Nicholas Metivier Gallery is thrilled to announce Landscape and Memory, a new exhibition of paintings by Greg Hardy on view Saturday, February 8th through Saturday, March 8th. There will be an opening reception with the artist present on Saturday, February 8th from 1-3PM. RSVP here.
These dynamic paintings are a continuation of Hardy’s signature landscapes, those of Lac La Ronge in Northern Saskatchewan and the prairies surrounding his studio just outside of Saskatoon. In this exhibition, Hardy has paid particular attention to the light’s markings on the landscape as it shifts throughout the day. Hardy notes that as the light changes and the day progresses, so do his emotional reactions. “Midday light is exuberant, bright, and full,” as Hardy articulates about Mid-Day Laughter, a large-scale painting with animated clouds that are reflected in the lake beneath. In several other works, Hardy captures the landscape washed with a heavy atmospheric glow at sunset or dusk. The intensity of colour triggers memory and an awareness of the fleeting nature of these specific moments that often feel surreal.
Hardy's process begins by immersing himself in the landscape, by foot or kayak, where he creates immediate studies of the scenery around him. In addition to his sketches, Hardy often takes specific notes to record the feeling of the weather and light. He then translates these experiences into paintings, arriving at an image that melds his somatic experience with his memory, making them more atmospheric than representational in their final content.
Hardy’s paintings depict a timeless landscape, devoid of any human markers. Their billowing cloud formations and mystical glow give us the sense that we are looking at an almost primordial landscape. Hardy notes that these new paintings mark a more fantastical approach to colour, and yet they accurately reflect his state of awe in witnessing these moments.
