JULIAN LETHBRIDGE

Julian Lethbridge’s paintings embody a disciplined form of expressivity, where the energy of gesture is carefully structured without being diminished. Each work begins with a first layer of paint, applied with a palette knife to introduce texture and create a terrain on which subsequent layers can respond. This initial disruption establishes a subtle unrest at the foundation of the picture. Through a deliberate, step-by-step painting process, Lethbridge builds his compositions in layers, keeping the canvas open and dynamic, often in the form of a finely articulated grid. His brushstrokes form a structured lattice from which a certain coolness emerges—playful yet slightly disorienting. This measured tension between order and spontaneity nods to the rhythm of Abstract Expressionism and the New York School, while acknowledging the impossibility of fully recapturing the ambitions of their classic era.