Solo exhibition at the Petrovka Studio and Gallery
Peter Hainsworth for ‘PASSPORT’ magazine, October 2012.
On a dark Autumn evening in 2012, a band of Moscow friends and art lovers trekked their way up behind the Monastery on Petrovka Street to Davina Garrido De Miguel’s ‘Petrovka’ gallery studio to a welcoming glass of champaign.
John Harrison had eight ‘night paintings’ on display in the main area of this amazing studio, and about eight older paintings were on display off to the side.
About thirty people came, and seemed to enjoy it. Some sales took place. What was interesting was that here were people who came to see paintings of the night, at night. People were at first a little surprised to see so many dark pictures, but then as with the real night, the eye acclimatised, and the night revealed its secrets in tones of dark blue, brown, indigo and neon lighting.
John talked about the night, how in Moscow, as anywhere, the night can take on a magical quality. People become more open. It can seem as though anything is possible. Spaces between objects where seemingly nothing is going on, the ‘negative spaces’ becomes charged with energy. Buildings which weigh million of tonnes seem as if they could float off into space. Master and Margerita can almost be seen flying off the roof of a block of flats.Solo exhibition, 2012
