Ignorance is bliss...
Felix Carr’s paintings operate like maps of the universe - and the soul. Building up his paintings in layers of soft colour, he creates images that function between abstraction and figuration, invoking a world where nothing is absolute and no questions have been definitively answered.
Reminiscent of Philip Guston the forms in his paintings are almost human, almost real, but instead flutter into ambiguity, like souls trying to find their true selves and choosing not to settle.
In many ways his is an ideal world, without rules or structure, and no requirement to settle on a definite identity. Like picking out individual words or tags in a wall covered in graffiti, in paintings such as Cold Nose our eyes rush to find identifiable forms, before they are obscured in the complex layering of colour.
His works have no centre, forcing our eyes to flutter across the whole surface of the painting indiscriminately, with no fixed way of seeing. We become the creator of the world from this cosmic soup, making our own meanings from what we see.
“If you ever start taking things too seriously, just remember that we are talking monkeys on an organic spaceship flying through the universe.”
Cold Nose, Painting, Acrylic, Spray Paint and Collage on Canvas 96 x 76 cm (2019) Felix Carr
Felix Carr Solo exhibition at Soho Revue, London
The title of our online exhibition derives from a quote by the comedian Joe Rogen: ‘if you ever start taking things too seriously, just remember that we are talking monkeys on an organic spaceship flying through the universe’. Its apt to relate Carr’s work to a line by a comedian, as it highlights that despite the playfulness of the telling, beneath both there is a deadly serious message - stop worrying about the details, and let the complexity of life wash over you.
It’s easy to get caught up in the noise and hustle of the modern world.
Like a conversation only partially heard, where words come in and out of focus, Carr’s paintings implore you not to grasp for meaning, but to luxuriate in your senses, to enjoy the experience for itself rather than seeking any fixed meaning.
To learn more about Felix Carr and see his recent body of work, visit his viewing room here