'A Rich Earth - Exhibition'

The Finer Details .. https://ko-fi.com/post/A-Rich-Earth-H2H61ECCM4

Original Article by Reginald Crawford on KoFi :https://ko-fi.com/post/A-Rich-Earth-An-exhibition-of-paintings-by-Ian-R-U7U41FZ6C6

Ian Pearsall’s landscape paintings occupy a dangerous place, a knife-edge boundary few other artists occupy. His work lies, with complete confidence, candour even, at the merse, the razor-sharp narrow way between the representational and the abstract. Here, in this liminal space where the boundary between reality and art is at its thinnest, you will find his most engaging landscapes. 

It is an edgeland whose walls are, on one side, the quotidian narrative of hum-drum reality - and on the other – the light of roiling cloudscapes or indigo sky glimpsed through the bare branches of a tree in winter. His landscapes of the Rhinns of Galloway or the soft red earth of North West Staffordshire create a shimmering aurora of painterly magic. 

In this writer’s opinion, Ian Pearsall’s mature painterly language bears comparison with the best - Samuel Palmer, Ivon Hitchens and the inimitable Brothers Nash – John and Paul. Titans all. I would go as far as to say that his best work (there are several I would nominate for the honour in this latest exhibition) could be hung alongside the aforementioned masters. 

Although there is no Ruskinian obsessive rendering of foliage, Ian Pearsall’s rastering of botanical detail in his studies of trees and the flower filled banks and hedges that run alongside the fields on his home ground of Maer, is utterly convincing in its decisive mark making, sweeping brushwork and virtuoso handling of paint. 

He is perhaps a rural psychogeographer, with a nod, in mood at least, to John Clare’s sensitive observations of nature. His personal dérive involves miles of all-weather, four season walking of the lanes and woods of his North West Staffordshire turf. 

He has a passion for drawing and painting the deep time prehistory of the region, especially the remains of Iron Age hillforts deep in the woods on Maer Hills. Recently, he has begun a series of works interpreting and documenting the site of the Wars of the Roses battle of Blore Heath between Loggerheads and Market Drayton. He is particularly fascinated by the monument to Lord Audley of nearby Heighley Castle, who was killed at the battle. 

 Ian Pearsall observes and interprets landscapes from several points of view, literally and figuratively. In his other work, depicting the post-industrial landscapes of Britain, he casts a cold eye on the long-gone heat of now derelict steelworks, potbanks and factories. His paintings are monuments to the workers who laboured in the searing heat and flickering light of burning coals, foundry slag and open kilns. He depicts their homes - the streets where they lived and live today. Terraces of brick-built houses, claustrophobic back yards and alleys, homely yet troubling perspectives. Familiar, yet evoking an emotionally charged yearning for a past that we perceive to be better, more honest, more truthful, more real. 

Sometimes these paintings are populated by ghosts, the shadows or shades of workers; saggar makers, miners and foundrymen. Sometimes they record the names and narrative of those who were there. Shining a light into dark places, these works record and interpret the rich earth of Ian Pearsall’s heritage. 

On the other hand, the Scottish landscapes reveal his eye for the sweep of the land and the way the weather; rain, storms and epic cloud formations upend our notion of it as a geologic cake composed of seemingly static strata. The Rhinns of Galloway become a dynamic, sentient organism - where thunder rolls and telegraph poles sway in the wind that drives in over the fields from the just out of shot, deep dark sea.  

By way of contrast but still exemplifying his acute observation of the dynamics of light and the way it plays on the land, Ian Pearsall’s latest work as seen in the A Rich Earth exhibition, is a direct counterpoint to his post-industrial landscapes.  

The paintings in this exhibition, show his eye for the intriguing sight lines and dynamic light & shade that contour the rolling topography of ancient hills, richly corrugated ploughed fields and isolated buildings in the British landscape.

Following the return from his formative years growing up in Malawi, there is now a rapidly growing international market developing for Ian Pearsall’s bold and dynamic paintings. This show, A Rich Earth, is an excellent opportunity for the local community and those from further afield, to see, enjoy and potentially own examples from what is a wonderful showcase of his work. 

EXHIBITION DETAILS

A new exhibition, titled ‘A Rich Earth’, featuring stunning artworks by North Staffordshire based landscape artist Ian R Pearsall BA (Hons), has opened to the public from June 4th until mid-September. The friendly and spacious venue is the upstairs gallery at the Two Doors Studio, Number 100, Crewe Road, Alsager, ST7 2JA. All are welcome, says Ian. Admission is free. Pay and display car parking is available nearby. Entry to the exhibition is via the Two Doors Studio front door on Crewe Road.

Gallery Telephone : 01270 877370

Gallery Email : info@twodoorsstudio.co.uk