Finding Equilibrium: The Geometry of Regenerated Spaces.
Stepping into the world of artist Gay Caul is to encounter a captivating dialogue between urban landscapes and geometric abstraction. Her work, deeply rooted in an engagement with regenerated dockland areas, translates the dynamic tension and relationships found within these spaces into a language of hard-edged forms and bold lines.
Gay Caul’s reductive approach strips back the complexities of urbanisation, focusing on the fundamental structures and their interplay. Her compositions, influenced by Piet Mondrian’s quest for “dynamic equilibrium,” seek to find a balance between the energy of new development and the harmony of a revitalised environment. The careful placement of form, the purposeful use of line and space, and a striking use of colour contrast all work together to capture the emergence of the new urban landscape from its industrial past. Working primarily in paint and collage, Gay Caul offers a unique and compelling perspective on the ever-evolving face of our cities.
In this fascinating interview with Liverpool Noise’s Steve Kinrade, she discusses her process, which is deeply rooted in urban environments. She explains why she is particularly drawn to regenerated docklands and explores the “relationships and tensions” between urban structures. Her work, influenced by Mondrian, uses hard-edged geometric forms to find a balance between energy and harmony.
Caul, who works in both paint and collage, believes in the importance of intuition and a careful selection of form and colour to create abstract compositions that reflect the complexity and mood of a place, rather than a literal representation. Liverpool Noise is proud to announce Gay Caul as our Creative Spotlight Artist for September 2025…
Your work is deeply informed by regenerated dockland locations. What specifically draws you to these areas, and what stories do you aim to tell through your geometric abstractions of them?
GC: I am drawn to redeveloped dockland areas as they are vibrant areas where there are clusters of contemporary buildings. The relationships between structures fascinates me and provides the basis for my artwork. I seek to capture the emergence of the new urban landscape from its industrial past. They are evocative locations, worthy of exploration.
You mentioned exploring “relationships and tensions” within urban structures. Can you elaborate on what kinds of relationships and tensions you observe and how you translate these into your hard-edged geometric forms?
GC: I find that structures located next to each other have an immediate connection. There is either a positive relationship or a tension, depending upon how they are positioned. I explore this connection and the spaces between them. I aim to capture this in my artwork using simplified geometric forms. Their placement is fundamental within my compositions.
Piet Mondrian’s quest for “dynamic equilibrium” is cited as an influence. How do you, in your own artistic process, strive to achieve a balance between energy and harmony in your compositions, especially when depicting bustling urban environments?
GC: Striving to achieve balance is important in my work. I seek to achieve harmony in my compositions alongside vibrancy. I wish to avoid my artwork being static, as it is developed from busy urban environments. I aim to achieve a composition that is engaging, placing importance upon the placement of form and the use of colour.
The placement of form, use of line, and space are significant features in your work. Could you discuss how these elements contribute to the reductive nature of your art and the overall message you aim to convey about urbanisation?
GC: Forms and the spaces between them provide the starting point for my abstraction. I simplify the structures in my compositions when exploring their interconnection. I often overlay line, to bring energy to the composition, reflecting linear forms such as roads and bridge suspension cables. The use of form, line and space are combined to depict the complex and dynamic nature of the urban environment.
While paint is your preferred medium, you also use collage. How does working with collage inform your paintings, and what unique expressive qualities does it offer that paint alone might not?
GC: Working in collage is very freeing. It brings an element of both chance and control into the artwork. The artist obviously directs the composition. The randomness found in the magazine papers that I use brings an element of chance. This often enhances the composition.
Your current series of paintings explores urban townscapes in northern Italy. What similarities or differences have you found in these international urban environments compared to the UK docklands that have previously inspired you?
There are some significant differences between my most recent body of work which draws upon the townscapes of northern Italy when compared to UK docklands. I have been focusing upon buildings that stack up hillsides. This provides a different dynamic to the dockland locations. The other major difference is my colour palette which is reflective of the location. I have been using the warmer colours encountered in northern Italy.
I would now like to concentrate on a particular work of yours – Liguria. This piece is a paper collage, and you’ve mentioned using collage as a means expression and to inform your paintings. What specific aspects of Liguria as a collage do you feel couldn’t be achieved, or would be interpreted differently, if it were a painting?
GC: Liguria provides an example as to how I work on a smaller scale in collage than when I am painting. This approach provides the opportunity to focus upon the detail. Collage aids experimentation, as it is very easy to move papers to try out ideas. The randomness of the marks on the papers can enhance the work, however, there are occasions when the exact colour being sought cannot be found. When working in paint, a wide range of colours can be mixed. Overall, they are very different processes.
