Rhys Douglas Farrell: Sensationships

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Rhys Douglas Farrell, “The Ridges of Muddy Confluence”, 2020

acrylic and aerosol on wood panel, 30” diameter

Rhys Douglas Farrell is an emerging artist living and working in Calgary, Alberta. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts (major in Painting) from the Alberta College of Art + Design in the spring of 2016. Farrell is the recipient of a painting scholarship from ACAD where he was also the Representative for the Painting Department and the Director of the Student Gallery, Quoin Gallery. He was signed on with the Herringer Kiss Gallery when still a student and his first solo show was named by Canadian Art Magazine as a “Must See”.  He was then featured in a 7 page spread in Branded Magazine in the summer 2016. Farrell has completed a number of public art projects with the Telus Spark Science Center, Beltline Urban Mural Project, the City of Calgary and a number of private commissions. His work has been aggressively collected by private and corporate collections alike and he recently completed three international residencies with Pinea & Linea De Costa A.I.R program in Spain, Graniti Murales in Sicily and the TARP Program in Kuala Lumpur with Taksu Gallery. Farrell is also the recipient of the 2019 Alumni Horizon Award from AUArts.

“Color sensations are not definable, they are experiential” - Robert Swain.

Sensationships is the way in which two or more colours cooperate with one another and the effects they create when displayed in unison. This exhibition is composed of 8 paintings that focus on colour and pattern, in the materialization of complete visual experience. Conceptually, Sensationships relates to my research into Gestalt theory. Gestalt theory focuses on the idea that an organized whole is perceived to be greater than the sum of its individual parts. The significance of the creation is grander than the components with which it is constructed. Through colours, the choice of patterns and layering, these works create a matrix of carefully selected and significant parts.

The paintings in Sensationships includes a wide range of colours and values. Each piece displays different variations of colours and interactions; some sharing the same value and light. Equal luminance effects one's vision and creates difficulty distinguishing where each colour begins and ends. I like to use either analogous or complimentary colour schemes in my work. The analogous colour schemes are sensational to the eye while complimentary colour schemes make for smooth transitions from one colour to the next. The combination of a particular colour with another particular colour creates a new visual experiences of each colour's identity and how it is interpreted by the eye, completely altering the visual outcome. In my work, patterns and repetition also play a significant role. These works are constructed of multiple layers of stripes that have been staggered, skewed, or tilted into moiré patterns. The combination of multiple layers of overlapping stripes and weaving creates an optical illusionary experience. My hope and goal is that when the optical illusions are combined with colour theory, the viewer will have a Gestalt experience of the finished piece. – Rhys Douglas Farrell, 2020

Private Exhibitions Tours with Artist and Online Viewing Room Available