Marina Adams: Wild Is Its Own Way

17 Sep-30 Oct 2021

Overview

American artist Marina Adams presents the second instalment of her two-part exhibition at Stephen Friedman Gallery on 17 September 2021.

'Wild Is Its Own Way' focuses on new and recent large-scale paintings created over the last two years. Expansive in scale, Adams’ work explores colour, form and movement in a bold unabashed fashion. This presentation of  Adams’ paintings will continue during Frieze London and until 23 October 2021. This project follows Adams’ highly acclaimed solo exhibition at Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Dallas, Texas in autumn 2020.

Investigating the power of paint, line and colour, Adams sketches compositions in charcoal before allowing experimentation whilst working. Her paintings are a study in contrasts and unlikely pairings. Adams approaches her work with a startling minimal colour palette deployed with maximum energy. She brings into play meticulous organization offset by improvisation. Adams observes and absorbs her environment to depict powerful abstract images with a subtle strength and passion.

In an artistic career spanning over forty years, Adams knew from early on that the use of pattern and colour would influence her painting. In the late 1980s she visited the Alhambra de Granada in Spain. This was a pivotal moment for the young artist as she recognised the power of abstract imagery and geometric harmonies. Adams explains, “One of the reasons I allow my love of pattern to be predominant in the paintings is that pattern is a language that crosses boundaries. It offers common ground.”