Newcastle-based artist Tom French creates complex artwork filled with surprises, dripping black oils down the surface of his canvas to produce the loose splashes, splatters, and brush strokes that blend reality with the abstract. From a distance, the paintings are nothing more than fragmented faces. However, upon closer inspection, viewers will find themselves intrigued by the depth of each piece, quickly discovering that the paintings are filled with much more than first meets the eye.
Using layers of a monochromatic palette, French forms the darker and lighter shades that reveal his emotionally charged paintings. Recently at C.A.V.E. Gallery, he exhibited this collection of work, aptly entitled Duality, where he inserts human figures into the faces he paints. No matter the perspective, there is a haunting sense of loneliness that emanates from French's complex imagery, which conveys a dark blur of emotions.
