Exploring the
abstract, refusing the real, seeking the truth? 'Reality
Bites' is an exhibition of abstract paintings by:
Jean Picton BA (Hons)
Craig Kerrecoe
Geetha Alagirisamy
BSc
Mike Bell Dip. AD
(Hons)
Hannah Biggs BA (Hons)
Jean Picton
paints the lush, beautiful flowers that have become her
trademark, as a symbol of the hope that she is compelled
to feel when she considers the state of the world. Life
erupts even in the bleakest corner and this resilience
gives Jean much comfort. Life goes on. In this exhibition
we feature her less well-known, but equally symbolic,
abstract work.
This amazingly prolific Artist has led the most
extraordinary life so far. Born in the thirties, she had
a theatrical career at the age of 14 and was a famous
‘Windmill Girl’ in London in the fifties, working with
many famous names from British showbusiness. A TV acting
career followed then a spell running her own production
company until, in 1990, she retired and began painting
seriously.
Kerrecoes'
work, frequently abstract, invariably focuses on the
concept of identity. He seems driven by a desire to
understand who he is and what makes him that person. Is
he little more than a machine, programmed to function in
an extremely specific way? Is his identity just an
elaborate illusion, the result of billions of chemical
reactions?
We believe his work appeals to others because so many of
us, at one time or another, are forced to confront who we
really are. We can hide behind a facade for so much of
the time but every now and then, inadvertently, we let
our true selves show. Kerrecoe expertly taps into the
insecurity, the unsettling fear that we are not actually
in control of our selves, of our identities.....of who we
really are.
The
striking and often beautiful abstract work of the
Cambridgeshire-based Artist, Geetha Alagirisamy, owes a
great deal to a rather exotic upbringing. Born and raised
in Singapore to a Chinese mother and an Indian father,
the well-travelled Alagirisamy endows her paintings with
a richness and a vibrancy that reflects the cultural
diversity she was exposed to when growing up. Whilst
refusing to 'explain' or describe what she paints,
Alagirisamy does allow her emotional state to dictate the
composition and colours she uses. Often richly textured
and reflective, her work gives us an insight into the way
she processes her experiences, in different languages, on
several levels, from various perspectives. You get the
impression, from looking at her work, that it is painted
using an international aesthetic language and could be
understood, interpreted & appreciated by any culture.
Mike Bell
spent 30 years living and working near the striking
coastline of Northumberland and now lives in the
beautiful wilds of Redesdale, not far from the Scottish
borders. This exposure to such striking and inspirational
landscapes has instilled in Bell a fascination with the
patterns of the environment around him. He uses a variety
of found objects, such as sand, driftwood, holographic
foils and even seaweed to convey the complex
relationships between the chaos and order he sees in
these patterns.
Bell has is in the middle of an extraordinary
professional career and has recently been awarded the
2006 Palm Art Award from Art Domain in Liepzig, Germany,
winning second prize from an impressive selection of
international Artists.
Needhams
Restaurant & Art Gallery, 186 Main Street, Witchford,
Cambridgeshire CB6 2HT
Tel: 01353 661405
18th July to
27th August 2008
