17th January 2008
David Prentice: City Paintings is the title of a small exhibition of magnificent large canvases depicting the City of London as viewed from the top of King's Reach Tower. The show runs from April 19th - May 10th at John Davies' new 3,000 sq. ft. gallery located in Moreton-in-Marsh, the Cotswolds. Landmarks in the paintings include The London Eye, Swiss Re Tower (The Gurkin), St Paul's, and Tower Bridge, to name a few.
The introduction for the catalogue has been written by James Hamilton, biographer of Turner and author of London Lights - The Minds That Moved the City That Shook the World (2007).
David Prentice (b.1936) is a highly regarded contemporary painter who has won many awards, including First Prize in the Sunday Times Singer & Friedlander Competition. His work features in important collections around the world, including The Victoria & Albert Museum (London), The Ashmolean Museum (Oxford), Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, The Art Institute of Chicago, The Bass Museum of Art (Florida), The Betty Parsons Collection (New York), Charterhouse Bank and Rank Group.
The paintings in this exhibition are clearly the product of a modern artist, but one with his feet firmly on the ground. The largest works, the 56in x 58in oils, convey space and scale with great authority, and they articulate the unique atmosphere and activity of London in a consummate manner. From an elevated location on the south bank of the Thames, Prentice invites the viewer to experience looking out to the horizon, over the top of high-rise and older low-rise buildings; here we are concerned with large masses, big and complex perspectives, both architecturally and atmospherically.
Prentice is a master with all the constituent elements - height, breadth, depth - all derived from 'proper drawing'. And being the observer that he is, weather is an integral ingredient - sunlight, cloud and mist. There is much dealt with in these paintings - the bustling traffic below, electric light effects from street level and office buildings, and the broad, snaking Thames reflecting centuries of maritime history. All imbue the works with great vitality.
Here we have sensational results without the use of sensationalism. These are defining paintings which speak of London in the early 21st Century. They will be of interest to those who know and love the city today and will surely become increasingly appreciated by future generations of art collectors.
The John Davies Gallery has existed for over 30 years. In 2007 the business expanded into purpose-developed premises in Moreton-in-Marsh. This large exhibiting space is housed in former United Dairies milk-pasteurisation plant. There is on-site parking and direct access to the London Paddington railway line.
David Prentice: City Paintings - April 19th to May 10th 2008
The John Davies Gallery, The Old Dairy Plant, Fosseway Business Park, Moreton-in-Marsh, GL56 9NQ, United Kingdom
