The Lounge Gallery

The Beauty of Beasts

Jonathan Lancaster

Tuesday 12th July - Sat 20th August

Inspired by a simple love of pencil on paper and wonder at the natural world, this collection of work captures the beauty, power and fragility of animals and nature. Lancaster uses pencils to create high contrasting drawings depicting realistic interpretations that encourage people to look more closely and contemplate the vast complexity of the worlds wildlife.

Reclaiming the Moment

Lynda Docherty

Tuesday 24th May - Saturday 9th July

Abstract works show a lacquered surface over depths of swirling imagery – hints of things known or remembered - and then a rough, tactile surface, ridges of paint or powder pigment which stains the finger of the curious viewer. The viewer may stand before a painting trawling the shiny luxurious depths only to be dragged back to the surface by the ‘in your face’ physical, tactile paint:  a message to enjoy each moment through sensation and emotion. You are even invited to touch certain works.

Other works celebrate life through human interaction. They feature groups of figures in company with common purpose.

Across Northern Hills

Ann Whitfield

Tuesday 8th March – Saturday 21st May 2011

Ann Whitfield works on paper, chiefly in acrylics and mixed media.

Her vibrant paintings explore and delight in the landscapes of the northern hills, and her response is as much emotional as visual.  Her use of colours and textures tends towards the abstract, but her work is always strongly tied to specific places, and comes back to a deep love of the hills and moors.  All the work in this exhibition features the uplands of the Northern Pennines and the Lake District. 

 Ann says: “I am inspired and exhilarated by the drama and bleakness of the landscape, and seek to convey the sense of isolation, awe and sheer joy it arouses in me, rather than taking a literal, purely illustrative approach.

 

Inside Outside

Jo Chesterman

Tuesday 25^th January to Saturday 5th March 2011

The title for this exhibition hints at how my still life paintings reference both formal indoor studio arrangements and those that present themselves spontaneously in the outside world.

Wherever the situation I am concerned with unexpected viewpoints and with how colour, surfaces, shapes and forms may be affected by the intervention of light and by other natural occurrences. A further subtext is a fascination with the enigmatic and compelling nature of still life. I seek to give objects a heightened presence and an element of mystery that transcends realism. I want the paintings to represent not only the objects themselves but also the process of seeing so that they become in their turn the object. Beyond this I am concerned that unusual juxtapositions, associations and location of objects require the viewer to contemplate these ambiguities and their possible meanings and sometimes impose their own.

Whatever medium is used for the work tactile qualities are important. The manipulation of soft pastels across a surface corresponds to of a sort ‘visual tracking’ of minute changes in colour and illumination whilst the plasticity of painting and printmaking processes equates to the close scrutiny of forms and textures.

Sparkling Stitches

Tuesday 23 November 2010 – Saturday 22 January 2011

Darlington Embroiderers Guild

An exhibition of embroideries created by members of the Darlington Embroiderers’ Guild to showcase their varied approach to embroidery and related crafts in the 30 Years of the Branch.

The title “Sparkling Stitches” was inspired by the neckband of an embroidered champagne bottle. It gives members the opportunity to stitch and create with the fabulous array of beads, crystals, sequins, embroidery threads, silks, wires and metal threads, applied objects, hand made papers and scrumptious fabrics now available, plus the use of modern technology to create images and backgrounds.

This exhibition showcases the pictures and panels created by members some of whom consider themselves “beginners” whilst others who have acquired skills over many years, may teach or work professionally undertaking commissions.

Pictures of the dimensional items, the champagne bottle, celebration food, fairies, elves, fairy shoes, sparkling fruits, and strawberries around which this exhibition was themed, may be seen in the Glass Corridor.

We hope you enjoy the work.

Linda Edwards
(Chairman 2008-2010)

Darlington Annual Exhibition 2010

Thursday 14 October – Friday 19 November 2010

Darlington Society of Arts was founded in 1922 with the object of stimulating interest in the creation and appreciation of Art and Craftwork in Darlington

At present there are over 100 members, many of whom have entered work in this exhibition.

The members range from beginners who are just starting to paint, to artists who have won prizes and exhibited abroad. They also range in age from pre-teen to those still actively painting in their nineties.

Members use a wide range of mediums and material in their work and this year for the first time we have created a special class for Computer Generated Art.

The Society meet here at the Arts Centre on Wednesday evenings at 7.30pm in the Art Studio, when there are talks, demonstrations and workshops on many aspects of Art and Craftwork. During the summer there is a programme of Outdoor Painting Excursions on Saturday afternoons.

