Sam Lock | Not the time of clocks
PRESS RELEASE


Sam Lock, Not the time of clocks
11 October – 11 November 2022
Cadogan Gallery, London
Sam Lock’s most recent body of work, not the time of clocks, explores the tension held in a point of change. The concept of time has been one of Lock’s primary themes in painting – time to create; history and memory and traces of other times and places. This series references time not as it is measured and controlled day to day, but as the energy of change surrounding us; turning all things to memory. This exhibition of paintings and works on paper will open with a private view on the 11th October and will run until the 11th November. Like with many of Lock’s works, this series of paintings unfolds slowly, they are not works that reveal themselves at a glimpse. They require the viewer to find a new pace, to take the time to discern the emotional resonance in their meditative quality. The gentleness and power felt in each work comes from the simplicity and starkness of the composition in contrast to the softness of the marks.


‘There is comfort in not knowing whether things are falling apart or connecting together, that beyond us there is an infinite process happening, a force we can’t control or separate ourselves from. These paintings feel primal to me, their confidence is skin-deep only and vulnerable; the more we look at them, the less certain of themselves they become. The line that divides seems to break up and blur, to dissolve away into an idea; leaving behind a painting.’
– Sam Lock
The canvas appears absorbent, like blotting paper, giving the ‘dividing lines’ a sense of ephemerality and vulnerability. Movement and fluidity can be found in the flood marks and traces of the stained colour fields, signposting how the works are made. There is a balance between the appearance of fluidity and natural forces, and the intentional action of the artist.
The pigment has been scrubbed into the fabric; rather than sitting on the surface, the marks are contained within the canvas itself becoming inherent. These canvases will be shown alongside forty works on paper. These smaller scale works are part of Lock’s mark making process. Superimposed onto book pages with pre-existing stories and memories, the fluid, instantaneous marks imply a different timescale, reflecting a pure moment of creation and artistic intervention.



NOT THE TIME OF CLOCKS EXHIBITION CATALOGUE
This catalogue accompanies Sam Lock’s solo exhibition Not the Time of Clocks in 2022. This new body of paintings and works on paper explore division and the tension held in a point of change; Not the time of clocks, as time is measured daily but as the energy of change. The catalogue also a features an introduction by Alice Zucca and an interview with the artist discussing his approach to this series.
About the Artist
Sam Lock trained at Edinburgh University and College of Art, graduating with an MA in Fine Art Painting and an MA in History of Art in 1997. He has exhibited regularly with Cadogan Contemporary since 2015 in both our London and Hampshire spaces and has shown at various galleries and fairs in Europe and Asia. His work is held in private collections worldwide.
About the Gallery
Cadogan is an independent contemporary art gallery with spaces in London, Hampshire and Milan. For over forty years our mission has been to represent, support and curate the work of a diverse roster of emerging and mid-career artists. Since joining the gallery in 2014, Freddie Burness has added a new international perspective to the rich history and distinctive approach of the gallery’s programme.
Sam Lock, Not the time of clocks
11 October – 11 November 2022
Cadogan Gallery
87 Old Brompton Road
London
SW7 3LD
Media Contact:
communication [at] alicezucca.art