Rich White’s 2018 residency at The Art House marked a significant return to drawing after two decades of producing large-scale sculptural work. White embraced his time on residency as an opportunity to develop his drawing practice. By restricting his materials to just water, paper and black ink, Rich was able to suggest a range of forms in the simple gestures he draws.
During the residency White set himself a series of rules to start creating new work, concentrating on a more intimate and personal approach. By limiting himself to the simplicity of A3 paper, black ink, and water, White explores the interplay between control and chance. His method involved repeated gestures, where the flow of ink and water creates contrasting lines, tones, and gradients.
Although influences were initially drawn from Wakefield’s architecture and development, the resulting drawings took on an evolution of their own as the time and space of the residency allowed for experimentation, risk, repetition and variation.
His exhibition featured his new series of drawings he created on residency. The original inspiration was to create drawings in a similar way to how he approaches his sculpture – through the use of simple actions repeated over and over again with an element of randomness or chance.
Together the pieces imply a concern with three-dimensional forms and how these can resonate; evoking memories and reactions. The drawings themselves are meant to be neither representational nor abstract, rather things in and of themselves. They are not necessarily drawings of sculptures, but more sculptural drawings.
Rich White’s residency at The Art House took place from 4-31 January 2018.
