Robert Fry – Partners
Continuing his investigation into the individual and the other, the mind and the body, Robert Fry strives towards a new figurative abstraction in this series of paintings.
Starting out as an aerial view of a man and a woman in Partners Study 1, as the series progresses, gender, as well as the lines of interior and exterior, become blurred. The two bodies are seen wrestling, embracing or pulling apart. They move from two curled up balls on opposite sides of the canvas in Study 1 to an embracing unit in Study 9. Each Study opens up a different psychological space, some are visceral and almost violent, evident in the roughness of the brushstrokes and the flesh-like colours. Others are mysterious and ominous, calm and sombre, where the thick layers of oil paint take on an almost velvety quality.
We are pleased to announce the second solo exhibition at Galerie Kornfeld of British painter Robert Fry.
The exhibition brings together a series of eleven new paintings entitled Partners Studies, alongside a selection of new etchings by the artist.
Continuing his investigation into the relationship between the individual and the other, the mind and the body, Robert Fry strives toward a new form of figurative abstraction in this series of works.
Beginning with an aerial view of a man and a woman in Partners Study 1, the series progressively blurs distinctions of gender as well as the boundaries between interior and exterior. The two bodies wrestle, embrace, or pull apart. They evolve from two curled-up forms positioned on opposite sides of the canvas in Study 1 into an entwined unit at the centre of Study 9. Each painting opens up a distinct psychological space: some are visceral and almost violent, reflected in the roughness of the brushstrokes and the flesh-like colour palette; others are mysterious, sombre and calm, with thick layers of oil paint that acquire an almost velvety surface.
The title Partners allows for a wide range of associations—from lovers and friends to relatives, and ultimately to confronting the other within oneself. Fry employs language both in his titles and directly on the canvas to probe the relationship between mind and body. Repeated words and sentence fragments traverse and exceed the picture plane, revealing a disturbed state of mind. Patterns formed from everyday objects such as scissors or empty coat hangers impose a formal order on the fragmented figures while symbolically alluding to the breakdown of relationships.
Although remaining faithful to his exploration of the human figure, Robert Fry ventures confidently into new territory with this body of work. By incorporating cubist and abstract elements into his compositions, he has created a compelling series that boldly depicts a wide spectrum of human emotions. Fry’s paintings emerge from intuition and imagination rather than observation, revealing—without restraint—the anxieties inherent in the human condition.
Drypoint etchings of landscapes and well-known London landmarks form the second part of the exhibition. In these works, the human figure—previously central to Fry’s practice—is entirely absent. Nevertheless, distorted perspectives and subjective viewpoints evoke psychological states similar to those explored in the Partners Studies. Through these etchings, Fry plays skillfully with empty spaces and zones of intense activity, reaffirming his abilities as a draughtsman and revitalising this traditional medium.
Robert Fry (1980, London) was shortlisted for the prestigious John Moores Contemporary Painting Prize and was recently featured among the 100 Painters of Tomorrow in the Thames & Hudson publication. His works have been exhibited at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, in Los Angeles, and widely throughout Europe. He is represented in prominent collections worldwide, including the Saatchi Collection, the Museum of Modern Art Moscow, and the collection of Mario Testino.