Now in its twelfth year, the prestigious Art Icon Gala and accompanying contemporary art auction provides essential support for Whitechapel Gallery. Alongside an exceptional online auction, Theodore Ereira-Guyer has generously donated a work for private sale.
Theodore Ereira-Guyer merges classical art historical themes with experimental techniques that defy categorisation. His works occupy a liminal space between painting, printmaking, fresco and bas-relief, created through a labour-intensive process. Starting with a steel plate, Ereira-Guyer applies varnish, acid washes and printing inks, letting materials erode and transform the surface. The plate is then pressed into wet plaster, which absorbs the ink as it dries, resulting in richly layered, textured works. The process, filled with unpredictability, captures the interplay of memory, imagination and chance. Landscapes and scenes emerge as archetypal yet elusive, blending real and remembered places. Organic materials like gum arabic, dragons blood, oak galls, safflower, annatto seeds and glass frit mingle with industrial chemicals, adding depth and complexity to the compositions. These works evoke both permanence and transience, reflecting the artist’s ability to navigate the fine line between control and surrender to material forces.
Text provided by Whitechapel Gallery
Theodore Ereira-Guyer merges classical art historical themes with experimental techniques that defy categorisation. His works occupy a liminal space between painting, printmaking, fresco and bas-relief, created through a labour-intensive process. Starting with a steel plate, Ereira-Guyer applies varnish, acid washes and printing inks, letting materials erode and transform the surface. The plate is then pressed into wet plaster, which absorbs the ink as it dries, resulting in richly layered, textured works. The process, filled with unpredictability, captures the interplay of memory, imagination and chance. Landscapes and scenes emerge as archetypal yet elusive, blending real and remembered places. Organic materials like gum arabic, dragons blood, oak galls, safflower, annatto seeds and glass frit mingle with industrial chemicals, adding depth and complexity to the compositions. These works evoke both permanence and transience, reflecting the artist’s ability to navigate the fine line between control and surrender to material forces.
Text provided by Whitechapel Gallery
Feb 12, 2025
