‘COMMON ESTATES’
ANDREW TORR
21/22, 28/29 September 2024

NNoHAWKERS presents recent paintings by Andrew Torr that explore two of his current subjects of interest: London's commons and the semi-rural, contemporary estates ubiquitous across Britain. The exhibition will include 'Estate', the painting awarded first place in Jackson's Painting Prize 2024.

Torr's 'Nocturne' paintings describe London's commons in twilight darkness. Low cloud skies reflect the city's street lighting in doomsday oranges and sulphurous yellows. These hover in Rothko-esque slabs above the murky foliage, divided by the striation of silver-white light from city traffic or a visiting fairground.

 The meticulous detailing of the 'Estate' paintings reveals the rhythm of white, saw-toothed eaves and sharp window frames cutting into and across green and pleasant landscapes. These anonymous communities become elevated and noticed, worthy of almost romantic representation in oil. We are given space to ponder the lifestyles and actions of the inhabitants of these anywhere places.

Within both subjects, meticulous attention to detail fuses with abstracted, formless areas of paint that render overlooked social landscapes devoid of explicit narratives or personality. This combination of colour and texture creates a certain darkness of mood or melancholic flavour but avoids tipping over into angst or isolation. The houses and cars are occupied, albeit by people who aren't shown, which allows us to project our own intimate narratives and anecdotal speculation.

What are they doing in there?

'There are certain things that painters don't think they can address or paint, especially really contemporary things. You need a language to be able to get in there to look at it. If you look at these housing estates, the eaves, the window sills, have this lovely kind of rhythm. The subject matter is almost incidental, it's a way of discovering what paint can do."
Andrew Torr 2024