23 Nov Renaissance

Source Credit:  Content and images from Wall Street International Magazine by .  Read the original article - https://www.meer.com/en/85398-renaissance

JD Malat Gallery is proud to present Reinassance, the much-anticipated
comeback exhibition by Conrad Jon Godly.

Spanning over two
floors of the London
gallery, this is Godly’s
largest body of work to
date.

Not only is this the
renowned Swiss artist’s
first exhibition in four
years, but it also bears
the title Renaissance as a
declaration of his return
and form of ‘rebirth’.

Indeed, in the artist’s
own words “after four
years, when I was closer
to death than to life, I
feel reborn”.

This exhibition is a
rebirth in every sense of
the word. Godly
traversed challenging
moments personally and
at times, he pondered on
the question of life itself,
much like many great
artists before him. After
periods of high intensity
from an emotional
perspective, Godly
finally saw the light of day and begun painting again. Not only did the artist feel he
obtained a second life as a human being, but he also felt he obtained his second
chance to paint.

The artist was not sure he would ever paint again, indeed inaugurate an entire new
body of work, so this exhibition comes as a miracle . Godly describes the flame of life
burning inside him that never left him, although it was close to failing, it was always
there, and he was able to turn into fire again. The fire of life.

To be honest, not so long ago I could not have imagined that I could ever lead a normal life
again, and that I could ever paint again.

Godly describes how his mental health took him to a place of deep reflection where
his creative genius was tested and tried. Magnificently, after time and healing, he
managed to restore himself back to sanity and peace. This exhibition is an ode to his
recovery and a gift to Godly’s followers. He painted what he knows best, what
makes him feel most at peace: the beautiful and everlasting mountains.

A remarkable shift for the artist comes in the way of medium, a shift from oil to
acrylic. Years of experimenting with paint made Godly realise that acrylic allowed
for more depth to the surface, a deeper colour saturation and most importantly
indefinite longevity to his canvases with no risk of quality fading over time.

Godly’s photography background is irrevocable in these new paintings, his handling
of light and perspective is brilliantly realistic and at times, might be mistaken with a
photograph itself. Having said this, his ability to blend a mere landscape scene into
an abstract rendition of a spiritual state is what makes Godly’s works so strong and
universally resonant. Although we are faced with simple mountains, what we really
see can become utterly subjective and personal. The artist paints so much more than
a mountain, he paints how nature makes us feel and think. In light of his own
personal experiences in the last few years, this existential factor cannot be denied.

As well as signifying a second chance for Conrad and the ability to start anew
despite his troubled past, one cannot deny the allusion to the historical period of the
Renaissance. This period in European civilisation marked a return to Classical
learning and wisdom. It was a period of immense discovery as well as a revival of
ancient teachings and culture leading to groundbreaking developments. For Conrad
too, this exhibition was his opportunity to look at his past and take only the best
elements, allowing him to search deep within his creative genius in order to create
his finest paintings to date. Much like Michelangelo or indeed Leonardo da Vinci,
Godly succeeded in creating something aesthetically new yet deep rooted in the past.

With over thirty new pieces in the signature trio of colours, black, blue and green,
Godly’s masterpieces are a powerful symbol of the beauty of existence and our
ability to start again no matter what stage of life we find ourselves in. Confronted
with one of his mountains, we can all experience our own kind of Renaissance.

Source Credit:  Content and images from Wall Street International Magazine by .  Read the original article - https://www.meer.com/en/85398-renaissance