“I like to think of things in terms of cycles, one thing becoming another and back again.”
‘From Now On’ is a phrase that cycles through Campbell’s latest body of work. ‘From’ represents the past, ‘Now’ represents the present, and ‘On’ represents the future. Campbell often paints surrounded by his own work, elements of which make their way back into his newest paintings. The paintings themselves are propelled by their own momentum as one painting creates the starting point for the next. It is a constant cycle, summed up by the painting names and the exhibition title, and more thoughtfully, the hidden connections between the paintings, and further reveals the artist’s circular perception in a rapidly changing world. The continuous mythical motifs and complementary colour palettes Campbell utilises throughout the exhibition dramatically transform the gallery space into somewhere that feels like a recurring dream. In doing so, Campbell pushes the viewer into a dreamlike realm that mirrors and shadows our current social landscape. Like a pleasant wonderland, each painting recalls the viewer towards a joyful state lost between reality and fantasy, inciting viewers to embrace ambiguity as they seek to navigate and make sense of the world today.
