Artist statement
Nature is the source of each of these paintings by Rhonda Whitehead. Working as she has in the wetlands of Norfolk, the Northern Territory in Australia and more recently in Europe.
Whether in a microscopic scale within nature or the actions of nature on the human built landscape. There is immediacy to these paintings. They realise the dissolution of form, the reformation of form, the formlessness, and the structures inherent in apparently formless surfaces scenarios in nature and the built environment. These paintings are accents of a place distilled, as through a visual screen, much as what Georgia O'Keefe once achieved more literally, with her landscape details of New Mexico. Recent works at New Hall, Cambridge recalling the eroded walls of buildings: Whitehead's painterly response awakens our interest in all manner of physical and climatic exchanges we read on the surfaces of buildings. These are non-places, evocative surfaces experiences, with cadence, a history and cues stemming from hidden subtly changing worlds. It is a if the artist were capturing the mind that exists in all matter.
John K. Grande
May 2008
John Grande's Art Nature Dialogues : published by SUNY press, New York
Qualifications and training
- 1972 ATC teacher training, Hornsey College of Art, London
- 1971 MA, Royal College of Art, London
- 1968 Certificate in Art and Design, Byam Shaw Diploma in Art and Design, Byam Shaw School of Drawing and Painting, London
Solo exhibitions
- 2011 Highgate Contemporary Art, London
- 2010 Recent work, New Hall, Murray Edwards College, Cambridge
- 2009 Kings Arts Centre, Cambridge
- 2008 water,rock,erosion, Clare Hall Gallery, Cambridge
- 2003 Water,rock, Grapevine gallery, Norwich/Norfolk
- 1996 Recent work, Artery Gallery, London
- 1995 Water,rock, Ben Nicholson Gallery, Greshams School Holt Norfolk
- 1994 earth,rock,water, Highgate Fine Art, London
- 1986 Recent work, Minories Gallery, Colchester
- 1984 Recent work, Paton Gallery, London
- 1980 Paintings and Drawings, Article Gallery, Amsterdam, Holland
- 1977 New work, Produzenten Galerie, Hamburg, Germany
Group exhibitions
- 2010 Finalists exhibition art of giving, Saatchi Gallery, London
- 2009 Arts Landscape Network exhibiton, London
- 2009 Womens Art Show, Fairfield Arts Centre
- 2007 open exhibition, Byard Gallery, Cambridge
- 2005 works on paper, The Cut, New Cut, Halesworth, Suffolk
- 2003 group exhibition, Hutson Gallery, London
- 2001 Language of water, Hotbath Gallery, Bath
- 2000 Natural World, Beartrice Royal Contemporary Art, Hampshire
- 1993 Printmakers Council Exhibition, Barbican Gallery, London
- 1984 Art for Schools exhibition, Wells Arts Centre, Wells Norfolk
- 1975 Second International drawing biennial, Art Gallery, Middlesborough
Public commissions
- 1982 Mural for a record shop, The Strand, London
- 1978 Mural, for a community centre, North London
Competitions, prizes and awards
- 2006 First Prize, Byard Open Exhibition, Cambridge
- 1977 Arts Council Award for materials, London, London
- 1976 Bronze medal, Europe prize for painting, Belgium
- 1973 Silver medal, Europe prize for painting, Belgium
Publications
- 2008 Arts East 'The world of science and the arts collide'
- 1971 Rotating bars & discs on a rotating platform, Leonardo
Personal website
