Kit Poulson describes his paintings as “slow images”, and I understand exactly what he means. A photograph can be instantly taken and we view it just as instantly, but a painting requires a more lengthy process – not just in the time taken to create it, but the time needed to understand it too.
On first sight, The Guests is a challenging exhibition. The abstract paintings seem a little remote and difficult to interpret – as I flitted around a crowded room on opening night, it was hard to ‘get into’ the paintings. The bongs and chimes of seemingly disconnected clocks cut through the chatter of the lively atmosphere, adding a slightly surreal overtone. However, I realised that I was finding it difficult to interact with the show because I wasn’t able to give the “slow images” the time they deserved.
I came back the next morning and spent some proper time with The Guests, and I’m delighted to say that their company was fantastic. Spending a few minutes with a painting can sometimes seem like a long time, but I found myself becoming engrossed in the complexities and variations within each artwork. Kit mixes different textures, paint-types and layers within his images. It’s almost like watching a dance, with glossy streaks swirling around translucent metallics and steadfast matts. The element of time is a constant, with paintings sometimes spending months untouched before Kit comes back to rework them.
The use of circles is an on-going theme within his work. They link and echo with the chimes and bongs from speakers which are scattered and strapped to pillars across the gallery. I felt like I was inside a disassembled and malfunctioning clock, beating an irregular rhythm, pulsing to the creation of these slow images. I love the boldness of the scale of his paintings – his small artworks are fantastic, with big, brash brush strokes threatening to obliterate the images.
Kit Poulson’s ‘The Guests’ is a contemplative, beautiful exhibition. Give it the time it deserves, and you’ll emerge with true painting experience.
The South West Showcase is a biannual open call platform to artists from the South West and is hosted by The Gallery in Plymouth College of Art. The showcase helps to support local talent in the region and demonstrates Plymouth College of Art’s commitment to this cause.
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