In 'The Ghost of Albert Speer' by Tim Garner, we are placed on street level, amongst the shadows. Looking upwards, an optimistic beam of sunlight radiates over the epochal architecture of St Peter's Square, Manchester. You might ask - why 'Albert Speer'? - In this dynamic composition, the firm of architects and urban planners continue to bear his name.
- Media: framed mixed media on board
- Dimensions: 66 x 100cm
- Price: £3200.00
In 'The Ghost of Albert Speer' by Tim Garner, we are placed on street level, amongst the shadows. Looking upwards, an optimistic beam of sunlight radiates over the epochal architectures of St Peter's Square, Manchester. You might ask - why 'Albert Speer'? - In this dynamic composition, the firm of architects and urban planners continue to bear his name. The smudged, surreal skies look almost like damaged negatives - a fascinating contrast to the photo-real depiction of the rest of the composition. Placed in the shadows of these Mancunian structures, a street crossing is laid out before us. Although these shadowed areas appear undecipherable at first glance, the more we look, the more detail and information becomes revealed. Garner's works contain infinite mystique - there is always something new to discover with every glance. Garner's paintings are distinctive in their ability to move and change beyond their creation - they truly have their own agency. “A picture should be a mystery that you discover, on your own journey, over a lifetime” This mystique within Garner's work is created through a rigorous layering process of iridescent pigment, ink, acrylic ground, metals, and cement. Each layer has its own function, resulting in a final composition that is full of depth and movement. In this piece, there are contrasting materials between the upper and lower half – the sky is ink, whilst the bottom is ground acrylic; they are brought together harmoniously by cement. Garner is known for exploring various visual languages and devices within his work, but without being too formulaic. His works have a distinctive way of appropriating the physicality of a city - to Garner, painting is an extension of what's around him, both physical and metaphysical. Through this toolkit of materials Garner is able to appropriate the spirit and physicality of the city, whilst iridescent pigments imbue texture, light and depth. Garner's works capture still snapshots of a city which never stops moving - expanded to large scale compositions which demand our time and attention. His works have their own agency in their ability to guide the eye and tell a story of a dynamic, exciting city in motion.
Based in his home studio in Stockport, Tim Garner is an artist who captures cityscapes through his own avant-garde lens. Inspired from his time living between Manchester and Paris, Garner works from photography and photo collage as his primary references, taking advantage of their visual immediacy and accuracy. Paint and cement are then used as a way of injecting emotive layers of meaning, forming Garner's distinctive style and flair. Through this process Garner has established his own visual language, which is imbued with character. His works are comfortingly familiar to a Northern audience, whilst enlightening and educating wider audiences. A piece of Mancunian history, this artwork would be a valuable asset for any contemporary art space, collection or home.