Alan Gouk/Steven Walker: Recent Paintings

Date: October 2021
Exhibition/Show Type: Group
Media: Painting

Exhibition Description

This exhibition by Alan Gouk and Steven Walker was at The Cut October/November, 2021.

Alan Gouk and Steven Walker
An exhibition of Recent Paintings.

Alan Gouk was a pre-eminent Abstract British painter, he was at his peak of artistic maturity at the time of this exhibition.

Steven Walker is an emerging abstract painter fully committed to discovering what abstract painting means to him.

The nature of both artists reveal commonalities such as: to be always beginning, being direct, an emphasis is placed on making a statement.

The works are made in the moment.

They bristle, are luminous and effervescent.

The colourful gestures have a deliberately confrontational nature, but secrets remain, requiring sustained and repeated viewing.

To say the paint flows is an understatement — the colour and fluidity merge together and describe that ineffable quality the paint can have when it is both relaxed and controlled.

Alan’s paintings are architecturally specific constructs in a primacy of immediate colour responses.

“Alan’s paintings have an extraordinary dynamic surface. They warp and bend spatially, make powerful movements in many directions so far beyond the scope of what is customary in abstract painting that its sensual impact leaves one slightly breathless at the last. There is a cavalier boldness of attack and the whole thing feels in the balance. They brood and rock which resonates with the Artist’s own temperament” Robin Greenwood for the Hampstead School of Art exhibition catalogue 2018

Steven’s paintings are gesturally energetic, naturally immediate and have a vitality which runs complimentary with Alan’s large works.

There exists distinct areas of interest which work in stimulating relationships with each other, and pinning down the canvas surface can’t be done for too long because of their multiplicitous complexity.

This is painting about chaos made meaningful and valuable.

see also, these obituaries for Alan Gouk
The Guardian
Instantloveland

For Steven Walker see

exhibition at abcrit
Steve Walker’s Website

Steven Walker’s Instagram
see also
Robin Greenwood essay on abstract art