Bob Law's Essential Landscapes at Thomas Dane Gallery, Naples
Thomas Dane Gallery in Naples presents a survey of British artist Bob Law (1934-2004), spanning from the 1950s to 2000. The exhibition highlights Law's conceptual approach rooted in landscape, leading to his iconic black monochrome canvases and bare canvases framed only by painted borders. These frames isolate and abstract, inviting contemplation on the potential of emptiness. Law's diverse interests—psychology, philosophy, paleontology, mysticism—are layered into his blacks, while subtle citations emerge in works like 'Gauguin's Chair' (1984), 'Blue Chair' (1982), and 'Vincent's Chair' (1984). These chairs, placed at the gallery's center, reference his carpentry past and underscore the contemplative stance needed to engage with his art. The exhibition runs in 2021.
Key facts
- Bob Law was born in Brentford in 1934 and died in Penzance in 2004.
- The exhibition at Thomas Dane Gallery in Naples covers works from the 1950s to 2000.
- Law's field/landscape works are crucial to understanding his later black monochrome and bare canvases.
- The painted frame on Law's canvases isolates and abstracts, prompting reflection on nothingness.
- Law's interests include psychology, philosophy, paleontology, and mysticism.
- Three chairs are exhibited: Gauguin's Chair (1984), Blue Chair (1982), and Vincent's Chair (1984).
- The chairs allude to Law's past as a carpenter and serve as a key to interpreting his work.
- The exhibition was reviewed by Alessandra Frosini for Artribune.
Entities
Artists
- Bob Law
- Alessandra Frosini
Institutions
- Thomas Dane Gallery
- Artribune
Locations
- Naples
- Italy
- Brentford
- United Kingdom
- Penzance