Gavin Hogg's exclamation Reinvent Me! I need more life! suggests some kind of watershed in his art practice (although the complexion of such a statement changes if you decide it was furnished after, rather than before, the work's completion). That said, the change in these paintings is not all that dramatic, with the trademark maze/circle formats remaining faithful to the artist's well established creative motives and principals.
Development is most marked in the way ordered geometry has given way to new decorative and structural embellishments - the arrangements becoming more complex and spatial. The complexities arise from Hogg's ability to unify any given piece despite a myriad of components. Text plays a prominent role as slogans and statements are woven into the surface, their messages seeming to invoke a desire for emotional or physical fulfilment.
The range of textures has expanded through the introduction of collage, with packaging, maps and computer-rendered backgrounds giving differing emphasis and surface integrity. But in the purely painted works, Hogg still shows that he can make paintwork itself stand strong, moving from the gorgeous low-key colours of Black Monsoon to the diverse colour schemes evident in the rest of the 38 pieces. In fact, overall, Hogg has achieved a rather difficult contradiction in that diversity coexists with consistency.
The largest works - some five-foot square - are the most disappointing of the selection. Here the artist seems to make arbitrary compositional decisions where he flirts with spontaneity and expressiveness rather than relenting to it. If pursued, though, another spurt of reinvention will surely also bring any new large-format works to further plateaux of success.
Until June 22nd
