These new works of John Duffin have an irresistible force. Rushing perspectives, dizzying viewpoints and electrifying bursts of light shoot through his compositions with a dynamism that never seems to slow down. They simply seethe with energy.
These are uncompromisingly urban pictures where the built environment takes precedent over its inhabitants. For sure, there are plenty of people but they are dwarfed by their surroundings and take second place to the living city. They have no choice but to be always on the move, whether heading for the tube, wheeling a suitcase or caught in the night time glow as they make their way to who knows where? Only rarely can we find anyone who might seem to be static, taking a moment to catch a breath before once again joining the dynamic throng.
However, as viewers we can do just that. When we start to explore these pictures at our leisure, we find that Duffin’s technical skills are as dazzling as the energy that fills his work. Etching is a simple and traditional technique but there are no easy short cuts. It demands patience, commitment and years of experience to reach the level of these prints. Duffin’s compositions always start with drawings that he makes on site. These are then taken back to the studio and are combined and concentrated into the final image. When the artist has arrived at this stage, he can begin to use his remarkable array of skills. His copper etching plates and the taut surfaces of his canvases are carefully prepared before the work starts. Every move is controlled, everything is planned beforehand with nothing left to chance.
The repeated shapes of electronic information boards at a railway station or the little rows of automated ticket barriers give these pictures a musical rhythm that is more rock ‘n’ roll than J.S Bach. Duffin loves the grid patterns of windows and cinema hoardings, the reflections of buildings and groups of figures seen on a rainy night. He combines the decorative tiled floor of a tube station with the circular bursts of shadows cast by the light of its entrance hall. He picks out the rhyming patterns of railings and balustrades, the floodlights of sports stadiums and the rigorous geometries of station roofs. His energetic and punchy vision joins with his abstract instincts to create urban dramas that capture the random chaos of the city and give structure to disorder. The modern city might seem to be scrappy and shambolic but these new pictures reveal its mesmerising and vibrant beauty.
Colin Wiggins Artist/Writer/Curator
