A Newer Perspective by Patrick Hughes

Patrick Hughes
b. 1939 | British

A Newer Perspective

Oil on panel
Signed, titled and dated “A Newer Perspective / Patrick Hughes / 2017”

Part painting, part sculpture and part optical illusion, this work by London artist Patrick Hughes invites the viewer on a visual journey. This 3-dimensional construction breaks free from the wall and appears to shift as one moves in front of it. The artist’s experimentations with perspective and perception involve the viewer in a highly tangible way that is rarely seen in painting. Driven by ideas of engagement, originality and humor, Hughes is one of the leading figures in contemporary British art.

Hughes' work often walks an intriguing line between Pop Art and Surrealism. These influences are keenly felt in this particular piece, notably through the recreation of a René Magritte painting and another by Roy Lichtenstein. The manipulation of size and perspective adds an inherent uncanniness. Additionally, the kinetic quality of the painting is undeniable, with many viewers sincerely questioning whether the work itself is moving. As one walks the length of the panel, artworks seem to appear and disappear — a mystery that enhances the painting's surrealist qualities.

The great works of art represented in this work underscore Patrick Hughes’s identity as a man steeped in art history. The art on the walls represents the works of M.C. Escher, Lyonel Feininger, Philip Guston, Pablo Picasso, Giorgio de Chirico, Amedeo Modigliani, Chaim Soutine, Egon Schiele, Salvador Dalí, Edward Hopper and Man Ray, among others.

Hughes coined the term reverspective for these types of constructions, which he describes as “perspective in reverse.” He utilizes the traditional idea of one-point perspective in which an artist can create the illusion of receding space and dimensionality with converging lines upon a single vanishing point on the horizon line. However, he reverses this concept by bringing these lines forward into space using 3-dimensional planes, but still abides by a strict vanishing point. Hughes says, “When the principles of perspective are reversed, the mind is deceived into believing that a static painting can move of its own accord.”

The panel’s construction is a proprietary technique developed by the artist. Starting from large panels of wood, the artist forms trapezoids and triangles that are then glued together to form 3-dimensional shapes that jut out from the flat plane of the wall. Then, 2-dimensional images are manipulated in Photoshop and given the proper perspective for their placement within the composition. These images are translated precisely onto the panels in oil paint, creating the ultimate illusion. Perfection of line, light and shadow is essential to the final outcome, and, all told, a reverspective painting can take up to three months from start to finish.

Hughes created his first reverse perspective work in 1964 with a life-sized room for the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London entitled Sticking-Out Room, thus beginning his long fascination with perspective illusions. He has since authored several books on themes in relationship with his art, including visual paradoxes and oxymorons, and he holds a doctorate in science from King’s College in London for his work in the psychology of perception. Today, his work resides in the permanent collection of the British Library and the British Academy in London.

Dated 2017

Panel: 20 1/8" high x 58" wide (51.12 x 147.32 cm)
Frame: 28" high x 63 7/8" wide x 8 7/8" wide (71.12 x 162.24 x 22.54 cm)