Press Release
30 | 06 | 22
Neil Canning | Future Horizons
with ceramics by Jack Doherty - 10thSeptember to 8thOctober 2022
Neil Canning |Zennor Head
On show as part of The St Ives September Festival, New Craftsman Gallery presents an exhibition of work by painter Neil Canning and ceramicist Jack Doherty. Neil's new collection of paintings follows the artist's exploration of the natural world, specifically the ancient and dramatic coastline of West Cornwall which has inspired much of his work over the past 25 years. Each artwork responds to the texture, dynamic and light of the visual world, brought to his paintings through intuitive abstraction. All of the works in this collection have been completed during the last two years, a period Neil describes as "a time of reflection" that gave his work a fresh impetus and a renewed energy, as the act of creating became even more vital. This is evident in the complex application of paint, urgently drawn line and intense colour accents.
Neil Canning lives and works in West Cornwall. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from University of Exeter for his outstanding contribution to contemporary British art and hiswork is held in private and public collections throughout the world.
Neil Canning |Sea Spark(left), and Lifted (right)
Irish born potter Jack Doherty studied Ceramics at the Ulster College of Art and Design, and now lives and works in West Cornwall. His richly textured, marked and drawn surfaces reflect his interest in our connection with landscape, and the distinctive nuances of colour inherent in his work are drawn from the China clay and copper used to create his pieces, materials which have shaped the physical and social landscape of Cornwall.
This collection includes a series of large Guardian vessels, some with folded rims which almost enclose the interior space of each piece, a group of spherical "pod forms" ranging in scale from huge to hand size, and a group of conical vessels in a lighter palette of colours which show the delicate nature of porcelain.
Jack Doherty | Folded rim guardian vessels
Jack was Chair of the Craft Potters Association for 12 years, was a founder member of Ceramic Art London and has been guest editor of Ceramic Review magazine. His work is represented in public collections in Ireland, the UK, Europe, Japan and China. He exhibits internationally and was a finalist in the 2020 Loewe Foundation Craft Prize.
Jack Doherty | Blue & russet guardian vessel
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Print Ready 300dpi images for press use:
NEIL CANNING Lifted
JACK DOHERTY Folded Rim Guardian Vessels
JACK DOHERTY Blue & Russet Guardian Vessel
Editors Notes
New Craftsman St Ives
With an international reputation amongst art and craft collectors for its painting, sculpture and quality studio ceramics, the New Craftsman is regarded as one of the most important spaces for contemporary artists in St Ives. Founded in the mid-1960s by Janet Leach, wife of Bernard Leach, it holds an unrivalled reputation as one of the country's leading art and craft venues. Today the gallery's annual programme of mixed and solo exhibitions continues to support the work of Cornwall's and the UK's very best painters and craftspeople.
New Craftsman Gallery, 24 Fore Street, St. Ives, Cornwall TR26 1HE | Tel: +44 (0)1736 795652 |info@newcraftsmanstives.com|www.newcraftsmanstives.com
For further press information or additional images contact Mercedes Smith at Fine Art Communications director@fineartcommunications.co.uk / Tel 07825 270235 / www.fineartcommunications.co.uk
