- The artist has a solo exhibition arising on the Osborne Studio Gallery through the month of October.
- The main target of this explicit exhibition is the world of the horse from the artist’s travels over the previous couple of years.
- It was the artist’s grandparents who ignited his love of going out to discover first the nation after which the world and report it via artwork.
I used to be intrigued and sought to seek out out extra about his background. I found that Hodge, who was born in 1966, has produced a wide ranging vary of labor impressed by his travels from Andalucia to India.
Artwork lovers will be capable to view Hodge’s work at his forthcoming solo exhibition on the Osborne Studio Gallery from October 5-28, 2021. This assortment brings collectively photos from the artist’s travels during the last two years and explores the world of the horse, from the Marwari horses of Rajasthan, the worldwide circus horses of Monaco, to the thoroughbreds and Arabian horses of the Center East.
Hodge was introduced up by his grandparents who spent a few years in India, and so they ignited his curiosity to exit and start to discover the nation. Crucial supply of inspiration for this exhibition was the November Camel Honest in Pushkar, Rajasthan, one among India’s biggest journey experiences, spectacle on an epic scale. He described how the exhibition took place: “The chance arose to exhibit an additional physique of labor with the Osborne studio gallery the place I’ve had a earlier solo exhibition. I had made quite a few journeys to India through the years and visited the city of Pushkar through the camel truthful, 4 or 5 occasions.
“Pushkar is a ravishing small city, very sacred to Hindus, which bursts into life for the yearly camel truthful. You’ll be able to revel within the pleasure within the streets however retreat to quiet little roof terraces when obligatory. A phenomenal location to get pleasure from big range and tempo.”
“However previous to the beginning of the pandemic I had visited El Rocio in Andalucia the place they’ve one other massive pageant, once more with many a whole bunch of horses and other people from numerous areas.”
After 5 years finding out Outdated Grasp methods in Palma, Mallorca, Hodge made his identify as a portrait painter. He first travelled to India in 2000. This journey was the beginning of an intense fascination with India, for its tradition, panorama and non secular high quality. Though his forthcoming exhibition has an equestrian theme, his fashion is consistently evolving to turn into bolder and less complicated, generally figurative portray provides strategy to abstraction.
The work have a tendency to take a look at the animals and the individuals, structure and panorama. Based on Hodge, “the subject material is inspiring however actually it’s a steadiness between that and utilizing it as a platform to create a very animated, painterly consequence. Making the floor and pressure of the portray actually work is as vital as representing the picture and when it’s profitable there’s a pretty concord between the 2.”
Hodge says he retains returning to the theme of horses as a result of he continually finds one thing intriguing and visually seductive about them – a beautiful collision of magnificence and mechanical ingenuity. Regardless of the stylistic modifications, the one enduring theme, in the principle, is India. He says, “The portray methods transfer from representational to summary and again as a result of lots of the experiences you’ve got there, require a distinct response. A phenomenal animal or panorama requires me to color it faithfully and attempt to recreate on the canvas a portray that’s each satisfying bodily and a real and trustworthy illustration of the topic.” Different themes, such because the historic side of the Gateway of India or the Breaking the Cycle collection of work from Varanasi, want a really totally different method. That is what retains the expertise alive and fascinating for him.
Though the main target of his work is principally on India and El Rocio in Spain there are additionally a couple of work from France the place his father (additionally an artist) lives. Hodge dismisses any suggestion that the exhibition would possibly solely attraction to individuals who have visited India. “I hope not. The work could be loved on each on a representational degree and simply as work no matter the motif. A phenomenal sundown is a ravishing sundown wherever it happens.”
Hodge began portray when he attended a conventional artwork faculty in Mallorca when he was 25. “I spent 5 years studying from the fantastic painter Joaquim Torrents Llado. I’m now additionally instructing a few lessons every week at an artwork faculty so hopefully passing a few of that on. So many numerous artists curiosity me. However I believe all of them share the standard that they use paint in a really expressive and free method. Additionally, in the intervening time I’m significantly having fun with Indian Miniature Mughal artwork, introduced ever extra alive once you start to learn concerning the characters in them.”
Those that should not in a position to go to the exhibition in particular person can see the photographs on the Osborne gallery web site and Hodge’s private web site .
When requested about his future plans Hodge says: “I believe, when it appears wise, to get again out to India and proceed working there and see what occurs. I don’t wish to make plans an excessive amount of, however to seek out the situation that’s calling you and be open to no matter occurs.”
