Painting at Saatchi Gallery...

3:37 p.m.

01/26/17 - Now that painting is one of the many outlets used by contemporary artists, the exhibition "Painters’ Painters", at Saatchi Gallery in London, seeks to reunite all those artists that still remain loyal to a medium which has been losing interest. In the past years, an array of new materials and modern technologies have been embraced by Contemporary Art. "Painters’ Painters" pays tribute to the artists that help keep painting alive still today.

Boy with machines, by Richard Aldrich (2007)

Technique: oil, wax and wood on canvas / Measures: 213.5 x 152.5 cm

Future portrait #49, by Richard Aldrich (2007)

Technique: acrylic on wood / Measures: 30.5 x 30.5 cm

Past, Present & Future #1, by Richard Aldrich (2009)

Technique: oil, wax and charcoal on canvas + plant / Measures: 213.4 x 147.3 cm

As with each exhibition, the gallery edits a catalogue, on sale for 1 pound. The mini-guide becomes really useful during the tour, as it includes a small bio of each artist on display.

Richard Aldrich (USA, 1975) does a bit of everything: portraits, completely abstract artworks and even small installations. The uncertainty of the result is what makes his work so particular.

Bay of Pigs, by Dexter Dalwood (2004)

Technique: oil on canvas / Measures: 268 x 348 cm

Brian Jones' swimming pool, by Dexter Dalwood (2000)

Technique: oil on canvas / Measures: 275 x 219 cm

Kurt Cobain's greenhouse, by Dexter Dalwood (2000)

Technique: oil on canvas / Measures: 214 x 258 cm

Dexter Dalwood (UK, 1960) explains that, during his creation process, he extracts visual information from his surroundings and then mixes reality with imagination to create on the canvas something similar to reality itself. Magazine and book clippings are united in his mind to give place to landscapes that somehow look familiar to us.

Martin Maloney (UK, 1961) believes that if one chooses to become a painter, he/she must deal with everything that was painted by their predecessors. His work comes from a variety of sources but, somehow, the final result is uniform. It might seem naive at first, but in fact he is truly reflecting the reality of contemporary cities, in a mixture of observation and invention.

Stroller, by Martín Maloney

Technique: oil on canvas / Measures: 260 x 231 cm

Candy, by Martín Maloney (2004)

Technique: oil on canvas / Measures: 259.7 x 213.4 cm

In room 5 of the gallery, David Salle (USA, 1952) feels, as a painter, part of something bigger: like a river, he says, where he is just a small branch. His artworks look like collages, but they are not. His angels, statues and bicycles are blended with abstraction: a true mixture, "like life itself", says the artist.

Mr Lucky, by David Salle (1998)

Technique: oil and acrylic on canvas / Measures: 239 x 340 cm

Dean Martin in, by David Salle (1990-91)

Technique: acrylic and oil on canvas / Measures: 216 x 266 cm

The huge paintings of David Brian Smith (England, 1981) occupy room 10. There's something religious in them and also hints of realism as depicted by French artist Jean-Francois Millet (1814 – 1875) when he painted his scenes with farmers, although Smith never saw Millet's works personally, only copies published in an English newspaper.

Bjarne Melgaard's artworks (Norway, 1967) move us because of their childish charm. However, the artist's concerns are more related to death and sex. Visually, we are inclined to make an involuntary link with Jean-Michel Basquiat's works. The artist recognizes his influence but he admits that it was Paul Gauguin who really caught his attention.