PRESS RELEASE: Negotiated Presence - Constructing Space Through Paint
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, ON – October 2026 – Armstrong Fine Art Consulting presents Negotiated Presence: Constructing Space Through Paint, an exhibition bringing together artists Kyle Clements and Geoff Farnsworth in a compelling exploration of painting as an act of construction rather than depiction.
Although Clements and Farnsworth work from distinctly different visual languages, both approach the canvas as a site of negotiation—where structure and intuition, control and improvisation, image and abstraction remain in constant dialogue. Their paintings evolve through accumulation, revision, gesture, and discovery, inviting viewers to experience the process as much as the finished work.
Clements translates the velocity and complexity of contemporary urban life into dynamic networks of colour, line, and spatial rhythm. Drawing inspiration from architecture, digital environments, and the sensory intensity of the city, his paintings develop through layers of luminous colour and sculptural mark-making. His compositions evoke aerial perspectives, circuitry, mapping, and shifting urban systems. Rather than representing a particular place, Clements’ work captures the experience of movement, perception, and contemporary life.
Farnsworth, by contrast, constructs his paintings from the interior outward. Moving between figuration and abstraction, he creates psychologically charged spaces in which figures, memory, and gesture emerge through an intuitive and responsive process. Forms appear, dissolve, and reassert themselves across layered surfaces, resisting fixed narratives. In Farnsworth’s work, presence becomes emotional rather than descriptive—shaped through colour, tension, gesture, and the accumulation of painterly decisions.
Together, Clements and Farnsworth demonstrate how painting can become a space of continual formation. Their works offer no single, definitive conclusion; instead, they invite viewers into environments that feel assembled, revised, and discovered in real time. Urban systems and interior worlds, physical structure and emotional resonance coexist within paintings that remain open, active, and alive.
Negotiated Presence proposes that meaning in painting is not simply imposed upon a surface—it is built through process, material, perception, and the evolving relationship between artist, artwork, and viewer.
Kyle Clements is a Toronto-based painter whose vibrant work captures the energy and sensory intensity of contemporary urban life. Translating city lights, architecture, screens, and movement into dynamic networks of colour and line, his paintings move between abstraction and representation. A graduate of the Ontario College of Art and Design University (2006), Clements developed his distinctive mark-making through experimentation with unconventional tools, drawing influence from the architectural structures of Denyse Thomasos and the visual complexity of early digital gaming.
Geoff Farnsworth is a Canadian painter based in St. Catharines, Ontario, recognized for expressive, semi-abstract figurative works that merge traditional training with colour-driven abstraction and intuitive process. Working between figuration and abstraction, he creates psychologically charged compositions where structure and spontaneity coexist. His artistic foundation was shaped on Canada’s West Coast through studies at the Federation of Canadian Artists, Emily Carr College of Art and Design, and Capilano College, developing a practice grounded in technical skill, experimentation, and ongoing artistic exploration.
Event Details
Exhibition Dates: October 4 - 25, 2026
Opening Reception (“Meet the Artists”): Sunday, Oct. 4 | 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Location: Atelier Ironwood (Second Floor), 1425 Lakeshore Rd, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON
Admission is free. All are welcome.
Since opening in 2021, Ironwood Cider has developed with a clear focus on craft and cultural expression. The introduction of Atelier Ironwood marks a natural extension - expanding into a broader program of curated work rooted in that same pursuit of craft.
About Armstrong Fine Art Consulting
Armstrong Fine Art Consulting specializes in curatorial services and exhibition management, with a focus on thoughtful storytelling through the visual arts. In addition to developing and producing exhibitions, the firm works closely with collectors to build meaningful collections and assists in placing artworks within the secondary market. Collaborating directly with artists, Armstrong Fine Art Consulting facilitates the placement of works into private and corporate collections, creating lasting connections between artists, collectors, and audiences through well-executed, impactful programming.
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Media Contact: Margie Galita, Curator.
Email: margie@armstrongfac.com
phone: 647 286 1207
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Negotiated Presence exhibition invite image. (Left) Kyle Clements. (Right) Geoff Farnsworth. Bird and Berries, 2026 oil on canvas 24” x 24”
