Perfect/Imperfect, no better words to describe the works that are being exhibited by Lawrence Pavia and Patrick Galea at Art at the Seaside Gallery in Senglea. The title itself reflects the different style of the artists in their intrepretation of the streetscape, landscape and seascape. The common denominator between the two artists is the execution and their expression in their choice of colours; bright colours that build up in their distinctive different ways of interpretation.
Patrick Galea has his own interpretation with his vivid colours and free brushstrokes resulting in his own expression of landscapes and seascapes. His use of a particular blue in different shades is very visible in his works, being the major factor for the sky and sea. The addition of different other vibrant colours build up an impressive reflection of particular landscapes in Malta and Gozo.
Galea's executions reflect the local garigue in its wild state with large rocks formed in different colours. Hillsides are colourfully executed forming a spectacle to the eye. Cliff edges and saltpans expose the limestone, a common feature on the Maltese islands. All in all, Galea's landscapes exude a certain warmth of the local geology and topography and the celestial blue of the Mediterranean sky.
Patrick has transformed his recognisable landscapes into an abstracted form which at times creates a total abstract painting notwithstanding that the original source of inspiration remains a landscape or seascape. This is a recent development which is now visible in most of the works being shown in this exhibition. Garigue Sea-Spray is a case in point of the different hues of blue used by Galea from the light blue, verging on white, to tourqoise and the purple blue and Prussian blue. In most of his paintings, even though there is a predominant hue, Galea then accentuates his canvas with other contrasting colours to make his final work more exciting.
Pavia's works are recognisable, they are all about perspective and line. His paintings are studied, linear works which are literally created by building up different colours in various chromatic shades. Each interpretation has a focal point, being a statue, a stairway, an arched street or any other angle of a particular street worth noting. It is all about the importance of our national heritage, the old streetscapes which are still existant and left for us to appreciate and nurture. The little "unimportant" features we take for granted, a case in point are the statues at the corners of streets or on façades.
Although colour is mentioned as the main and common equation for both artists, a selective few paintings by Pavia are somewhat monochromatic. They focus on particular streets in Amalfi and Sintra that are interpreted in neutral colours, basically white and different shades of grey. They all still have one bright colour that accentuates a particular focal point, of course. The different colour in every painting reflects a different shade of brightness or darkness, depending on what the artist saw on the spur of the moment. Another particular work is a dark minimalist painting of a hotel room at night.
Pavia has also experimented with abstract and he is exhibiting some of these works. Different shapes are the important features in these works. In two particular paintings, swirls and twirls are used and they both reflect a feast to the eye with splashes of colours built up with circles, swirls and twirls being a better description.
Pavia and Galea express their love to their motherland by showing off the best scenes of different and particular places found all over Malta and Gozo. Their appreciation of these different locations and spots are easily understood just by looking at the works around you.
The exhibition is open until 30 June. Opening times are from 10am to 12.30pm and between 5 and 7.30pm.