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Opens
Saturday 3rd March 2007
Continues until Wednesday 14th March.
Opening
Evening 6pm, Friday 2nd March
The Penryn
based artist Benjamin Warner is poised to delight collectors this
Spring with his second major one man show at Falmouth's Beside
The Wave Gallery.
Benjamin enjoyed
an almost sell out success at his first exhibition with the gallery
in February of 2006 and has steadily built up an enviable collection
of loyal followers. This new body of work retains the essential
essence of this artist's distinctive style, yet pushes the boundaries
of colour, subject and content to a new level. In this collection
Ben has achieved the delicate balance of progression, yet retained
the core of his overall approach.
The principal
subject matter is formed from his home area around the Penryn
River and Falmouth and stretches out across the Falmouth Estuary
to the distant headland of St. Anthony and the harbour of St.
Mawes. Of particular interest are the views across the water to
distant town houses hugging the sides of the estuary in Falmouth
and Flushing. Ben grew up in Penryn and remembers fondly views
from his parents house down to the River and distant fields beyond.
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Looking
from Greenbank
300mm x 500mm, oil on board
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This depth
of knowledge and intrinsic feeling that he has for this area breeds
an inner confidence, as familiarity with his subject matter allows
him the freedom to concentrate on developing the creative process
of experimenting with his painting.
Low
Tide, Penryn River
610mm x 610mm, oil on board |
Ben's confidence
with his subject has also liberated him to experiment more widely
with his palette of colours. New, previously unseen hues of rich
ochres and browns now largely replace the more familiar palette
of greys. Ben has been entranced by the early morning and evening
light and these sunsets and sunrises have created patches of striking
burnt umbers and reddish hues, off set by the blue blacks of silhouetted
buildings. It is the contrast created by these extreme lights
that give yet another fresh turn in his ever moving progression.
Misty Morning, Falmouth Docks
305mm x 305mm, oil on board |
This concentration
of energies on a principal location for subject matter, has focused
Benjamin's decision making process in terms of format and proportion
when deliberating the exact canvas to select, and in this collection
we see a harmonious marriage of subject with proportion which
he has used to full effect.
Whilst Ben
has historically been associated with his links in the world of
illustration, his feet are now firmly planted in the world of
fine art painting, and he is now concentrating all his efforts
on working as a full time artist. This practical decision is intrinsically
linked with his marked progression as a serious collectable painter
in Cornwall's art market.
A full colour
illustrated catalogue to accompany this show is available by request
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