A Glimpse of Paradise - Sri Lanka

A joint exhibition by: Daphne Weerasinghe and Nandana de Silva

Wednesday 1st September – Saturday 9th October

Image : Daphne Weerasinghe

Into the Light

John Pickering

Tuesday 20th July – Saturday 28th August

Image: Venice, John Pickering

John Pickering works in water based media on paper, with a powerful and graphic style, which  combines luminous watercolour washes with passages of heavy gouache. Into the Light showcases a selection work that focuses on the light in a landscape setting.

John says: "My paintings move between the truly representational and the semi-abstract, nearly always exploring the interplay between light and shadow, and the patterns created, with my latest work developing more texturally and with a much looser feel."

Threads of Design

Textile Art Group

Wednesday 2nd June - Saturday 17th July

Image: Wild Fire, Helen Winthorpe Kendrick

The title Thread of Design creates an air of intrigue about the contents of this new exhibition by the Textile Art Group. The group’s continued intention to embrace new and exciting developments in the field of textile art creates an exciting exhibition featuring a wide range of techniques and designs.

The underlying idea for the works in the exhibition has come from looking at fashion and design over the years, however each individual member has interpreted this in completely different ways. Denise Teed has the magnificent Himalayan poppy created from fibres, Helen Winthorpe Kendrick has based her work on clothing idioms, whilst Catherine Moore has a collection of devoré scarves whose design is inspired by plant life.

The Textile Art Group, based in West Yorkshire, is united by the medium of textiles and an aim to widen the perception of textiles as an art form. The members of the group work as individuals, then meet once a month in Halifax, providing a forum where mutual help and encouragement can be given. The group has been exhibiting together for 14 years. 

Atmosphere and Emotion

Dover Prize

Thursday 15th April - Saturday 29th May

Be Proud of Your Heritage, Alasdair Fowler

2nd Prize Winner 2008

The Dover Prize is a prestigious biannual art competition, which culminates in an exhibition of successful entries in the Lounge Gallery and Glass Corridor Gallery. This years exciting theme is Atmosphere and Emotion and the exhibition will feature work in different mediums and styles creating a vibrant and interesting exhibition.

The Dover Prize, which replaced the Silver Longboat Competition, was re-launched in 2008 following the refurbishment of Darlington Arts Centre. The competition is open to artists from Darlington, Tyne & Wear, Durham, Northumberland, North Yorkshire and The Tees Valley.

Virtual Event Spaces

Gordon Cain

 Tuesday 2nd March – Saturday  10th April

Image: Low Tide Lindisfarne

This series of work depicts hypothetical spatial scenarios or cultural event spaces, suggesting evidence of an unspecified human activity, usually within the city. Occasionally the location of this activity moves away from the city to the shoreline, as in the piece called Low Tide - Lindisfarne.
 
The work is produced using three-dimensional modelling software and in a number of works the spaces depicted may be entered and traversed. The eye/camera could at any time pan into another part of that world, which is less or more habitable. The viewer may in this imaginary scenario, oscillate between participating and watching, moving in and out of being the object and producing the subject.

The Biscuit Tin Group

Amelia Celeste Davies, Sam Knowles, Ellie O’Keeffe

Tuesday 19th January – Saturday 27th February

This exhibition brings together the work of three emerging artists creating an interesting and innovative collection of work. The work includes a variety of drawings and paintings utilising different techniques with each artist taking inspiration from different subject matter, although complementing each other perfectly.

Amelia Celeste Davies

The emphasis of Amelia’s work is, more often than not, on the figurative.  She works mainly in ink pen and this exhibition features a series of detailed drawings of people from different crowd settings in locations across in the North East. Amelia also works in acrylics and the paintings included in this exhibition are based on her travels to Cuba in 2004.

Sam Knowles

Sam’s oil paintings often depict common British birds but placed in uncommon and abstract settings. Detailed Crows, Magpies and Sparrows inhabit a contrasting world of bold colours and abstracted flat patterns. 

Ellie O’Keeffe

Ellie’s work consists of delicate drawings as well as unusually crafted sculptural pieces. On show in this exhibition are a series of pencil and ink drawings of detailed plant and flower anatomy.  Each drawing is overlaid with colourful and stylised images of butterflies and humming birds, creating pieces that are both architectural and feminine.

