7th of March - 3rd of May 2008




Galerie Andreas Binder is presenting the first solo exhibition by Ian Hartshorne and his new series of works “A Way With Words”. Ian Hartshorne lives and works in London. He declares to create works that are open to interpretation. These paintings are made with the intention that they might stimulate new thoughts, encourage us to re-examine our beliefs, or simply act as a gentle reminder. Paintings reveal strangely constructed interiors with views ranging from partially enclosed spaces and neglected attics to rooms that are spacious, stylish, and remarkably furnished. Hartshorne’s confident use of colour is both intuitive and ideological, and he has developed the ability to use an amazing range of exciting and idiosyncratic colour combinations. The formal rules of perspective no longer apply, altering often and inexplicably. The painting plane is split or has slipped. Objects appear upside down or float in organised space. Substance becomes insubstantial. Despite these diverse pictorial elements, the overall impression of these interiors is not one of chaos, but of an underlying order, perhaps reflecting nature’s profound tendency towards an organised and self-regulating equilibrium. The compositional dynamic of each painting is underpinned by a conscious desire to balance contrasting elements - saturated areas of flat colour with graduated areas, hard edges with soft dissolves, light with shade, clutter with calm. One of the paintings, The Good Old Bad Old Days, exclusively reflects his own interests and desires. By placing his viewpoint firmly within each interior, Hartshorne’s is able to control the compositional dynamics not only within the restricted space, but also outside that space to show what lies beyond, thereby creating an intensely charged environment. Exterior views, often portrayed in monochrome to reflect images produced by the media, evoke an uncertain, bizarre or threatening world, emphasising our natural inclination to retreat to the relative safety of whatever it is that we call home. On the occasion of the exhibition a new 36-pages catalogue including 30 colour illustrations with English/German text was published.

Ian Hartshorne
Born: 1968
Lives and works in London

1995-96 Chelsea College of Art and Design, M.A., Painting
1992-95 Loughborough College of Art and Design, B.A
1991-92 Leeds School of Art and Design. Foundation Diploma


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GALERIE ANDREAS BINDER
Kunsthandel, Kunstberatung & Kunst am Bau
Knöbelstrasse 27
80538 München
Tel: 089 219 39 250
Fax: 089 219 39 252
info@andreasbinder.de