Eleanor Bartlett - Material Presence

We’re delighted to present ‘Material Presence’, the third solo exhibition at Beam by Eleanor Bartlett (b.1951) The exhibition presents a selection of intimate paintings, drawings and works made with wax that introduce audiences to the diversity of the materials within the artist’s practice. About The material nature of Bartlett’s work is central to the viewing experience. Bartlett’s paintings are drawn to materials that are difficult to manipulate, such as tar, wax and industrial paints. Rough textures, scratches, cracks, undulations, and subtle shifts in colour come together as a surface that is a heavy presence on the canvas. These resistant materials hold a commanding presence that is immediately at the forefront of viewing the work.. Bartlett’s conscious decision to omit any subject matter, symbolism, or prescribed methodology means the works are free of association and can be explored purely for their visual qualities. Bartlett draws attention to the embedded qualities of the materials, allowing the viewer to accept them without the need for interpretation. Within the material there is knowledge that is better understood with the hand and the eye than perhaps the written word. In this respect the work has as much in common with a geological excavation or the surface of a rock than the traditions of painting or sculpture. Bartlett’s work that utilises wax has a more ethereal quality. The translucency of the material captures light and has a three dimensional presence that is more pronounced than the artist’s paintings. The qualities of these works have resulted in commanding installations such as ‘Paen’ at Wells Cathedral, in 2018, or ‘Vigil’ as the modernist masterpiece, Clifton Cathedral, Bristol in 2023, where the translucency of the wax contrasted and resonated with the solidity of the stone and concrete architecture. Bartlett’s works on paper have a speed and lightness that differentiates them from the highly worked surfaces of the paintings. The artist frequently works on thin translucent materials that are not designed as a surface for painting or drawing. The artist frequently uses found materials that may already carry marks such as a printed grid, type or the jagged edges of a brown paper bag. Loops, strikes of charcoal, jagged lines and black masses are some of the marks Bartlett applies to the contrasting paper surfaces. Seepages of oil from paint stains the surface of the paper alongside the artist's intentional marks and torn edges of the paper are accepted as a material part of the work. There is a freedom in the work of Eleanor Bartlett that perhaps can be considered as acceptance. Accepting and embracing what is found. Accepting the material reality of the medium and accepting a very human desire, to experience a material presence without the need for interpretation. Read more Toggle Painting