Natural Layers

Richard Pottas

Tuesday 1st December – Saturday 16th January

Image: Fig and Bamboo

This collection of work by Whitby based artist Richard Pottas, explores the diverse structures and patterns found in aspects of vegetation from the artists own garden and also from the Languedoc region in the South of France. The highly coloured works are directly linked to the sensation of the summer heat and have a strong decorative content partly inspired by the Fauve colourist and aspects of Japanese art. The medium of watercolour used with latex resist has become his trademark.

Art For All 2009

Darlington Society of Arts

Thursday 29th October - Friday 27th November

Image: Table Bearing Gifts, Jim Stewart

Darlington Society of Arts was founded in 1922 with the object of stimulating interest in the creation and appreciation of the Arts & Crafts in Darlington and the surrounding area. This exhibition illustrates the wide range of styles, subject matter and interests of the society forming a unique collection of work. The artworks include watercolours, acrylics, pastel, collages, oils  and craft work  reflecting the variety and quality that has come to characterise this historic Darlington Society.

The Society has a wide range of members from new amateur painters to professional prize winning artists. The Society welcomes people of all ages with the current membership ranging from children and young people to artists in their nineties. A varied programme of activities are held, including outdoor painting excursions held on Saturdays in the Summer, club nights in the Art Studio at the Art Centre on Wednesday evenings at 7.30 p.m including demonstrations by members and visiting artists and lead workshops on many different art and craft topics. The Society also holds an Annual Exhibition of members’ work usually in October or November. Visitors are welcome at any their events for the small charge of £1 per session.
 
For further information about the society or membership application forms please contact the Chairman Phyllis Walton on 01325 265935 or the Hon. Treasurer Colin Farrant on 01325 462675.
Annual subscription: £15.00 (or £3.50 for under 14s).

Urbanscapes

Kit Kingsbury

Tuesday 8th September - Saturday 24th October

Image:The Red Bridle Gun

Urbanscapes features a selection of paintings, which attempt to query the viewer’s perception of reality.  Based on the Structuralist premise that one’s concept of reality is conjured up from an incomprehensible sum of stimuli, the paintings employ an array of indistinct and obscure motifs drawn from photographic negatives of foreign urban environments.  The artist attempts to over-stimulate the viewer into forming subjective associations about the works and through providing a number of possible interpretations, questions our notions of the world around us.

Beachcomber

Ray Landon

Tuesday 28th July – Saturday 5th September

Image: White Beaches 1
 
This exciting exhibition is a series of new works inspired by the artist’s recent visits to iconic beaches in Cornwall and Scotland: Porthmeor Beach, St Ives and Kiloran Bay on the Isle of Colonsay.
 
Landon’s work is inspired by landscape but predominantly an abstracted sense of colour, space, shape and form, underpinned by textural references to weathering processes and personal experience. This is conveyed using a wide range of media, often incorporating recycled product packaging and household paper waste, acting as a collage base to which further layers are added. Relief works are also made using a similar approach but often incorporating additional found objects salvaged from the shoreline.

RE:Birth

Joanne Swansborough

Tuesday 16th June - Saturday 25th July

Image: Newborn

RE:Birth has been inspired from a previous successful exhibition that took place in London in 2007.  It continues the theme of relationships and explores body language and gestures between friends and family that indicate love and care for one another.

Joanne has an artistic background in textiles and interior design.  The application of multi-media and use of pattern is an ongoing exploration and creates a highly decorative quality to each piece.  Interior design experience has enabled Joanne to produce bespoke pieces of art that fit perfectly into the given interior.  Her experience as a nurse also gives her a first hand insight into close relationships between patients who she has cared for and their families as well as between her friends and family. RE:Birth is more than a collection of paintings, it is an exploration of relationships and how we perceive ourselves in relation to others.

Assembly

Geoff Hewitt

Tuesday 5th May – Saturday 13th June 2009

Image: At Low Force 1, Geoff Hewitt

Assembly is a personal transect through the unique populace and landscape of just a small part of Teesdale. Inspiration is taken from people and the portraits mix the relatively new with the historic and are juxtaposed to underline the changing face of the dale. The images present young with old, hope with regret, the extraordinary in the commonplace. There are few landscapes featured and they are all semi abstract. They are purposefully removed from romantic notions of joy so often wrongly associated with bleak and uncompromising beauty and, like the portraits, show grandeur and strength but hint at sadness.
 
Hewitt is a professional artist living in Cotherstone who first began exhibiting work in Cambridge in 1980. He exhibits regularly the North East and is a member of the Teesdale Artists Network and a former associate of Blott Professional Artists Studio, based in Blackpool. He also undertakes commissions, particularly portraits constructed from a mixture of life study and photographs.

