Visual Art
OUTSIDE THE FESTIVALS
‘I ALWAYS THINK THAT WHAT I AM DOING AT THE MOMENT IS THE BEST THING EVER’ Hitlist THE BEST EXHIBITIONS *
‘Red Tent & Hyena’
Journey man
As he gears up to showcase work inspired by exotic foreign locations, renowned painter Anthony Fry tells Talitha Kotzé why he’s delighted to be back in Scotland
Well-known for needing the heat to paint, Anthony Fry has spent a great deal of time in the south of India where, as he explains, the hot climate provides a kind of education that is not accessible in Britain. Heralded as one of the most notable English painters of his generation, the veteran artist is still going strong at 83.
Fry, who studied at Edinburgh College of Art, is pleased to return north for his first solo exhibition in Scotland at Cyril Gerber Fine Art: ‘I feel honoured to show with this distinguished gallery in Glasgow. I have always loved Scotland and its landscape.’ Being a figurative painter, Fry works within the traditional genres of landscape, portraiture and the nude. His canvasses have the meditative layering of a Rothko colourscape, complemented by the descriptive execution of a Bonnard. Underneath it all lies a solid foundation in drawing, and it is this scholarly application that made the Cyril Gerber gallery eager to showcase his work.
In one of the paintings on show, explosive pinkish burgundy hues serve as the backdrop to a sullen celadon-tinted landscape inhabited by a solitary Giacometti-like elongated figure painted in a Prussian blue, and an apparently tamed animal. The layering of pigment from his comprehensive palette, through a mixture between opaque and translucent densities, appears like thin plaster upon closer inspection and gives a textured, spatial quality to his canvas. ‘Volcano Man with Hyena’ is the combination of two recurring motives: the dangerous hyena and the exhilarating potential of the volcano.
‘I always think that what I am doing at the moment is
132 THE LIST 12–19 Aug 2010 12–19 Aug 2010
the best thing ever,’ says Fry. ‘When a painting is flowing, it is a mind-to-brush activity. You are mixing paint and putting it on canvas in a complete flow of the unconscious. Those are the jewel moments one is struggling for.’ Fry travels to collect images that will sustain him through the hibernating months when he returns home to paint. He has travelled from Morocco through Algeria down to Mali and up to Greece, Turkey and Spain. It is the warmth and sunshine that illuminates the people in these landscapes and decelerates the pace of life. Back home he continues to paint until the painting reaches a stillness.
In his studio, shelves are stacked high with a spectrum of powdered pigment ready to be mixed into unique elixirs. Physical gestures and attentive brushstrokes will bring to life his stockpile of images, fixing his thoughts in incandescent colour and layered textures. Fry explains that ‘Under One Sky’ is an important work in which a journey is revealed through time and the culmination of ideas, Hindu legends of Lord Krishna and desert images that have been part of his vocabulary for many years now. Fry has taught at art schools in and around London as well as in the US, and today his paintings are held in several public collections at home and abroad. Jill Gerber, director of the gallery, concludes: ‘Anthony Fry’s work is imaginative and arresting, we have seen it, we love it and are excited to be presenting his first showing north of the border.’
Anthony Fry, Cyril Gerber Fine Art, Glasgow, Thu 19 Aug–Sat 11 Sep.
✽✽ Hat Trick: Recoat Third Birthday Exhibition The gallery specialising in street art, graffiti and poster art celebrates its third birthday with an eclectic group show, including new work from Inkie and Insa. Recoat Gallery, Glasgow, until Sun 29 Aug. ✽✽ Scott Myles: Elba Last chance to catch this compelling series of silver and black prints and fluorescent orange and black text works from the Glasgow-born performative artist. Glasgow Print Studio, until Sun 15 Aug. ✽✽ Recalling Lines: New Work by Robert Reddick New work exploring the performance of drawing in this second solo show by the artist in association with Project Ability. Project Ability, Glasgow, until Sat 18 Sep. ✽✽ Scott Yuill: Fields, Factories and Workshops Scottish artist Yuill explores the relationship of communities and individuals to land and space in his solo exhibition. CCA, Glasgow, until Sat 18 Sep. ✽✽ Steven Cairns New cut and paste collage work as well as a new sculptural installation and video from the Scottish artist. The Changing Room, Stirling, Sat 14 Aug–Sat 25 Sep. ✽✽ Anthony Fry: Recent and New Work New work inspired by foreign travels to Turkey, Spain and Italy by one of Britain’s finest living artists. See preview, left. Cyril Gerber Fine Art, Glasgow, Thu 19 Aug–Sat 11 Sep.