Beginning March 23, the Usuals in San Jose will host “Howl,” a show of art pieces by London artist Thomas Webb. His work is intricately detailed and sparse. It approaches a metaphorical state of particle physics, where dark matter constitutes the majority of the universe. Webb seems to do most of the heavy lifting in the vacuum of negative space that fills the majority of his art. His pieces are intentionally unfinished. To Webb, “If you give something a full stop … that’s boring.”

Webb is the anti-artist, a man focused on quiet contemplation of the blank areas that hover around recognizable images. In a world obsessed with completing tasks, Webb says, “I love the idea of not finishing something.”

The son of a curtain maker, Thomas Webb creates bespoke furniture when not working on more personal pieces of visual art. When he was ten years old, he sold flowers, door to door, pushing a cart down the street when he wasn’t at school. His grandfather, a man similar to that of the Anthony Hopkins character in The World’s Fastest Indian, helped to raise young Thomas in an environment that focused on cars, motorcycles and art.

The repeating theme of two triangles and a circle in Webb’s art comes from trade-union banners. It’s also representative of two mountains and the sun. The work is inherently personal and autobiographical to the artist, yet it has enough space to be universally inviting.

Webb is a bifurcated narrative as far as his work is concerned. One side wants to tell a full story, while the other doesn’t want to give away too many details or the end. There is something to be said about getting pulled into the creative process and having trouble putting the brakes on. It seems that while most visual artists train themselves to know when to stop, Webb is trying to train his audience to finish his work within the gallery space of their minds. The riddle that exists between the detailed work and negative space provides a tension that will undoubtedly infuriate some art aficionados, and inspire others to investigate the layers.

The opening reception will feature music by James Fenwicke and Dinners and the show runs through April 23.
On View Through April 23rd, 2012

The Usuals
1020 The Alameda
San Jose, CA