Art thoughts: Raymond Carter

An Imaginary Constellation
03.04.18 – 20.04.18
Five Walls Projects

1/119 Hopkins St., Footscray

Installation detail: ‘An Imaginary Constellation’installed at Five Walls. Medium: tape on MDF board.

‘An Imaginary Constellation describes the illusion of a connection between groups of separate objects. Constellations were the creation of schematic patterns by linking stars of varying sizes, colours and brightness. Constellations appear to travel across the sky according to the movement of our planetary circuit and their location was seasonally specific...

In my multi-panel installation, I have made an Imaginary Constellation exploring interactions between the coloured highlights and the repeated alternating vertical and horizontal background pattern. The radiating coloured lines combine to form diagonal grid-like array apparently randomly scattered across the field. Based on pattern and chance relationships the constellation can be viewed as a positive or negative schema.’ Excerpt Raymond Carter, 2019

LOZENGE
Five Walls Project Space
Footscray

Lozenge Fusil, 2018, Cloth Tape on multiple MDF panels, 240 x 360 cm.

Lozenge Mascle, 2018, Cloth Tape on two MDF panels, 60 x 120 cm.

Raymond Carter at Five Walls

'From the first decade of the 20th Century, the lozenge shape has held a position within geometric abstract painting. Introduced to easel painting by the Russian Constructivists they incorporated it, alongside other elements, into their geometric arrangements. It was with the Minimalist painters of the late 1950/60’s that the rhombus leitmotif became central to the inquiry. Painters Frank Stella and Ellsworth Kelly, among others, found delight in the dynamics of the shape and applied it with great effect to determine the shape and compositions of their works...' Aaron Martin, 2018.

Through progressive development during his MFA study at the VCA, Melbourne, Raymond Carter abandoned more traditional media to construct work with humble materials including hardware store bought cloth tape and MDF boards. The tape I'm told is UV resistant and the surface is also UV protected with a final sealant. The effect is impressive, particularly Lozenge Fusil, 2018. I time-traveled back to the great Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna in Rome where room upon room exists full of wonderful Arte Povera and 1960s Minimalist inspired contemporary works. Lozenge Mascle, 2018 is rewarding for its surface depth, the 'process' of layering tape adding another interesting dimension to the work. Carter initially trained as a sculptor and later worked in more traditional fine art media, particularly printmaking.