Deluge 2 is a development of the bottom left corner of Deluge. ‘The pyramid and shiplike structures have been combined in the building/ship structure on the left, while the monalith has been somewhat eroded. To its right a cascade of treasure pours from the destruction caused by the deluge of water’.

The Alloway paintings - Loving the art of the near past

Not so long ago, artists lived at the margins. From shabby studios, they produced work that was difficult and abrasive - even brutal. They shunned popularity. For to be popular, one had to conform; and to conform, one had to submit to the general will.

Questions about the nature and purpose of art seldom arose, because art was what they did, come what may. While pandering to the tastes of the mass consumer was unthinkable.

The Alloway paintings, acquired and lovingly restored by Cristus, ‘Nude with Cat’ (1969) and ‘Nude Circle’ (1971), are outstanding examples of this oppositional art. Knocked up on hardboard and skinny laths - themselves an expression of the artist’s condition - they have endured the pangs and scorn of time. Indeed, it is hard to imagine that they have ever been cared for, or displayed with pride. Yet, with the gentle easing of a spirit rag, four decades of filth make way for truths. We are struck by the artist’s thoughts, his fears, his time, his rebellion, and his unquestionable skill; but we also sense that the paintings are as vital as the moment of their conception, and that they are imbued with an integrity that is beyond question.

While other art arrives and is checked for dinks, like any other merchandise, the Alloways interfuse with the viewer. Even during restoration, they were taken from the workroom, hung on walls and examined, discussed and re-examined by us Cristusians.

In these, and in the one other painting we have seen, Alloway describes an urban, modern or near-futuristic vision. Spectral figures appear, writhing in a ring of despair in ‘Circle’, while encased in specimen jars in ‘Cat’. The nude is most present on the crimson sofa, but she too is obscured by the cat and her lower limbs are fading into pools of liquid light. Outside the glare radiates into the spaces and the figures await their fate. The resignation, alienation and loss of faith runs parallel to the themes of absurdist drama. These were the concerns of the artists of the time, and that’s why Alloway painted them. He is part of a rich tradition of British post-war avant-garde artists who have hitherto been much-undervalued. But who is this Dennis Alloway, whom, we are told, attended the Royal Academy School then disappeared from view? Please let us know.

Power and intensity - ‘Fire’ by Tracey-anne Pryke

Joining our list of new artists for the Cristus Summer Exhibition is Hythe-based Tracey-Anne Pryke. Though she paints mainly figurative works, this abstract departure is an example of her extensive range. It is not a painting to be avoided. There is a physical presence here, as if the surface of the painting itself has been set ablaze. Chromatic oils burn and shimmer over the blackness. The sense of immediacy reminds me of Willem de Kooning and the ‘Action painters’ of the 1950s and 60s, as though the painter has just stepped back from the canvas, bespattered and breathless - and the painting continues to burn. It is a great contrast to Tracey-Anne’s meticulous portraits and seascapes, though all possess the same rich pallette and expressionistic verve. See them for yourself, online and at the gallery from June 4th.
* Tracey-Anne has just agreed to demonstrate her skills by painting at the gallery. Date to be confirmed.

David Townsend - Segments 1

Segments1 is the first in a four-part series of abstract paintings featuring geometric shapes. Although each composition works independently, viewed as a series the paintings suggest movement of the shapes across the surface of the paper. David used gouache on watercolour paper for all the of the Segments series.

The artist: David Townsend is a Kent (UK) based artist who paints abstract and figurative works. David is currently exhibiting with the Cristus Gallery, Sandgate.

How to buy: Click on the image for more information. You can purchase the original directly from the gallery, or buy online if you would like a high quality reproduction on archival quality papers, canvas or stretched box canvas. A huge range of mounts and framing options is available.

David Townsend - Segments 2

Segments 2 is the second in a four-part series of abstract paintings featuring geometric shapes. Although each composition works independently, viewed as a series the paintings suggest movement of shapes and light across the surface of the paper. David used gouache on watercolour paper for all the of the Segments series.

The artist: David Townsend is a Kent (UK) based artist who paints abstract and figurative works. David is currently exhibiting with the Cristus Gallery, Sandgate.

How to buy: Click on the image for more information. You can purchase the original directly from the gallery, or buy online if you would like a high quality reproduction on archival quality papers, canvas or stretched box canvas. A huge range of mounts and framing options is available.

David Townsend - Segments 3

The painting: Segments 3 is the third in a four-part series of abstract paintings featuring geometric shapes. Although each composition works independently, viewed as a series the paintings suggest movement of shapes and light across the surface of the paper. David used gouache on watercolour paper for all the of the Segments series.

The artist: David Townsend is a Kent (UK) based artist who paints abstract and figurative works. David is currently exhibiting with the Cristus Gallery, Sandgate.

How to buy: Click on the image for more information. You can purchase the original directly from the gallery, or buy online if you would like a high quality reproduction on archival quality papers, canvas or stretched box canvas. A huge range of mounts and framing options is available.

David Townsend - Segments 4

Segments 4 is the last in a four-part series of abstract paintings featuring geometric shapes. Although each composition works independently, viewed as a series the paintings suggest movement of the shapes across the surface of the paper. David used gouache on watercolour paper for all the of the Segments series.

The artist: David Townsend is a Kent (UK) based artist who paints abstract and figurative works. David is currently exhibiting with the Cristus Gallery, Sandgate.

How to buy: Click on the image for more information. You can purchase the original directly from the gallery, or buy online if you would like a high quality reproduction on archival quality papers, canvas or stretched box canvas. A huge range of mounts and framing options is available.