GERALD DEWSBURY
‘UPON GOING BALD’
“It’s not a mid-life crisis”, Gerald Dewsbury is keen to point this out when I question
the title of one of his paintings due to be exhibited at the gallery in November.
He tells me that when you come across a patch of Bluebells in the open ground it
denotes where trees used to grow, it is evidence of mankind’s relationship with the
environment. This is the root of Gerald Dewsbury’s work.
To understand how artists work I often visit their studio but on one occasion I
walked with Gerald Dewsbury. His painting palette is huge, far larger than most of
his paintings which tend to be small, highly detailed landscapes of the fields and hills
around the Welsh/English border. The palette is carried on his back with a pack of
materials, a canvas carrier, an easel and a stool. He walks, not like a walker with A
to B in mind but as someone looking for something in a gentle but probing manner.
It’s a quiet search for a big subject, ‘Mankind’s relationship with the environment’.
I first met Gerald in the gallery in Much Wenlock. His paintings are highly skilled,
but they also have an intensity, a vibrancy of colour and detail that takes you
beyond mere representation. A study of each painting will often reveal exaggerated
forms which make you question your initial interpretation. It’s a bit like lying on
your back and seeing shapes in the clouds, the sky becomes your story.
Kim Dewsbury brings smaller objects into focus. Her still life paintings are far from
blousy jugs of flowers on windowsills. There is a fine, delicate touch to her work.
Similar to Gerald’s landscapes you can appreciate and enjoy these still life paintings
for the colour, composition and skill. Looking a little deeper you will find symbolic,
mystical elements and meaning.
The Dewsburys live at the top of a farm track in a tiny cottage enveloped in
the Welsh hills between Corwen and Bala. From their large wooden studio they
produce their magic, jewel-like paintings that are to be kept and treasured.
We are delighted to have been working with Gerald and Kim for many years and
look forward to their forthcoming exhibition at Twenty Twenty Gallery in Ludlow,
in November.
