This, that and the other is Peter McDonald’s first solo exhibition at Dio Horia gallery and is part of Dio Horia’s residency program under which, McDonald will spend six weeks in Mykonos, Greece.
This, that and the other consists of multiple works on paper, works on canvas as well as other found objects that he has collected during his stay in Mykonos.
The subject matter of the works exhibited is twofold. On the one hand, some of the works are figurative and portray McDonald’s easily recognizable balloon-head figures in universal scenes connected with summer leisure activities like snorkeling and sunbathing.
These works were done when the artist first came to Mykonos and was trying to get the feeling of the island. In their heightened sense of reality they aim to articulate experience and meaning. The rest of the works are more abstract looking and were done later once the artist had discovered the rhythm of the island. In these works the human figure has been replaced by a disembodied abstract presence, inhabiting a space of basic shapes, inspired by the sun, the sea and the architecture.
In general, McDonald paints with acrylic gouache as this material gives him flat, matte colors that work well with his painting language. He creates sumptuous color mixes with which, he magically turns his figures from humane looking to translucent - almost ghostly- looking creatures. This see-through effect allows his figures to interact with each other and to literally merge with one another in several of his works. This interaction is central to McDonald’s work as it alludes to a sense of constant connectedness and communication between people and between people and their environment.