Breathing new life into the canonical still life genre, the present roster of contemporary British painters capture the beauty and ephemerality of this timeless subject matter in a variety of different styles.
British Art Portfolio is pleased to present an exhibition of British Botanicals, comprising the works of fourteen painters working across oil, acrylic and print mediums.
Breathing new life into the canonical still life genre, the present roster of contemporary British painters capture the beauty and ephemerality of this timeless subject matter in a variety of different styles.
Catherine Forshall’s oil paintings are realistic, figurative works using a vibrant colour palette of rich greens, lilacs, reds and baby blues. Ana Bianchi’s compositions are more minimal and subtle, characterised by masterful shadowing and geometry. Jill Barthorpe’s canvases feature a limited scheme of dominant colours, such as bright pinks, blues and ocres, depicting various bouquets within classic still life compositions. Alice Boggis-Rolfe and Andrew Farmer’s warm, sunlit gardens are reminiscent of Impressionist paintings of Mediterranean landscapes, and channel a Modernist sensitivity towards light and composition. Ian Poulton brings a similar, Impressionist style and technique to his lush canvases. Arabella Shand, Julia Trotter, Josephine Trotter and Kirsty Wither evoke a combination of 19th and 20th century masters of still life paintings, including Van Gogh, Matisse and Cezanne in their soft brushstrokes and compositional styles.
Flora Forshall’s black and white prints are reminiscent of Cubist masterpieces, capturing mind- bending forest landscapes. Painters like Annabel Fairfax, Annie Field and Joanna Vollers fuse classic still life painting and painterly brushstrokes with a more graphic, fresh and illustrative style.
This vibrant and elegant survey reimagines one of the most beloved and popular subject matters in art history illustrating the breadth of the contemporary British still life painting tradition through a parade of captivating florals.