Noel Ivanoff: Across, Along and Around

When Noel Ivanoff paints he focuses on the qualities of materials. The artist also employs a traditional support which he most often makes himself. It tends to be expertly crafted, with the best joinery and best gesso. Ivanoff strives to create a work of art where, while still being in the minimalist tradition, it hasn’t lost the artist touch.

In the formalist tradition, Ivanoff seeks to reveal the artifice surrounding art. He focuses on materials, construction and context. There are flat panel works on meticulously prepared pieces of marine ply, which are based on building materials and colours. Ivanoff builds a field of colour with brush marks showing the gesture with the hand. When that is dry the artist fills the surface with another layer of oil paint applied with a plasterer's trowel. In effect he has skim coated his paintings.

Best described as an abstract expressionist Ivanoff is strong on gestural painting, but only where the utilitarian processes is juxtaposition so as to simultaneously question this. He takes a cue from skilled tradespeople and the work of plasterers. Their work is of as much interest to him as the texture created by great artists.

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