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KENNETH WEBB | Still Waters

KENNETH WEBB | Still Waters

£22,500.00Price

16" x 40" / 41 x 101 cms

 

Oil on Canvas

 

This monumental painting, the first of Kenneth’s Lyrical Series, evokes the memory of the dark forest which surrounded the home where Kenneth grew up in the remote Gloucestershire countryside near to the Forest of Dean. The trees are portrayed stiffly upright, recalling ships’ masts (as many of them may have one day become), and only a single avenue allows daylight through the dense green and brown hues of the canopy above. As the trees meet the water’s edge, they merge with the green trails of waterlilies and weeds in the lakes, and the promise of open skies is seen within the reflection upon the water. Webb’s choice to show blue skies, an iconic symbol of hope and freedom, predominantly in the water rather than above the trees, is perhaps a subconscious statement of being ‘trapped’ indoors. Heightened during lockdowns but a universal, eternal theme for all of us, trapped in some way, at some points in our lives, whether by health or age or confidence or pandemic - sometimes we see hope in the least likely of places. 

 

Kenneth’s Lyrical Series recalls one of the most profound influences on his work since the 1980s; the Derrygimla Bog in Connemara. Located on the west coast of Ireland, surrounding Kenneth’s old studio, the reflection of constantly changing skies in pools of murky water has remained a continuous source of inspiration to the artist. The combination of forest with reflections, imbued with vivid colour and texture, reveals an evolution of style and sentiment.  

  • Kenneth Webb is one of Ireland’s leading painters. Brought up in post-war Britain, from a young age Kenneth was inspired by the Gloucestershire countryside where he grew up. In 1974 Kenneth purchased the Ballinaboy Studio in Connemara on the west coast of Ireland, and this wonderful place has offered a multitude of inspiration to Kenneth for over forty years. Kenneth’s magnificent ethereal landscapes of Connemara, his colourful and textured paintings of poppies and his shimmering visions of his favoured waterlily pool are instantly recognisable for their vibrancy and gestural brushstrokes. So unique and striking are his paintings that over the past decade with our gallery, his work has amassed an international following culminating with the seminal exhibition Kenneth Webb at 90. Despite his 91 years, Kenneth is as prolific as ever and his work continues to explore creative boundaries.

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