Art can be a powerful tool for exploring boundaries, both in the physical world and in the realm of ideas and concepts. In science, boundary conditions refer to the limits or constraints that define a system or environment. But they could equally well refer to the societal constraints that we all navigate daily. In his exhibition Boundary Conditions, artist Nick Barratt uses painting to explore the tension between rigid forms and rules that govern composition and irregular shapes and lines that create a sense of depth and complexity, implying that the boundaries within the work are not fixed but in a constant state of flux.

The exhibition could be seen as a series of snapshots in the artist’s ongoing exploration of the boundary between the figurative and the abstract. Each new painting or drawing takes something from an earlier work as its starting point. Any original marks may become obscured as a new surface evolves. Almost recognizable forms appear and disappear. Drips defy gravity as the painting is turned on its side or upside down. Chance discoveries are made and exploited or discarded as the artist follows an intuitive process that continues until in his eyes the work achieves a point of balance.

 

Nick Barratt is a Midlands based artist who decided to pursue a lifelong interest in art after working in finance in London for many years.  He graduated from the Slade School of Fine Art in 2008 with a BA in fine art after gaining a foundation in art from Chelsea College of Art and Design in 2004. Predominantly a painter, Nick’s practice is driven by a fascination with boundaries and hidden structures and the role that chance plays in creating them.