The Needhams
Christmas
Art Exhibition
A
diverse group exhibition of affordable original
contemporary art & prints at:
Needhams
Restaurant
186 Main Street Witchford Cambridgeshire CB6 2HT
01353 661405
26th October to 28th December 2006
Contributing Artists:
David Boardman BA
(Hons)
Gareth Buxton
Willow Cairn BA
(Hons)
Lesley Kelly
Craig Kerrecoe
Jeremy Mayes
The impressive work of Cheshire-based Artist, Musician & published Illustrator, David Boardman, uses the beauty of movement in all its myriad forms as its' main inspiration. The sense of kinetic energy that is produced from what is, essentially, an attempt to convey the intangible in two dimensions, is powerful and dynamic. He uses text in his complex composition that is not merely superimposed, but embeds itself, actually facilitating the deconstruction of the image. It is this deconstruction that gives his paintings their energy- a kind of static buzz for the retina.
The work of Derbyshire artist, Gareth Buxton, is a response to a near fatal road traffic accident he experienced in 2004. Many of his paintings deal with decay, entropy and the passage of time, particularly relating to the human body. The inevitable failure of the human body is a preoccupation that he expresses in a variety of ways, including some beautifully moody landscapes. His earliest work is experimental, technically proficient and popular, relying on certain cliches, such as stormy land & seascapes to take those first steps on a somewhat brave & very engaging journey. Having dabbled with recreational painting prior to the accident, Buxton now relies on his increasingly elaborate form of expression as a catharsis.
The intriguing Artist & mother of three, Willow Cairn, based in East Kent, produces an eclectic range of work for her portfolio, and quite sporadically so. Her painting practices seem to revolve around periods in her life when she needs to process certain stressful situations, scenarios or events. The recurring motif, running throughout much of her work, is the spiral or vortex. One gets the impression that Cairn frequently feels as though she is being consumed by a whirlpool or tornado, the symbol features so often. It's as if the process of painting these vortices is a way of gaining control over the course of her life.
The emotionally charged art of Lesley Kelly, from Whittlesey, very definitely, charts the specific journey she is on. Using glitter, metallics, inks and a distinctly feminine perspective, she endeavours to understand, evaluate and learn from, the various stages in her life so far. A series of events during her pregnancy forced Kelly to question her life choices. A recent trip to Australia provoked a strong and discernible reaction and her work now, unashamedly, boasts Aboriginal influences in terms of style, use of colour, technique and indeed sentiment. These influences have allowed her to express, evaluate and process the anxieties that she experienced during this time in her life.
Jeremy Mayes, fresh from his first solo exhibition here at Needhams Restaurant, contributes a selection of his enigmatic 'Houses & Trees'. He cites his influences as Cezanne, Modigliani and Chagall and there is certainly a quality, a warm familiarity in his expressionist style that gently draws the viewer in. He makes you feel as though you are wandering through a beautiful garden, or punting along a quiet river, or sipping espresso outside a boulevard cafe on a lazy Sunday afternoon, as a gentle summer breeze passes you by. But all is not as it seems in Mayes' world and you might find yourself wondering what sinister fairy tale you have stumbled into.
