Robert Holyhead’s paintings are economical without ever appearing detached. He gives us just enough and no more. The approach is exacting with trial and error not evident within individual pieces.
Negative space seems to be a consistent (and dominant) feature of his works; gaps and forms appear interchangeable, with what is not there being as important as what is.
In spite of the slightness of the supports (these are not bulky paintings) and a lightness of touch, there is a definite weight to Holyhead’s paintings: their surfaces, which clearly record process, combine with bold cropping to give a real sense of ‘object-ness’. When they work (which they do more often than not) the paintings are well balanced and have a purity of form that resonates.
