CADOGAN

Milan | London
Director | Christopher Burness, Freddie Burness, Katie Burness

Cadogan is an independent contemporary art gallery with spaces in London and Milan. For over forty years our mission has been to represent, support and curate the work of a diverse roster of emerging and established artists. We care deeply about longevity, developing the careers of our artists and the journey of our collectors. In 1980, we opened the doors to our first gallery in South Kensington, London. In 2023, we added a new international perspective to our distinctive exhibitions programme by opening a gallery in Milan. Most recently, we announced the opening of our flagship gallery space on Harriet Street in Belgravia, London, in 2024. With an artist-focused approach and strong aesthetic identity, these two new spaces highlight the works of artists that have evolved with us since the gallery's founding, as well as a new generation of emerging artists.

www.cadogangallery.com

CURATORIAL VISION

Our proposal would be for Richard to travel to Uruguay and to make a body of work in a studio north of José Ignacio. I have been visiting the area for the last two years, and we have made some great connections and friends who would assist Richard in making a body of work specifically for the fair. These atmospheric paintings will be informed by the landscape and the feeling of Uruguay. Richard’s process is meditative; the backgrounds of his paintings are built up, layer by layer over time, giving them a deep patina that gives a sense of old paper or stone. The calligraphic marks are made at the last moment, like the strike of a match, giving the paintings a tension between the depth of the slow build-up of the backgrounds and the marks made in an instant. We would like Richard to be able to be present at the time of the fair and for me and him to be able to give a brief talk about his process, the work and the experience of creating in the landscape.

BIO

Richard Zinon (United Kingdom, 1984) uses broad, gestural brush strokes to draw attention to the action of painting itself, placing this at the center of his works. These movements across the canvas, reminiscent of Japanese calligraphy, succinctly transmit the pure action and energy of Zinon’s artistic process and the joy found in these acts of creation. Zinon uses a restricted palette, placing dark hues to explore the subtleties of light and color. His large-scale, abstract paintings are devoid of figuration or complex reference. Through the direct but contained strength of the brushstrokes, Zinon conveys pure emotion. “I invite the viewer to be absorbed by giving the opportunity for internal reflection. An intuitive understanding must come before intellectual comprehension. In that sense, the former delves more deeply into the heart of beauty. ”Zinon eschews the use of preparatory sketches, often completing his works in a single sitting. During his creative process, he avoids external stimulus, allowing intuition and primary instinct to guide the energetic brushstrokes of his works. All meaning emerges from the conversation that later takes place between the viewer and the canvas.