Jonathan Cooper is delighted to present Behind the Mask: Visions of Venice, an exhibition of new work by British artist Gerard Stamp, opening in our London this October.
Venice is among the most frequently painted and photographed cities in the world. Stamp approached the subject with an awareness of this extensive visual history and of the challenge of finding a personal response to such familiar architecture. Rather than concentrating on the city’s best-known views or its activity as a tourist destination, he sought, in his words, to get “under the skin of Venice” and look “behind the mask.”
The exhibition developed from Stamp’s early-morning walks through the city. Rising at around five o’clock, he observed Venice before its streets and canals became crowded: when buildings emerged gradually in the morning light, reflections remained undisturbed by boats, and quieter streets could be studied without distraction. These experiences provided the basis for works completed later in his studio.
Architecture lies at the centre of the exhibition. Stamp examines the façades, windows, ornament and surfaces of Venice’s historic buildings, paying close attention to the effects of light and shadow upon them. Familiar monuments, including the Doge’s Palace and the Ca’ d’Oro, appear alongside less immediately recognisable corners of the city. The absence of figures and modern visual clutter allows the structure and character of each place to come forward.
Stamp works principally in watercolour, a medium closely connected with earlier representations of Venice by artists including J. M. W. Turner, John Singer Sargent and John Ruskin. His own approach combines precise architectural observation with a controlled use of colour, atmosphere and light. The resulting works are highly detailed without being simply documentary: each reflects the artist’s experience of encountering the city at a particular hour and under particular conditions.
Behind the Mask: Visions of Venice continues Stamp’s longstanding engagement with historic architecture and the sense of continuity it can provide. At a time of rapid change, the exhibition considers Venice not simply as an image or destination, but as a living city whose buildings retain the visible record of its history.