Simply Silk Screen

Arthur Hughes

Tuesday 31st March – Saturday 2nd May

Simply Silk Screen brings together for the first time a collection of original posters created using paper stencils, film and half-tone photographic means. It includes items relating to festivals of Britain, local advertising and original cartoons of Laurel and Hardy.

Arthur Hughes trained at St. John’s School and Technical college where he excelled in drawing and began his career working at Gaumont British Poster Studio where his work included painting posters for cinemas and backdrops and surrounds for the stage for the Kings and the Palace in Sunderland. However Arthur was “called up” in 1940 where he served in The Royal Air Force as a Cartographical Draughtsman. During his service he was able to continue his love of painting when he was asked to paint maps for plotting purposes.

Arthur first opened an art shop named ‘ART Arts and Crafts’ in Darlington in 1947, although his Poster studio was opened in 1939 where he started Silk Screen printing. During the war the shortage of materials and restrictions limited production, which continued for some years after he returned from his service for the Royal Air Force in 1946. However he expanded his Silk Screen production in 1949 and opened an additional workshop in Stockton. He was also one of the first to be granted a license to use DAYGLO fluorescent paint, which generated a great deal of interest although large orders weren’t possible due to the restriction of supplies.

The Art Shop has occupied several different premises in Darlington since if was opened in 1955 and has provided an excellent resource to the Town. It has recently celebrated its 54th birthday of trading in Darlington under the name The Art Shop although Arthur set up his first art shop in 1947, 62 years ago! Arthur retired in 1987 handing the shop over to his son Ian who continues his fathers fantastic work providing an excellent service and helping the art world thrive in Darlington.

Reworked, Recycled, Revealed

Vervey

Tuesday 24th February - Saturday 28th March

Image: Wild Fire, Helen Winthorpe Kendrick

Vervey is a group of seven textile & mixed media artists who live and work between the River Tyne and the River Tees. The group formed in 2006 to provide encouragement for each other to develop their work and so push forward the boundaries of textile and mixed media art whether real or imaginary. Each member of the group has their own unique style, which contributes to the diversity and interest of their exhibitions.

This is their second exhibition entitled Reworked, Recycled, Revealed, and is a collection of contemporary art, which reworks ideas as well as a variety of unwanted objects, to reveal hidden depth and meaning in imaginative new pieces.

Vervey’s members are Claire A Baker, Linda J Calverley, Helen Dickson, Marian Graham, Margaret Sweet, Gillian Tallentire, Helen Winthorpe Kendrick.

A Short Walk in the Big Landscape

Colin Taylor

Tuesday 20th January – Saturday 21st February 2009

Image: Devil’s Thumb

For some time now I’ve been aware of a reciprocal relationship between my experiences of a mountain landscape and that of my art practice. It took some time though before it became obvious to me that mountains are much less of a physical activity and much more of a psychological challenge and that painting is less of an optical response and more of an emotional one.

In truth, I’m painting more about what I can’t explain, but know to be there. But it seems to me just about plausible, that you can paint or draw ‘about’ the landscape, and not just reproduce the landscape itself.

In another context, someone once described painting as a ‘site of struggle, doubt and pleasure’ and this is just about as good a definition of the act of painting as I have found, (interestingly, it applies equally well to climbing mountains), each painting or drawing is either a continuation or reaction against the previous image and only a bridge between that and the next and it is within each, that the ‘struggle’ has to be played out.

Expression

Lee Hutchinson

Tuesday 2nd December 2008 – Saturday 17th January 2009

Image: Lightscape

Hutchinson began his discovery of art at the age of two and has gratefully explored many facets of his creativity over the years. He holds a deep passion for painting and delights at the wonderful invention of paint and the infinite numbers of paintings that can be created with it.

This vibrant exhibition features a collection of expressive canvases painted with a loose simplicity and is aimed to entertain and captivate the viewer.

Art for All

Darlington Society of Arts

Thursday 30th October – Friday 28th November

Image: Seaton Carew, Colin Mackenzie

Darlington Society of Arts was founded in 1922 to stimulate interest and appreciation of the arts in Darlington. The Society’s activities include: Saturday outdoor painting excursions in the summer, annual exhibition in October and a programme of club nights on Wednesday evenings at 7.30 pm in the Arts Studio at the Arts Centre for three terms during the year, when members have the opportunity to see demonstrations, take part in painting or craft related workshops, work from models/still life, or continue with their own work. Visitors are welcome at all our events.

