17 January - 15 February 2004
Opening: Friday 16 January 6 - 8 pm
Wilkinson
Gallery
We are pleased
to present
ŒBack out on that road again...¹ our second solo show of painter
Geraint Evans, who lives and works in London. Evans' paintings describe
the unwavering optimism and aspirations of hobbyists, enthusiasts, artists
and suburban social climbers. This cast of unlikely protagonists tentatively
embrace the resigned limitations of suburban and provincial life as they
aspire to match the unobtainable feats of much admired role models. In
ŒA Berkshire Z Boy¹ a lone, quintessentially English skate boarder
makes a futile attempt to emulate his LA skate kid heroes by taking to
his drained country estate pool to practice his tricks. In the ŒBig
Apple¹ the snack bar is firmly shut beneath a sullen mantle of cloud
as a pot bellied surfer clings to the body of his gaily painted board,
his mind racing with iconic images snatched from his much watched collection
of surfing videos. Oblivious to the car park full of family run-arounds,
he smiles and gazes with cheerful resolve towards the incessant, yet diminutive
swell of the Bristol Channel. ŒHalf pipe¹ depicts one of the
numerous skateboard kids, which populate the polite middle-class streets,
constructing elaborate ramps and jumps - Œbad boys¹ in quiet
rebellions wishing to be anywhere else and burning with the innocent thrill
of youth and possibility. Essentially many of the paintings are fictional
portraits, short stories if you like. They highlight our lifestyle aspirations,
and a natural instinct for some sort of individuality whilst fulfilling
the expectations of an ordered society.
Geraint Evans
grew up in Swansea and studied at the Royal Academy Schools. He recently
had a solo show at Centro de Arte de Salamanca, Spain - a catalogue is
now available.
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