Everyday Lines

Artist Alan Chadwick questions our preconceived notions of beauty in his latest work.

At first glance, the images seem to be mere etchings of lines and figures. And then, almost with a force, the play of light and shadow hits the eye. Textures, colours and forms come to life. As one pulls back to take in the entire image, it comes a surprise that these evocative visuals are of everyday, mundane objects like dustbins and potholes. Artist Alan Chadwick’s latest exhibition, Standing, focuses on articles and moments that surround us and yet are never considered important enough to be given a second glance. In his triptychs and photographs, which will be on display at the American Center, New Delhi till 19 June, Chadwick has pushed these objects to abstraction to reveal their beauty.  

The project took him more than a year to conceptualise and execute as the photos were taken over a period of 11 months and then the selection of the final configuration took about two months. Then, paintings were created. “I love to be surprised by art, including my own. This technique came about in response to that. I have developed a habit, over the past few years, of keeping an eye out for unusual details and textures, and when I find them, very often a composition flows naturally from that,” says Chadwick.

The technique of abstracting the image puts the viewer out on a limb. A sort of dialogue emerges from each photo, thus questioning daily symbols of existence and their relevance to our lives. “The focus on very common, vulgar subjects questions our idea of what is considered beautiful. We live in an age where it is more important than ever to ask that question,” he says. 

Born in Dublin, Chadwick has lived and worked in several cultural hubs of the world, including Paris, Italy, the US and Bulgaria. Three years ago, he 

found himself in India. “It is impossible for an artist to spend time in India and not be influenced by the rhythms, colours and culture of the place,” smiles Chadwick.

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Avantika Bhuyan