Using fluorescent installations to harness light and shapes as a form of painting is the principle that underpins a young artist’s first solo exhibition in the East Midlands.
Samuel Harriman, who is studying for his Master’s in Design at De Montfort University Leicester (DMU), is exhibiting at the Surface Gallery in Nottingham until Saturday, 9 December.
“Colour is basically just how we see light,” explained Samuel.
“It means a lot to be able to use an exhibition space to show my work to a new audience. It’s really exciting to be able to show things that way.
“I’ve had a lot of support from my tutors at DMU. I have not really shown a body of paintings in this way before so it’s quite an exciting start for me.”
Photoreceptor (2016) - Samuel Harriman
Samuel’s earlier work has been displayed at more than 20 exhibitions across the UK and internationally but On Colour is only his third solo event and the first in this region.
The Leicester-based 25-year-old, who was born in Stockton-on-Tees before moving to Cheshire and then Oxfordshire, graduated from Leeds Arts University in 2013 with a Fine Art degree and was longlisted for the Aesthetica Art Prize in 2014.
He is also a former member of Klick Oxford-Leiden (Anglo-Dutch collective) and Magdalen Road Studios, Oxford.
RELATED NEWS
Take a look at some of the work produced by DMU Art and Design students
DMU artist featured in world's biggest contemporary art exhibition
Unearth the range of DMU Art and Design courses at our next open day
Using white wall gallery spaces as well as sites such as sheds or residential settings, his current body of work was inspired by his research into the Colour Theory, in particular the ideas of colour, shape and form developed by 20th century Swiss artist Johannes Itten.
Samuel’s mixture of paintings and light installations take his art beyond the gallery’s walls in more ways than one. He uses different infusions of light, with reds suggesting matter and gravity, flowing towards yellows representing thought.
Who's Afraid I (2016) - Samuel Harriman
The exhibition opens at 6pm today at Surface Gallery, where Samuel will be giving a talk on Thursday next week, from 2pm, discussing how theorists and scientists from the past have influenced the painters and light installation artists of today.
For more details about Samuel’s work, visit his website, his Facebook page or follow @SamuelHarriman on twitter.
Posted on Friday 1 December 2017