Following is a selection of recent and two newly finished paintings by Angela Johal. Her paintings are spectacular with bold palettes and iIllusory compositions. Johal has a strong and intuitive sense of Color Theory. Her paintings are inspired and influenced by Op Art and Geometric abstraction. The paintings are meticulously executed, attention to every detail with pristine surfaces and priced very well.
Angela Johal
Variations On A Theme No. 26, 2020
60 x 48"
acrylic polymer on canvas
New painting photographed in the artist’s studio
Angela Johal
Music of the Spheres No.15, 2020
60 x 60
acrylic polymer on canvas
New painting photographed in the artist’s studio
Angela Johal
Variations On A Theme No. 21, 2019
60 x 48"
acrylic polymer on canvas
Angela Johal
Variations On A Theme No. 19, 2019
48 x 48"
acrylic polymer on canvas
Angela Johal
Variations On A Theme No. 15 (horizontal view), 2019
acrylic polymer on canvas
48 x 36"
Angela Johal Euphonic Colour No. 21, 2020 acrylic polymer on canvas
36 x 36”
Artist Statement C h r o m e s t h e t i c A r t I want my paintings to breathe using beautiful geometric shapes that suggest the infinite and for them to be understood by all peoples and languages. In my X Series I paint with bold, striped, diagonal bands which forces illusionistic space out of my painting. I want the flatness of the painting, color and geometric shapes to be the subject. In school I was taught to establish one focal point, stay away from the edges as not to take the viewer off, and never paint with two's or even numbers, but honestly, I break each of these rules in most of my work. In this series, I divide a rectangular space in four even quadrants, put an X in the center, push the eye outwards and off the edge into infinity with the kinetic rhythm of diagonal bands of color. In the Rite of Passage Series the ten concentric circular bands mark the passage of time that recalls the past and suggests movement toward a future state. The viewer becomes not the passive onlooker, but integral to the piece where the directional selection reflects the viewer's state whether mental, emotional, spiritual or physical. The viewer may ascend or descend, receive or surrender. Music plays an essential part in my painting process. I select the music to go with each painting and I simply cannot paint without music. Music, like painting reaches within to react directly upon the emotions. Color vibrates for me on the canvas just like music does in my ears. When I paint, I do not distinguish between what I hear and what I see, it's like a blending of the senses, a Chromesthetic experience where heard sounds evoke an experience of color on the canvas. The Diamond Series has a regular geometric pattern suggestive of the rhythm of musical notes where sound is projected and is represented by the angular geometric shapes emanating from those notes. In the Polychromatic Scale paintings there is a gradual color change in the polygon shapes which echoes polychromatic music where you hear much more than the standard chromatic scale with the use of electronic keyboards. Initially, I work out my compositions with pencil in hand and transfer this sketch to the canvas. I then select the music and allow the paint colors to be selected intuitively and in a random manner. It is interesting how the same color can appear completely different when placed next to others and how each color added changes the entire painting. I find that when regular color patterns are applied, the viewer finishes looking at the painting way too quickly where if colors are painted randomly, the viewer is really never done looking. I believe that by incorporating music into painting, that the usual negative thoughts and emotions that can literally spill into a painting are washed away and that the calming order of geometric shapes and the random, intuitive expression of color in my paintings are meant to bring joy and peace to the viewer. By David Eichholtz
New York