Philip Bacon Galleries Exhibition - 23rd of August 2016 and runs till the 17th of September 2016.
The words below are from my sketch book and were included in the catalogue.
Henri Matisse said – “Whoever wishes to devote himself to painting should begin by cutting out his tongue.” He suggested they use the brush to express their intentions. Probably wise counsel. Right now though, I am using a pencil which I’m sure Matisse himself did on occasions.
He certainly wrote wonderfully about painting in the broad sense.
But yes. Words and painting.. Siblings in the expression family but not on friendly terms. Don’t understand each other because they use different languages. They mix like oil and water.
So I have no words for what these images mean or what I intend to achieve by making them. But hopefully Matisse would not object to a few lines about how I came to this business of painting the sea.
My earliest memories are full of water and boats and shorelines seen from boats on the water. It feels as if these elements held me with their own gravitational pull from the beginning and there was no possibility of turning away.
From my father and grandfather I learnt that the water and sky have stories to share with us. The fleets of clouds that sailed over us whispered things that Dad understood and he would translate for me. Grandpa would listen to the water with his eyes and sniff the wind and feel the clouds, then quietly mention that I shouldn’t delay returning to harbour after the sailing race that afternoon. A storm would be visiting later. And visit it would, with all hell breaking loose over our little fleet after it’s calm and dark approach.
After most of a lifetime spent on or near the water, the obsession has only deepened and the sea and the sky continue to cast their spell with a power that will tolerate nothing less than my undiluted attention. So there is no choice in the matter really. Some sort of homage must be paid to these fundamental elements. And if I do turn away now and then, it is only to return and find that spell fall on me again – but stronger.
I can’t imagine my future without the sea and attempting to make some sort of record of its wonders.
Ralph Wilson 2016