Jake Wood-Evans’ latest solo exhibition with Unit in London, Nocturne, considers the mysterious and evocative allure of the nocturnal. An exploration of light lies at the core of Nocturne, which moves increasingly away from representation towards a focus on atmosphere. Inspired by the work of James McNeil Whistler, Wood-Evans concentrates on variations of light and darkness to explore an imaginary nocturnal space. By embracing the unknown, Nocturne relinquishes control and steps into the shadows.
Explorations of light have always been key to the artist’s practice. In Nocturne, Wood-Evans takes this further, experimenting with colour in order to enhance a contrast between light and dark. Instead of starting with a neutral ground, the artist begins each canvas with a base layer of bright yellow. Step by step, the intensity of the yellow is gradually dampened through the careful layering of a prism of colour. However, the vivid yellow tones can never be fully extinguished and, as a result, each canvas appears to glow. The light at the base of these paintings radiates from within, lending each work a luminous and otherworldly quality.
The artist has become well known for his reconfigurations of art historical motifs. In Nocturne, Wood-Evans pays homage to Turner through his investigation of light and atmosphere. Echoes of Sargent and Monet can be found in a triptych of trumpet lilies that glow with blue and purple light. At the same time, Wood-Evans has been looking to French artists such as Nicolas Poussin, Clodion and Bouguereau. Through this range of artists, Wood-Evans considers Bacchanalian themes of revelry and the idea of movement more broadly. Coupled with explorations of darkness, the artist visualises secret activities happening under cover of nightfall. These intertwined figures are coupled with a sense of uncertainty; are they expressing love, indulgence or something more unearthly?
Wood-Evans’ most important influence, however, has been the work of James McNeil Whistler. Whistler’s painting, Nocturne in Black and Gold, lends the exhibition its name and gives context to Wood-Evans’ departure from representation and focus on atmosphere. Wood-Evans’ Illuminations signal this shift, symbolising the expression of light in a purer form. The surfaces of these canvases shimmer, summing up the ephemeral yet forceful blast of an exploding firework.
Through a focus on nocturnal scenes, Wood-Evans hopes to evoke an atmosphere of ambiguity. Ultimately, these paintings should be pondered over and, as we allow our eyes to adjust to the darkness, we can discover new details and elements in each piece. Nocturne considers both the process of creation and of removal and eventually what we see becomes just as important as what we do not.
