Ralph Anderson: From “Dig” to New Horizons in 2025 – A Collaborative Exhibition with Alice Wilson in London

Portrait of Ralph Anderson from his archive.

Glasgow-born artist Ralph Anderson recently concluded his exhibition “Dig” at JGM Gallery in London, which ran from October 23 to November 30, 2024. This showcase was a significant milestone in Anderson’s career, featuring his innovative Echo Paintings that explore the interplay of abstraction and traditional genres.

Anderson describes his work as a constant juxtaposition in its making and approach to painting, floating between representational and non-representational forms. With a sculptural and object-based focus on 2D imagery, he embraces a low-fi, DIY attitude toward technical, time-consuming, and detailed work. In an ever-changing, fast-moving world, Anderson’s art pauses to consider time and memory by building layers of paint and imagery, which he then slowly sands back to reveal the amalgamation of multiple paintings, marks, and gestures. He has become less concerned with the content of a painting, instead aiming to provide an open-ended narrative that invites viewers to engage with the form and the process of creation.

In “Dig,” Anderson’s unique technique of using a rotary tool to sand down layers of paint created a striking visual language, marked by scratches and hollows that metaphorically ‘dig’ through the surface of his works. This process reflects an archaeological metaphor, where digging displaces layers to uncover remnants of the past. As Anderson excavated the strata of his paintings, he not only removed previous markings but also created new images from their remains, challenging the viewer’s perception of memory and time.

©2025 Ralph Anderson, Additional Content
©2025 Ralph Anderson, Alice (Nightclub)
©2025 Ralph Anderson, August Wonderland
©2025 Ralph Anderson, Beach Robe
©2025 Ralph Anderson, Installation “Dig” at JGM Gallery
©2025 Ralph Anderson, Kneel
©2025 Ralph Anderson, Julso
©2025 Ralph Anderson, Installation 2, “Dig” at JGM Gallery

The title of the exhibition aptly captures this duality; it signifies both recovery and the act of burying memories. Anderson’s work demonstrates a dialectic of addition and subtraction, evoking a sense of reverence for the realist tradition while simultaneously distorting its figures and architectural elements. His approach suggests an irreverence for realism, presenting a fragment of a disintegrating past that resonates with contemporary viewers.

Critics have noted the almost combative relationship between abstraction and traditional genres—landscape, portraiture, and still life—within “Dig.” As time erodes both objects and memories, Anderson’s paintings simulate the appearance of decay, revealing the relevance of these traditional forms through the act of ‘digging.’

Anderson moved from Glasgow to London in the 1990s, where he studied Fine Art at London Guildhall University and later earned a Master’s in Fine Art from Wimbledon College of Art. He has exhibited extensively across the United Kingdom and Europe, with three solo exhibitions at JGM Gallery, group exhibitions at the Saatchi Gallery, commissions for H Club and Café Murano in London, and an installation in Eurostar’s Business Premiere Lounge at the Gare du Nord in Paris. His work is held in private collections, including the Howden Family Collection and Landmark Plc.

Jennifer Guerrini Maraldi, Director of JGM Gallery, praised Anderson’s work, stating, “The success of these works is the reward Ralph deserves for continually pushing the boundaries of his practice. I am confident that these Echo Paintings will solidify his place as an artist of true significance.”

Looking ahead to 2025, Anderson is set to collaborate with his wife, fellow artist Alice Wilson, for an exhibition in Peckham, South London, in spring. This upcoming show promises to be another exciting chapter in Anderson’s artistic journey, building on the themes explored in “Dig” and continuing to challenge the boundaries of contemporary art. As he moves forward, Anderson’s work remains a testament to the enduring dialogue between past and present, memory and creation.

Photo credits: Photographs are from the artist’s archive

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