Don’t Blink!
Rogue Platform Space
April 5 – May 28, 2025
Private view: Saturday April 5, 2-5pm.
Artists: Heather Alderson, Lisa Blake, Iqra Tariq, Darren Tolliday, Hannah Wooll
Speaking is like making ripples in a pool of water, and a face is like the wall that sends the ripples back. If we speak forcefully , we send waves out towards the other face, and in a moment we can expect to feel the response. Faces move in this way even when they are not speaking.
James Elkins – The object stares back : on the nature of seeing
This exhibition showcases a selection of portrait painters with a variety of approaches to the genre. The portrait’s faculty for emotion and communication still captivates contemporary artists who wish to explore new possibilities of conveying the human presence. The one question which links each painter on display is “ how do I capture this centre of expression and to what ends? ” Themes of faith, belonging , conflict , and alienation are mined as vehicles for these modest sized works. A myriad of visual language is arrived at through a diverse range of processes, techniques and concerns.
Heather Alderson focuses on political actors, many with repressive intentions.
“Though the contradictions of war seem sudden and simultaneous, history stalks before it strikes. Something tolerated soon becomes something good”
Fugitive Pieces, Anne Michaels
Lisa Blake showcases black females as strong independent beautiful women in their own right. Her paintings capture the strength and resilience of these dynamic women who have all succeeded in their respective industries despite the obstacles in their way. Broad brushstrokes create a schematic language which captures the essence of each individual.
The work of Iqra Tariq draws inspiration from Mughal Miniature painting, a South Asian artistic style and technique. She particularly enjoys working with watercolour and gouache. Elements of nature and oval shapes occasionally appear in the paintings. The goal is to create contemporary portraits whilst incorporating and adapting Mughal techniques.
Darren Tolliday Using single frames from contemporary independent cinema, characters are removed from their original context and a new narrative begins. Some portraits are duplicated yet the visual language may slightly differ. Emotional distress and inertia are explored, which is expressed through conventional paint modelling and occasional gestural application. The works are displayed together as if monitors are being run at the same time. The characters are operating beside each other, creating new stories and episodes.
Hannah Wooll explores domestic space, interior life and the value associated with related objects and imagery. Her most recent practice is inspired by junk-shop sourced found media; starkly-lit, contrived photographs lifted from the pages of outmoded hobbyist manuals, ceramic figurines, family photographs, and internet sourced images. Wooll incorporates elements of these eclectic images into her paintings, collaging them together. She plays with scale and tests notions of familiarity, splicing and assembling, both referencing and deconstructing the original imagery.
Rogue regrets that the Platform Space is not wheelchair accessible.