Richard Hambleton, Sheadow Head 2015

Richard Hambleton made this Sheadow Head, using what looks like sweeping, dark strokes to conjure the impression of a human silhouette. I can imagine Hambleton, driven by some inner need, capturing these shadowy figures. The energy in those marks, the way they define the form and yet also threaten to dissolve it, reminds me of the vulnerability inherent in being seen. There’s something urgent and ephemeral about the way he’s laid down the ink, almost like he’s trying to catch a fleeting image before it disappears. It resonates with the street art scene of the time, where the art was immediate and direct. It’s interesting to think how these artworks converse with each other across time, feeding and fueling one another's imaginations. Painting is a form of embodied expression, after all. We're all just walking around, trying to make sense of it all!