Joseph Agius talks to RODERICK CAMILLERI the curator about the artist’s first solo exhibition after many years and its concepts

JA: Why Trails of Colour?

RC: Trails of Colour is a title which the artist proposed and brought up during our early discussions. He pointed out the role colour has in his work. It is a persistent element that acts as an underlying attribute which informs and animates his painting. Moreover, the collection for this exhibition presents various paths displaying elements of sensation and spectacle which come together through the use of vivid chroma and brushwork. Borg explores such artistic pathways or trails through a painterly approach, bringing forth curious, and at times symbolic imagery.

Besides the chromatic qualities of his work, the exhibition feature three topics, namely the biographic portrait, the stage performer such as the comedian or circus clown, as well as the athlete. These three themes blend into one fabric, forming a vivid complementary eclectic arrangement, shedding light on the wide-ranging formal and thematic interest of this artist.

The Jockey

One particular painting which synthesises all characteristics and elements together is his recent work entitled All the World is a Stage.

This large painting encompasses all the different key aspects of this exhibition, blending together the idea of the self-portrait, and the imagery of the jesters, clowns, musicians and athletes.

It is a recent painting based on an old sketch that the artists designed circa 20 years ago. It is an appealing composition representing a visual trope featuring the world as a stage, illustrating the spectacle of life as well as implicit facets of mankind’s existence through colours and symbolic attributes.

Self-Portrait

JA: I believe the last and only Carm Borg solo exhibition dates back to 1994. Why this hesitation to exhibit, even though he participated sporadically in collectives?

RC: This is a personal question which I believe only the artist can really answer. However, I think that this is due to the artist’s modest character. Contrary to the current local trend, where everyone is an artist and there is a proliferation of artist-painter, especially Sunday painters, who feel the need to show their work to the public via relentless exhibitions and shows. Borg is an old-school artist who is more concerned and excited with the act of painting rather than the show of exhibiting. He is a reserved individual who prefers producing work rather than overexposing himself. Hopefully, Borg will be more daring to show more of his work in the near future and present a more comprehensive oeuvre representing his creative side.

Borg’s work features a curious playful quality

JA: Borg’s style is very personal and expressionist, and demonstrates a very refined fingerprint. What are his artistic influences?

RC: When analysing Borg’s eclectic work, one can read latent sources of influences. His fresh handling of painting and colour suggests the influence of different artists pertaining to the early 20th century. His interest in portraiture and representation, especially those of stage performers featuring masks, jesters, clowns, and other stage performers bring to mind artworks by Claude Gillot, James Ensor, Pablo Picasso, Edward Hopper and Walt Kuhn.

The Clown

Borg’s work features a curious playful quality. In some particular works, he depicts pondering figures, sometimes including emblematic elements such as in the works All the World is a Stage, The Clown, and The Jockey. His interest in stage performers, circus clowns and entertainers recall ideas which hark back to concepts explored by Picasso during his rose period, whereas his portrayal of staged figures and portraits of pensive clowns and dancers can be linked with stage portraits by the American artist Walt Kuhn.

JA: Do you feel as a curator that this exhibition works as a sort of retrospective?

RC: Even though this exhibition is not envisioned as a retrospective, there are interesting constituent elements which recall a retrospective exhibition since this collection presents a snapshot of a long period of artistic work which spans over two decades. However, this does not imply that the works look back or represent all the phases of his career.

Backstage

Pensive Boy

Pierrot

Untitled

It only features a long period featuring the artist’s subtle changes, idiosyncrasies and formative chromatic effects as well as thematic choices of the last 20 years. Almost all of these works are being presented for the very first time and reveal personal aspects of his prolific output. Moreover, the show is designed to present a kind of mosaic juxtaposition of paintings disclosing the artist’s investigation and artistic expression.

One can also point out that even though it has eclectic features, two dominant aspects emerge from these artworks, namely his interest in portraiture and his fascination with human representations. These two components are two predominant aspects which distinguish his creative and figurative search.

Trails of Colour, hosted by Gemelli Art Gallery, Ta’ Qali, and curated by Roderick Camilleri, is on until May 28. Consult the venue’s Facebook page for opening hours.