Colours and Line, an exhibition by Maxine Attard and Graham Gurr, will be inaugurated at the Ministry for Gozo Exhibition Hall,St Francis Square, Victoria, Gozo this evening at 7.30 p.m.

It will run until 21 October and the opening times are as follows: Mon to Fri - 8.30am till12.30am, Sat & Sun - 9am till 12am

Maxine C. Attard

Line, the basis of art, was the beginning of all my paintings in this exhibition. Drawing was essential for the figurative works but more demanding for the abstract ones. For the latter works, composition was built on weeks of sketching, but once the former was set, colour, full of freedom, dominated the whole work. Therefore, in these works line is similar to logic, while colour is close to irrationality. I can give a detailed explanation of every line but I offer no explanation on colour. Sometimes there is no alternative than to stand up looking at the paintings – the colour may explain itself. The struggle between line and colour also affects the three-dimensionality which I don't hide, but neither do I deny the flatness of the support. All this, is very much influenced from the study in art history I am making, as an undergraduate student, at the University of Malta.

The paintings that I'm exhibiting are just in one mode of expression, that is line and colour on flat surfaces. But in the future I seek to combine all the modes of art, ranging from sculpture, writing and video. Whilst being determined to go on searching for all my life, I am conscious that the search will never end. That is why art fascinates me ...because it never ends.

This is my philosophy which makes no difference between art and life and so grabs each opportunity that comes up, in order to experience the strong emotions that they offer, which enrich life and thus art.

Graham Gurr

I am a 52-year- old British artist living permanently in Gozo. I am married to a Gozitan, coming from Scotland 9 years ago. I now work from my studio and have held a number of successful exhibitions here in Malta.

Beginning in 1967, I studied interior design at the London College of Furniture and after practicing design for a number of years, turned my attentions to mostly painting and drawing. Later I studied for a B.A. degree in interior design at Napier University Edinburgh followed a couple of years later by studying for a P.G.C.E. in art teaching at Heriot Watt University Edinburgh. I am currently registered to study for an M. Phil at Grays School of Art of Aberdeen in research in to Maltese contemporary art.

I regard myself as a contemporary modernist and express a form of conceptual symbolism in my subconscious and expressions of alternative realities, sometimes unusual, sometimes complex and this can be seen in the works exhibited in line vs colour.

I have a studio in Nadur in Gozo where I work, teach privately and display my work. I also teach in Malta where I have a second studio in Attard.

For contacts: tel. 2155-2376, mob. 9909-4358, email: [email protected]