Neon Parc

The untitled sculptures suggest a sense of familiarity—echoing the body, the industrial, and the medical—yet they deliberately evade clear interpretation. Upon closer inspection, their recognisable elements dissolve into something enigmatic, drawing viewers into a state of ‘almost knowing.’

Blomley’s work captures this moment of suspended recognition, where the desire to comprehend the sculptures becomes an active force in observing them. This ambiguity lingers beyond the moment of viewing, leaving open-ended questions about the origins and evolution of each piece.

Blomley’s work resonates with Romantic poet John Keats’ theory of ‘negative capability’—the capacity to remain within uncertainty, mystery, and doubt without seeking immediate resolution. Coined in 1817 in a letter to Shakespeare, this concept embraces ambiguity and intellectual openness in pursuit of artistic beauty and the sublime. Blomley similarly embraces uncertainty, allowing his sculptures to exist within an unresolved space between material and meaning.

Materiality is paramount in ‘The same eyes as yesterday’. Blomley’s sculptures engage with both positive and negative space while exploring varying degrees of translucency. Surface treatments take centre stage—glossy fibreglass, softly blended pastel hues under slick automotive paint. Each piece is carefully mounted on custom-built armatures or bespoke plinths, ensuring that their environmental context enhances their material presence. The attention to surface, texture, and support structures underscores Blomley’s commitment to the totality of his sculptural practice.

Hugo Blomley’s practice is driven by a compulsion to articulate something unknowable. His sculptures exist in a poetic state of wanting—emotionally resonant yet resisting strict rationalisation. With ‘The same eyes as yesterday’, Blomley forges a new sculptural language—one that speaks directly through materiality, form, and the act of seeing.