Epenthesis: the insertion of a consonant letter or sound within a word in order to more easily pronounce it.
For Lines, Borders, Boundaries, and The In-Betweens at Yamamoto Gendai, Novali has produced a body of work that attempts to aid in communicating those things otherwise difficult to translate or verbalize. This body of work acts as a continuation of his most recent series shown in Art Basel Hong Kong 2017, more sharply honed with respect to strict limitations in constructing composition. Constrained and pressured by complex surrounding sociopolitical environments, Novali attempts to establish a visual lexicon in relation to the self and its attempt to assimilate its perimeters. It is then through line, structural composition, transparency, and soft remnants of gestural forms that Novali builds "consonant letters" of sorts, in an attempt to leave traces of discrete thoughts and ideas.
These works in red leave more questions than answers, it seems it would not be coincidental that the works contain an almost flesh-like quality, that there exists remnants of repetition and depth of contemplation in Novali's work. Can that which is incommunicable be made comprehensible through Novali's aesthetic explorations?
Artists
Copyright belongs to The Artist
Photography by The Artists and ROH
Courtesy of The Artist, Yamamoto Gendai, and ROH