paintings which protrude from the wall. The others seem hampered by frames of dark green, stained timber. These frames confine the colour to within their dark edges, when the colour really needs to convey a sense of expanding and moving outward. They also lack the quality of being objects, with the emphasis being on their surfaces only. Mr McLeod’s paintings

are always enjoyable to experience, but in these, his presentation is at odds with his use of materials.

It is doubtful that these paintings of Messrs McLeod and Taylor are as new as the title of this exhibition indicates. Both these artists have had better and more recent works displayed in Christchurch, particularly Mr McLeod with his large pencil and paint drawings on folded cardboard. Nevertheless, Mr McLeod’s small coloured boxes here are well worth the visit.