Stuart GouldenGrays Court York is celebrating York and all its glory in a collaborative exhibition, from the 3rd September to the 30th November, by eight artists with outstanding pieces that epitomise York and what it means to live here.
The exhibition starts at the staircase and winds through to the Victorian Bow Room, allowing each piece to be enjoyed individually.
The artists are Richard Barnes, Ian Smith, Zillah Patrick, Pamela Knight, Raymond Fearn, Kaz K M Mills, Amy Howe and Philip Hart.
Richard Barnes’ work, Night Rhythms, is a large scale celebration of night scenes of the four major York Bars: Monkgate, Walmgate, Bootham and Micklegate. The work on York combines iconic York buildings that are often represented as tourist images. These are explored through dramatic action painting. Sprays, stains and drips of paint help to describe the architecture but also add a space which represents the movement of night life through the city.
For Gold York, Ian wanted to show that the heart of the city endures: using a shattered glass effect over a golden map of York Ian evokes a sense of permanence despite temporary hardships.
In Courting York, Zillah Patrick has married the bars around the walls of York with the city and Minster within. In her opinion, using hand, heart and eye paintings evolve. Often Zillah will superimpose one view on top of another to create a semi abstract essence of the subject matter. She tries to capture not just one moment in time but several, using strong hues and the juxtaposition of one colour against another.
Pamela Knight’s subject matter is drawn mainly from landscape, and the Yorkshire Wolds is a particular inspiration. In Wolds in Winter she seeks to evoke the mood of the landscape that she walks through – the fall of light on form and the patterns created sometimes lending ambiguity and mystery to the subject.
Raymond Fearn’s York Minster From the Market, York Minster & Balloons and York Minster Towers are three images of York Minster painted 30 years apart. The first depicts a conventional view across York from a vantage point overlooking the market. The second is a playful look at the Minster surrounded by colourful balloons. The third is the view from the top of the Minster itself. Combined, they offer a playful portrait of the iconic building.
‘93 Years has been painted specifically for Grays Court Autumn Art Festival by Kaz Mills. The painting is a preview for a forthcoming exhibition in January 2013 at Grays Court. It is a personal artistic view, examining a multifaceted relationship with the city, and the nature of the city itself: how it evolves, changes, brings new buildings in and pushes old buildings out, such as the recently closed Army and Navy store.
Amy Howe is a young artist from York University. Path to the Minster is an expression of her love for York and is also a reflection of her encounter with York’s historic centre – the Shambles. The journey begins from the bottom left of the piece and winds diagonally to the Minster. The piece not only conveys a journey, but the viewer must also make a visual journey across the canvas to the final destination.
Finally, Philip Hart’s Cat Trail is based on 16 cats that are located on buildings around the city centre. It is designed to ensure that when you follow the trail to search for the cats, you will also see the most attractive parts of the city. The trail starts from the York Glass shop on the Shambles where this painting is set. The street is full of tiny, interesting shops which are a magnet for tourists and residents alike. The buildings lean together to keep the shops cool. Sometimes you can see people passing objects across the street via open windows on the upper floors.
The exhibition is free and open to all.
