The Four Humours, An exhibition of works by Charlotte Jonsmyr, Daniel Lyon, J M F Casey, Hin

June 17, 2010 - PRLog -- Private View:          Friday 16th of July 2010 – 6.00 pm to 11.00 pm
Exhibition runs from:    Friday 16th of July 2010 – Thursday 22nd of July 2010
Gallery Opening Hours:    Fri, Mon, Tues, Wed: 11.00 am to 6.30 pm
                                              Sat: 12.30pm - 5.00 pm    
Last day of Exhibition:   Thursday 22nd of July: 10.00am to 5.00pm
________________________________________________
Temperament theory has its roots in the ancient four humours theory. It may have origins in ancient Mesopotamia, but it was the Greek physician Hippocrates (460-370 BC) who systemized and developed it into a medical theory. He believed certain human moods, emotions and behaviours were caused by body fluids, called "humours". Later this same theory was type cast as different temperaments displayed in human beings; namely the Sanguine, Choleric, Melancholic & Phlegmatic. This forthcoming exhibition displays works by four different artists who each in their own dialectic explore the four humours. The common denominator of this group showing is that the realms of the acceptable norm are certainly pushed. These works cannot be ignored or brushed off as simply 'nice pictures'; each individual piece wells up with depth of thought, dark humour, emotion and striking imagery, challenging our views of what can and cannot be classified as beautiful.  

Charlotte Jonsmyr mainly works with portraiture of disfigured and physically handicapped people. All her subjects for her portraits are images found on the internet, which are then altered in costumes, accessories, situation and environment. Jonsmyr challenges the classical aesthetic establishment of oil painting with black humour as an accessible means to understand more serious underlying issues. Jonsmyr originally from Norway, lives and works in London.

Daniel Lyon was born in Jamaica and subsequently has taken to a nomadic life style, dwelling in countries such as Bangladesh, Singapore, Britain, Jamaica and Latvia. Lyon throughout his itinerant journeys has delved into various schools of thought, such as philosophy, critical pedagogy, psycho-analysis, mythology, spirituality and the occult. All of the above form a heady brew from which he draws his creations. He studied Special Effects in London and taught himself to paint.

J M F Casey’s practice was born from a natural propensity toward images of a morbid, violent or melancholic nature, a tendency that he seeks to understand and enrich through extended research. These investigations have led him towards increasingly ominous and esoteric subject matters, illustrated with imagery drawn from an array of sources, including medieval art, war photography, horror films and pornography. Primarily executed in monochrome scratch painting, his work alludes to poetic, historic or philosophic concepts. Akin to Baudelaire’s proclaimed task of extracting “Beauty from Evil”, his practice is concerned with the amoral redemptive quality of art.

Hin, a painter-illustrator, born in Hong Kong, China, moved to Britain aged twelve. Hin's artistic background was formed by comics, such as Manga as well as by Chinese traditional watercolour painting. Now based in London, Hin created the art group ELAC (East London Art Company) in March 2007. Graduating from Kent Institute of Art & Design in 2004, Hin then moved to Brussels in 2005 to continue a one year Fine Art Post-Graduate course. “Human as an individual is a genius as well as an idiot. I feel no contradiction towards God, but I do for Human, including myself. Trauma and joy is never far apart, and my attempt is to find harmony within.” (Hin 2010)

# # #

Red Gate Gallery organizes a vast range of innovative exhibitions, from young and emerging artists, to the more established. The works we exhibit represent diverse themes and cultures, and employ a wide variety of media and materials. Most of the work is for sale by the artists. Red Gate Gallery & Studios were founded in 1998, and has since hosted over 470 art exhibitions and events! In fact, in October 2008, we celebrated our 10th Anniversary!