The forms in Liguria appear to be meticulously cut and placed. Can you describe your process for selecting and arranging these paper elements? Is it an intuitive process, or do you work from preliminary sketches or plans?
GC: My process starts with engagement with the area. Following this, I sort my papers into a broad colour palette from which I select, cut and then paste. I compose with the papers, working intuitively as I build the composition. Sometimes I will pause to seek out a particular colour or marked paper to enhance the work.
How do the “relationships and tensions found between urban structures,” a key theme in your work, manifest in the arrangement of the various shapes and lines within the piece?
GC: The relationship and tensions between the forms in Liguria relate the buildings and pathways rising up the hillside. It is a complex mix of structures. I have sought to capture these structures using simplified forms and line, some overlaid to provide depth. The placement of the forms within my work is integral to capturing these interrelationships.
While abstract, one could almost imagine the stacked architecture of Ligurian towns in this piece. How important is it to you for viewers to make such connections to real places, or is the primary intention for it to be viewed as a pure abstract composition?
GC: My primary intention is to create an abstract composition. I usually provide a basic narrative identifying broadly the area that has inspired the series of work. I move away from the visual reality through abstraction.
Piet Mondrian’s “dynamic equilibrium” is an influence you’ve cited. How do you feel Liguria achieves this balance between energy and harmony, especially with its seemingly fragmented yet cohesive structure?
GC: I strive to achieve a balance of energy and harmony in my work. The forms differ in size, shape and colour, yet come together through their placement. Energy is achieved through layering, moving the composition beyond the picture plane. The use of line also adds vibrancy. When you look carefully the diagonal edges of some of the forms can be seen to cut across the composition in different directions, adding energy to the work.
The scale of this work is relatively small (23cmHx14cmW). Does working at this smaller scale offer different creative opportunities or challenges compared to larger works you might produce?
Working on a small scale offers the opportunity to work fairly quickly and also to incorporate detail. I feel that a lot can be learnt from the intuitive nature of building a collage which I seek to transfer to my paintings.
If you were to describe the mood or atmosphere of Liguria in a few words,what would they be, and how did you aim to evoke that through your artistic choices?
A hot, sultry afternoon would best describe the mood of Liguria. This atmosphere is captured through the placement of the forms in a fairly linear structure, providing harmony. A warm colour palette is also used to capture the heat of the day.
Can you tell us about the inspiration behind Liguria? What drew you to this particular place or idea?
GC: I was particularly drawn to the way the buildings stack up the hillside, gradually fading away from the viewer. This offered the opportunity to consider the relationships between the structures in a very different way from my previous research in redeveloped docklands.
There’s a strong sense of balance in the composition. How do you approach structure and spatial relationships in your work?
GC: I focus upon the relationships between the structures and develop from this. Placement of the forms and the spaces between them are integral to the composition. I move from the reality to an abstract composition, seeking to capture the mood of the location.
What do you hope a viewer might feel or consider when spending time with Liguria?
GC: I hope that the viewer will see how the forms in Liguria relate to each other, creating harmony. They may look further into the work and see how I have brought energy into the composition. Most of all, I hope that they find a connection with the artwork and engage with it.
Thank you for discussing Liguria in such detail. So beyond the visual, what kind of emotional or intellectual response do you hope viewers have when engaging with your abstract depictions of urbanisation?
GC: I would hope that viewers engage with my artwork and respond to the balance of energy and harmony that I seek to achieve. I prefer to exhibit my work in a series whenever possible. I feel that this approach enhances the experience for the viewer.
Looking ahead to 2025, are there any new urban locations, either in the UK or internationally, that you are particularly keen to explore and translate into your geometric abstract style?
GC: The redeveloped docklands in Liverpool have more to offer to me. I am proposing to return to these areas to engage further and seek out some new source material for my next series of work. Beyond this, I may look to the docklands of London or Glasgow for further inspiration, as they are both locations with significant redevelopment.
For aspiring artists interested in abstraction and urban landscapes, what advice would you offer regarding observing their environment and translating it into a unique artistic language?
GC: The initial gathering of material is far more than just a visual experience. It is about walking the area and engaging with it. It is important to consider and distill the material gathered, to avoid becoming overwhelmed. The planning stages are an essential element of the process to achieve the final outcomes…
To find out more about Gay Caul, visit gabriellecaul.co.uk or follow her on Instagram @gaycaul.
