Oliver Gaiger
My artwork represents the elemental detail of objects or living things in the natural and cultural landscape, primarily the Cambrian Mountains, Wales, where I have lived for the past ten years.
I investigate the relationship between the natural and the cultural with work which is not purely abstract but rather semi-abstract, as I explore the space between abstraction and figuration. Born in Uganda, I grew up in Sudan, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, the Falkland Islands and Cornwall, before moving to London to study illustration at university. Once there I specialised in printmaking, and since then I have continued to use a variety of printmaking techniques, including lino cuts, screen prints, mono prints, etching and drypoint; alongside this I experiment with both acrylic and oil paint, and create sculptures with steel.
I employ simple motifs and symbolic elements in my work to represent both place and sensation. I attempt to distill ideas into elementary shapes, patterns or compositions in order to create a sense of the landscape and my response to the environment, sometimes depicting a specific moment or feeling. Shapes, symbols and forms are often repeated so that they become a visual language; however, the way in which individual forms are rendered, or come together as a whole composition, reflects a distinct mood or feeling.
It is significant to me that materials are represented in an authentic way. For example, paint is used so that textures and marks clearly show the properties of the paint and the processes that result in the final image. These textures and marks are fundamental to the overall integrity of the work. Furthermore, although my work will often contain representative elements, I am not interested in trying to give a ‘realistic’ interpretation of the world around me. In this way, the viewer can bring their unique experience of the world to the work to create their own narrative.