ART DESCRIPTION
This work is a work on paper from the ‘And’ series of 1997-99. The series title ‘And’ is a play on the word ‘hand’, where the artist drew his own left hand repeatedly over two years. The work is highly coloured acrylic and graphite on pages of a historical book. Barry used to draw and paint on historical texts and ancient charters, that he would photocopy from libraries or find from second-hand shops or book markets. He had an special interest in texts that relate to British history. There is a similarity here with the revered works of William Kentridge, although Barry was not directly influenced by him.
Kamen would first work on the background, and then in one gesture he would draw his hand directly in permanent marker. He described the tension from this way of working, as it added the pressure of not being able to make a mistake, and gave the work an interesting urgency and vibrant energy.
The wordplay (hand/and) in the title is again an example of Kamen’s masterful and searching use of language in his works and of his fascination with short words that function as connections between other words. Connection is an important theme in these works, as the hand, often in an open position, seems to be eternally reaching out or seeking connection with the abstract mass behind it.The careful, simple figuration of the hand versus the highly-worked, abstract background make for a compelling and unusual visual impact.
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