The Salt Shed Series 2017
“Architectural spaces and forms also continue to intrigue Richards. Indeed, the artworks in this exhibition are directly inspired by his chance encounter with The Salt Shed in Manhattan. This new building houses salt rock used to deal with snowy streets, and its facade has been described as looking like "a modern art painting come to life, all angles and edges." How appropriate that it has become the inspiration for Richards' new series of hard edge contemporary paintings.
Richards' immediate attraction to the Salt Shed is not surprising. Its geometric facade resonates with the shapes within many of his paintings from recent years. His new paintings continue to incorporate geometric shafts of colour that, especially in the more monochromatic works, imply a three dimensional surface, with the dark areas emulating shadow and the light becoming surfaces that appear to lean out towards the viewer. Also included in this exhibition are studies on paper, where Richards experiments with colour and shape combinations before embarking on large scale paintings. Perhaps the most impressive addition to this exhibition is the wallpaper designed by Richards that will span one of the gallery walls” (extract from an essay by Andrew Gaynor)
