On my way out of Valletta. (2016)James Vella Clark has made a name for himself in the past decade-and-a-half as a prolific yet sensitive and conscientious artist who has developed an idiosyncratic timbre in his paintings. Although he has participated in several collective exhibitions in the past few years, his last solo exhibition was held back in 2012.
His recent exhibition in a small gallery in Gozo was intentionally set up by Vella Clark in order to showcase a new style without forgoing the journey so far. In fact, the intention was to show a number of landscapes produced over the years in order to reveal different styles as well as a change in his artistic development, hence the title, Divergence.
Old Bakery Street. (2016)Divergence because of a conscious departure from his earlier aesthetic in the way the landscape is interpreted, which is becoming more abstract in its rendition. The exhibition title can also be applied to the way in which a known landscape is being separated from its usual portrayal by rendering it abstract through the abstraction of forms.
The exhibition thus served as a mini retrospective in the sense that Vella Clark was exhibiting 15 works produced in over almost a decade, between 2008 and 2017. Since his first personal exhibition, Beyond Perspectives, held in 2001 at the Manoel Theatre courtyard in Valletta, Vella Clark has demonstrated how his work can evolve and is not likely to ever stagnate, and his oeuvre has grown from strength to strength.
Being such an intimate collection, it must have been difficult to select the works to be displayed, but the choice was adequate and revealing as per the artist’s intention. His paintings very much reflect his aspirations as an expressive painter, and one that is sensitive to his surroundings.
His paintings very much reflect his aspirations as an expressive painter
One comes to realise that although he is dependent on the local landscape, townscape and seascapes, and he has studied and assimilated the formative influences of local contemporary artists and icons of international modern art, Vella Clark has managed to develop an aesthetic that is recognisably his own, likeable and appealing, especially to the younger generation of art collectors.
View from my Studio. (2014)Some aspects are recurrent in his oeuvre. The lone palm and cypress trees – that made their way into his compositions at an early stage – remain an important feature, as is the preparatory drawing visible beneath the painted surface. Other common aspects are the presence of the imposing fortifications, the sea, as well as village centres with churches dominating the skyline.
Vella Clark also manages to represent modern accretions to the local landscape, making them iconic, such as the high-rise structures at Tigné Point that are the main focus of View from my Studio.
Xwejni. (2008)In fact, another aspect that shows his adventurous side is the manner in which popular viewpoints are captured in an unlikely way, such as the 2013 Fishing Village.
The unfinished quality of Xwejni (2008) – the earliest dated work on display – is one of the more minimalist works on show. Here, the bright blue of the deep sea engulfs the typical white of Xwejni Bay’s sheltered inlet.
Such works reveal that Vella Clark’s palette is vast and often bright; he is not one to shy away from applying bold colours. But it can be composed of largely pastels, such as in the 2014 Ħad Dingli.
Ħad Dingli. (2014)Although often discernible, these works are not always true to the topography. Vella Clark’s interest is in taking the essential elements and not get lost in portraying its detail. This is why he is terming these works abstract landscapes. And it is no doubt in the landscape that his abstract pieces will know their origin.
Lazuli Art Gallery was suitably set up to host this collection of paintings by Vella Clark. This exhibition was a run-up to a major exhibition the artist is planning to hold later on this year, one where the abstract may become more prominent. Based on the quality of the work, selection and display we have seen so far, the upcoming exhibition promises to be an exciting benchmark in Vella Clark’s career.