One of the defining aspects of a collection of landscapes titled The Colour of Time, by ADRIENNE CASSAR, is its timelessness. Joseph Agius talks to curator Roderick Camilleri about the exhibition at the Malta Chamber of Commerce in Valletta.

Night Lights (freeport)

JA: Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: “Nature always wears the colours of the spirit.” The title itself of Adrienne Cassar’s exhibition The Colour of Time indicates that colour is an underlying theme. Does colour contribute to the spiritual in art, using Wassily Kandinsky’s famous words?

RC: Yes, colour is one of those prime elements with a long legacy associated with the spiri­tual and the mystical. I guess it is a primal source that is deeply rooted in man’s psyche. It is a familiar yet indescribable phenomenon that can only be perceived to be understood. Perhaps that is what makes colour so special and alluring. It is one of those captivating aspects used to savour our existence, describing and embellishing our experiences or memories.

These particular indescribable qualities of colour have always been key descriptors to communicate characteristics of our lives or define things around us. This leading aspect rings especially true for Cassar. She uses colour as one of her main formal aspects to express her artistic idea, giving a unique character and dimension to her painted sceneries.

Birgu Waterfront

JA: This is an exhibition of landscapes that is all about nature and the timelessness of Malta’s iconic and historical architecture. Architecture and nature sometimes come together in the most amazing of ways, one mutually complementing the other in Cassar’s masterful use of colour and brush strokes. Can you elaborate on this?

RC: Colour plays a twofold aspect, both as the main visual and formal component of these paintings, as well as the determining feature that moulds the content of this collection. Colour is here a revealing basis illuminating features which sometimes can be overlooked. They highlight common places, adding another layer of interest. Through the deployment of chroma, this collection of oil paintings also brings forth two other constituents together, namely our local landscape and the passage of time; two important elements interlaced together through jagged, embroidered patches of vivid brushwork.

These paintings emanate a spectrum of bold hue pairings, portraying her personal response towards the local environment

JA: Is there a message that the artist wants to deliver? Maybe a nostalgic pull exerted by a baggage of sorts?

RC: These paintings can be read as an expression of an artist’s visual memoir of place and time. They act as an explorative expression of an artist’s presence. In other words, they can be seen as the artist’s engagement and relationship with her surroundings.

One can also describe these works as a personal and visual calendar, reckoning the passage of time through spontaneous oil paintings. The content of these works articulates a subjective character associated with the artist, featuring an instant moment crystallised through vigorous brushwork.

Hilltop Village

JA: Artists are very sensitive to their environment. At times, their attitude to it is reflected in the loving approach that they exploit. What can we tell about Cassar regarding her chromatic choice and particular compositional choices?

RC: These paintings emanate a spectrum of bold hue pairings, portraying her personal response towards the local environment. Evocative strokes of paint inform the structures of organic and architectonic shapes of landscapes and streetscapes, respectively. Dominant tones suppress shadows with pulsating textures to highlight the lively forms of these animated compositions. The pulsating effects of colour is complemented by the immediate and energetic rendering of the brushwork. 

One can also note the influence of her father, Carmelo Mangion, a leading artist of early modern art in Malta who surely played an important source in her artistic and formative growth, especially in her rendering of painterly expression.

Wied id-Dis Gharghur

JA: Timelessness is an important component of artistic expression. Famous American architect Frank Gehry relates to this as he feels that architecture should have a soul, one which transcends time itself. In his words, “architecture should speak of its time and place but yearn for timelessness”. Is Cassar after this quality in her art, especially in her depiction of the built fabric of our islands?

RC: Well, this exhibition suggests such an idea. I think a lot of artistic work by many different artists are in fact a reflection or a mirror of the time, place and context from which they emerge. It is a crucial character in all valid art forms.

As regards this exhibition, I think that these particular works capture the essence of our land, preserved through the charm of hues. They remind us of the power of painting; and how such a medium can unfold inspiring facets through simple visual components which otherwise would be left overlooked.

Barrakka Lift Oil on Canvas

Moreover, they are like ageless visuals that crystallise the attractive endemic scenes typical of our Maltese landscape, which are gradually becoming more vulnerable or threatened by progress and overdevelopment.

The Colour of Time, curated by Roderick Camilleri and hosted by the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Republic Street, Valletta, is on till December 10. Please consult the event’s Facebook page for opening hours. COVID-19 restrictions apply.