The work for this exhibition is based on experiences and knowledge gained from touring some of the great galleries of Europe and the U.K.
When you enter a major gallery for the first time, often you are aware of some of the iconic works which are on display. More often than not you are surprised by the scale and the artistic brilliance of the work but also you discover gems of work of which you are unaware. You don’t stop and look at every work on display but rather move around looking for paintings that draw your attention. Often, I’ll have a camera where allowed or alternatively the trusty sketch/note book to record paintings which have appealed to me.
Back in the studio ideas for subject matter and composition are then transformed into my own variation or concept derived from these experiences.
My student training followed the traditional form of study which was based on the British and European Art Schools of the early 20th Century hence the association with “European Tradition”.
- Bruce Rowland, 2017.
Rowland’s work for this exhibition ‘The European Tradition’ is: figure and the nude, and still life. His craftsmanship is evident in the richness of colour, best exhibited in his fruit, cheese, and still life examples. Conversely, a subtlety of colour is revealed in the nudes, with tonal qualities showcased in the skin, where the shadowing is sublime. Bruce Rowland shows a remarkable confidence of the stroke, each brush mark applied with purpose, incorporating light in a fascinating way.
There is an incredible energy in this series of realist paintings that is of the highest quality.
Please join us to see this collection.
To hear Rowland speak about his mastery, be sure to note these dates to experience an artist talk with Bruce at the Gallery:
+ Sunday 22nd October. 2:30pm
A Talk on ‘Late 19th and early 20th Century U.K. Figurative art’ and ‘European Museum of Modern Art (MEAM), Barcelona, Spain- Figurative art’
+ Saturday 28th October. 2:30pm
‘Puppeteering. The Art of the Marionette’
Talk and Demonstration by master puppeteer Bruce Rowland
Please register your interest to attend via e-mail: mail@cookshillgalleries.co
and/or register on the CHG Facebook events page.
- Mark Widdup
CHG Director