Periphery finds Tom Cullberg navigating the borderland between the tangible and intangible; the first exhibition in which his abstracts will be experienced alongside his signature cover portraits. Despite the seemingly separate elements, the combination of abstract paint-scapes and representational cover portraits never feels disparate. The two styles work together to flesh out Cullberg’s painterly objectives.
This unifying thread is the creation of a space comprised of free-association, both subjective and personal. As a foil to the associative nature of the cover portraits, the abstracts mark a space of reflection. Although the compositions are carefully considered, Cullberg’s underlying hypothesis is not explicitly stated; rather they are only hinted at in the titles. It is the viewer’s tendency to formulate associations and construct narratives based on what is familiar or intriguing, that is key.