This exhibition illustrates the wide range of styles, subject matter and interests of the society forming a unique collection of work. The artworks include watercolours, acrylics, pastel, collages and oils featuring floral work, landscapes, seascapes, portraits and more, reflecting the variety and quality that has come to characterise this historic Darlington Society.

2 Generations

Thelma Jones and Christine Graham

Tuesday 16th September – Saturday 25th October

Image: Fragmented Landscape (detail) Christine Graham

An eclectic mix of art works by Thelma Jones and Christine Graham, mother and daughter, is being shown together for the first time. This retrospective selection from the past 30 years highlights their diverse approach and response to similar themes such as landscape and works include drawings, paintings, ceramics, textiles and mixed media.

Three Surfaces

Gina Morton

Tuesday 24th June – Saturday 2nd August>

Image: Jersey Heifers

This exhibition features work completed on three different surfaces:  traditional watercolours on paper, acrylics on a textured base, and miniatures on ivorine.  Whilst all pictures use water-based media, the range of surfaces from rough to smooth dictates the level of detail in the paintings; the smooth surface of ivorine allows highly detailed work, whilst the roughness of the textured board results in an impression only.  Inspiration for the artworks is taken from farm animals, local landscape and figures.
 
Morton is based in Darlington and has painted in watercolours for many years.  She first tried her hand at miniatures after taking voluntary redundancy from her banking career in 1996 and has since won many awards including the Royal Miniature Society's Gold Bowl in 2005.  She first started experimenting in acrylic paint with added textures in 2007.

Enchanted Lands

Lisa Nicholson

Tuesday 5 August - Saturday 13 September

Image: Underwater Angels

Photographs: Luigi Pronesti

Enchanted Lands speaks of the influence of ancient myth and untouched landscapes. They glimpse into other-worldly places; ancient lands, angelic planes, mythological and fairy realm. They imaginatively fuse abstract and figuration in multi-layered images that develop organically through layers of paint and scraping it away.

Ethereal figures emerge from their landscape of colour, texture and light. Each piece is perpetually mutable, shifting focus and intent, according to environment, atmosphere and mood. The well-worn notion that meaning is in the eyes of the beholder is renewed in my latest paintings. The many layers yield a succession of versions for each viewer. Above all, these are paintings to live with, paintings whose hidden depths are continually developing.  "Look into the painting, and see where it may take you!"

Kindling

Betty Schlesinger

Wednesday 14th May – Saturday 21st June

Image: Fragmented

Kindling features the artist’s first body of abstract work. The artworks are created using mixed media including water based paints, mainly gouache, on paper and/or canvas. Some artworks also incorporate textiles, organic materials, beads and digital imagery. 

After a period of instability and uncertainty in her life, Schlesinger wanted to express her feelings of ambivalence towards change that had come out of her experiences. Kindling brings together a collection of work that are of both energy and obstruction, and the process of making them is one of construction followed by destruction followed again by reconstruction. Schlesinger creates paintings, cuts or tears them up and applies the pieces to other paintings. This process is repeated until the image reaches a state in which it becomes familiar and recognizable to her as a visual representation of these feelings.

Elements of wind, weather and landscape are also featured in the work.

Exhibition of Watercolours

M. K. Kelkar

Tuesday 1st April – Saturday 10th May

Exhibition of Watercolours features artworks by Mr M K Kelkar who lives in India, and was introduced to the Lounge Gallery by his son and daughter-in-law who are residents of Darlington.

At the age of 92, Kelkar’s passion for painting is still going strong.  His interest and aptitude in drawing and painting was recognised at secondary school and he was recommended for further education in art to the late eminent artist S.L. Haldankar who lived in Bombay.

In the old Indian tradition, Kelkar received his coaching in painting by assisting his mentor, while living at his residence and touring with him wherever he went to paint.  At the time of graduation, his mentor considered him as one of the most promising students and Kelkar promised him that he would keep the teachings and his style of painting alive.  This was a difficult promise to for a young man to keep, however Kelkar pursued his passion and commitment to watercolours for 70 years.

Kelkar has successfully managed to travel many places in India and capture in his paintings the landscapes and people in these places through the transparent medium of watercolours.  The changing colours of landscapes inspired him to travel to various places so he could paint the subjects from life.  He considers watercolours as the most effective medium to capture the ever-changing moods in nature.  He has exhibited his paintings in various art galleries in India and abroad and has coached many young art students in his traditional style.  Some of these artists have now become successful artists and are promoting his style of art.

