Jake Wood-Evans, Long after the Birth of Venus, 2020
In Jake Wood-Evans’ work, 18th Century figures appear as apparitions. Wreathed in gossamer oils, they peer out from linen canvases, poignant memories of an imperial past. – Rachael Thomas, Chief Curator at the Hayward Gallery
In an age dominated by screens and pixelated image, Jake Wood-Evans’ work feels like a welcome antidote. Drawing on the legacies of Old Masters, his intention is to capture the essence of these historic works without replicating them, depicting familiar, yet obscured subject matter.
Creating ethereal images that are both unsettling and beautiful, Wood-Evans’ powerful use of light emerges from a loose and instinctive application of paint. His oil paintings shimmer with luminous and intense layers of colour as bold marks, dripping oils and scored surfaces sit in company with fine, delicate detail.
Describing his work as a process of conflict with the ambiguous space between representation and abstraction, Wood-Evans resists the urge to provide easy readings or instantly accessible compositions. He invites the viewer to pause and quietly contemplate a series of multi-layered paintings that denote a common visual language built through our shared history and consumption of art imagery.