A celebration of Jersey’s landscape
CCA Galleries International will showcase the work of twin brothers, Ian and Neil Paterson, at its Hill Street Gallery with a special exhibition titled ‘Island Reflections’ depicting Jersey’s varied landscape. The exhibition runs from Friday 6 June until Tuesday 17 June.
London born twins, Ian and Neil Paterson, have a long association with Jersey since holidaying on the Island during their childhood. Growing up, their passion for painting developed into a discipline as they both studied Fine Art, Ian at Chelsea School of Art and Neil at Leeds University. Throughout their careers as established artists, Ian and Neil have exhibited together throughout the UK, Europe, the USA and now for the first time, Jersey.
This exhibition represents their appreciation of the Island’s landscape and natural beauty. Although both Ian and Neil paint similar scenes, their style and approach is markedly different. On the one hand, Ian adopts a precise almost airbrushed depiction of the environment around him whereas Neil paints freely with expressive brush strokes using oils.
According to Neil Paterson; ‘The paintings in this show are as much about the expressive possibilities of oil paint as they are about images near to the natural world and some specific Jersey scenes. I see the process of making each piece of work as a visceral response to the medium and an emotional response to the sensations of being in nature and of being affected by weather. Each image is allowed to emerge rather than be imposed and therefore the finished work is the result of loosely controlled incarnations. Before every session paint is scraped off and the surface develops anew, building on vestigial traces from previous encounters.’
A rigorous technician, Ian labours for as long as it takes to achieve the near airbrush quality of his paintings with pure brush work, painstakingly masking off the area to be painted and methodically applying paint to canvas. This devotion to technique lends an intensity to the scenes, creating paintings of calm and space.
Whether painting landscapes, architecture, still life or portraits Ian’s stripped back detail and clean lines are his signature. The contrast between light and shadow are at the heart of his work determining the final composition of the painting.
Managing Director of CCA Galleries International, Gillian Duke said: ‘We are pleased to bring two highly acclaimed artists to Jersey for the first time – offering a new perspective on Jersey’s landscapes. This is an exciting month for CCA as we will be hosting an Artist in Residence, called Lucy Farley who will be painting Jersey’s landscape. In addition to this, we are holding a taster exhibition for Skipton Open Studios with a competition for a Jersey artist to create a limited edition print of their work.’