Dover Prize – NORTHERN HEART

Thursday 28th February- Saturday 29th March

The Dover Prize art competition has been re-launched as a biennial event for Easter 2008. This exhibition features a selection of work entered for the competition. The exciting theme of this year’s competition is ‘NORTHERN HEART’ providing the opportunity for artists to respond to what they enjoy about living or working in the North.

Drawing Together

Wednesday 23rd January - Saturday 23rd Feb 2008

Drawing Together was a year long Creative Partnerships Tees Valley project, which aimed to provide pupils and teaching staff from six schools in the region with the skills, resources and inspiration to draw. The project also aimed to establish drawing within education as an important, yet often overlooked subject in its own right but also as a key element for supporting learning across the curriculum.

Professional artists Jake Attree, Jack Chesterman and Jo Chesterman led the project and worked closely with the pupils and teachers involved focusing on source material from the natural and man made worlds along the journey made by the River Tees.  Each school had a different section of the river and its surrounding area to focus on.  They went on field visits from the Teesmouth area where they drew inspiration from the beach, the wildlife and the futuristic and industrial landscape to Cow Green Reservoir with its outstanding natural beauty and fast flowing waterfalls.

This exhibition features a stunning collection of artwork that has been created to a high standard and comprises charismatic and detailed drawings and dramatic large scale pieces, using line, form, tone and mark-making expressively.  The commonality of the pieces is their sense of place and that this exhibition showcases the talent that is prevalent amongst our region’s schools.

Pupils from the following schools are the project participants: English Martyrs Secondary School and Sixth Form College, Hartlepool, Tollesby School and Easterside Primary School, Middlesbrough, Kilton Thorpe School, Brotton, Mount Pleasant Primary School and Holy Family Primary, Darlington. 

The Light in Darkness

Frances Connolly

Tuesday 11 December 2007 – Saturday 19 January 2008

Connolly’s work is driven by a passionate love of colour, finding inspiration in the ever-changing skies. In recent years her work has become more abstract focusing of rain-washed landscapes in the wake of the darkness of a passing storm. This exhibition features a unique collection of pastel drawings and mixed media work.

Trellis Works

Colin Pearsall

Wednesday 31st October – Saturday 8th December

Trellis Works features paint covered matrices in high relief that buzz with repetition from the twill like lattice, scattering pulsating colours.  Pearsall has a precision of process using almost manufacturing methods, creating colour combinations of feelings making order of chaos.

Art for All

Darlington Society of Arts

Saturday 6th October – Friday 26th October 2007

Darlington Society of Arts was founded in 1922 to stimulate interest and appreciation of the arts in Darlington. The Society’s activities include: Saturday outdoor painting excursions in the summer, annual exhibition in October and a programme of club nights on Wednesday evenings at 7.30 pm in the Arts Studio at the Arts Centre for three terms during the year, when members have the opportunity to see demonstrations, take part in painting or craft related workshops, work from models/still life, or continue with their own work. Visitors are welcome at all our events.

This exhibition illustrates the wide range of styles, subject matter and interests of the society forming a unique collection of work. The artworks include watercolours, acrylics, pastel, collages and oils featuring floral work, landscapes, seascapes, portraits and more, reflecting the variety and quality that has come to characterise this historic Darlington Society.

Sanctuary

Barbara Goodchild

Wednesday 1 August – Saturday 29 September 2007

My work could be classed as Historical Abstraction with Neo-Romantic overtones since inspiration comes from ancient classical gothic images, particularly those of ruins.

Art is a means of achieving a catharsis – it exercises the emotion of the viewer whilst exorcizing the subconscious of the artist.

Some of my inspiration has been from ‘local’ monuments such as – Kirkstall, Byland, Whitby Abbeys, Guisborough Priory and Barnard Castle. My paintings are an emotional response to this architecture – built and painted on a mount of disposable material – these mixed media works contain figurative historical elements whilst at the same time referencing environmental issues.

From differing perspectives architecture motivated artists Keifer and Koshliakov have significantly informed my ideas and working methods. Keifer for his historical narrative using German Neo-Classical architecture intertwined with the Holocaust and Koshlikov’s mixture of classical and modern architectural themes painted on old cardboard to create his own vision of ruins.

What is the ultimate realization of my work? Using remnants of outer reality, with an inner vision to create a bridge – a personal relationship between architecture, paint and the observer, in the words of Hoffman – ‘dreams and reality united in imagination.’

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