Our cities are built around roads, and in turn, they shape our lives. From our commutes to work, trips to the shops, to holiday travel, almost every journey we undertake is along roads. They occupy significant space, making it difficult to imagine life without them. They continually expand, encroaching on pedestrian access, and major infrastructure permanently alters local communities while simultaneously harming the natural environment, all in the name of faster travel.
Roads serve as conduits to various destinations. When viewed through the car window at high speed, much becomes a blur. However, on foot, the perspective changes. During my walks, I relish observing my surroundings, camera in hand. At times, I focus on the mundane, while at other times, I am captivated by the beauty of industrial spaces, less orderly places, back lanes, neglected corners, and unregulated interventions like graffiti.
The subjects in these paintings share certain common features yet differ in other aspects, all linked by the road. The public space that borders various private spaces becomes the stage for diverse interactions, a theme that fascinates me in this body of work. I am drawn to the familiar and unfamiliar, the ambiguous and humorous, and the places where these interactions unfold.
For me, painting has evolved into a more deliberate and contemplative process compared to my earlier practice. I have adopted a structured approach to the composition and design of these works, with painterly gestures becoming more integral to the portrayal of the world I observe. While I previously used other people’s photographs with emotional detachment as the basis for my paintings, I have turned to my own observations as source material in this series, bringing the subjects closer to me.
— Nick Ashby
Join us for opening drinks on Thursday 14 March from 6.00 pm.
