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Sunday Morning - Simon Drew
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Radcliffe Observatory Oxford - Andras Kaldor
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Shady Lane - Marc Farrell
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study for Slapton Village - John Donaldson
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Start Sunset - John Gillo
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Magnolia Grandiflora - Paul Riley
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The Dartmouth Five - plus 1!
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The Dartmouth Five - 2014
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The Dartmouth Five - mid 1970s
Friends Re-Ignited at Coombe Gallery - The Dartmouth Five + 1!
This Dartmouth Galleries Week, Coombe Gallery are going back to the old school. Gallery owner Mark Riley writes “We are not looking for hip young up and coming artists. We are not looking for the next big thing or the flavour of the month, we are bringing it back to where it all began with the Dartmouth Five + Marc!
“Simon Drew, John Donaldson, Marc Farrell, John Gillo, Andras Kaldor and Paul Riley. Now at the peak of their abilities and producing unashamedly ‘bloody good’ paintings. This maybe the last time they all exhibit together under one roof so we are delighted to bring their work before you along with a historical record of the way it all began.”
Walking around Dartmouth today one could be forgiven for thinking that Dartmouth had always had numerous galleries to choose from but this wasn’t always the case.
In the late 1970’s five professional artists moved into Dartmouth and it’s environs and set about promoting themselves, each other, and their town.
Although their work was stylistically different, like most artists they shared a love of good food, wine, endless debate and sharp humour. Dinner time meetings in the various houses to discuss and plan forthcoming exhibitions were memorable events where the exchange of creative ideas often led to inspired shows like “The Art of Food and Wine” exhibition in May 1995. Not only were the galleries exhibiting food and drink inspired images, but the restaurants, led by Joyce Molyneux at the acclaimed Carved Angel all joined in with “private views” before dinner service.
The first artist to arrive in Dartmouth was John Gillo. John has always been inspired by the town as a subject matter. After forays on the continent, notably to France and Croatia, John is now seeing Dartmouth again with fresh eyes. From his base in the market square, where he opened the first gallery in Dartmouth, he paints everyday, exploring a new style that mixes both abstract and figurative styles to create a geometric view of Dartmouth. With playful contortions of perspective and compostion he presents Dartmouth in a recognisable way but with a slightly surreal slant… a style that is proving very popular.
Hungarian artist Andras Kaldor sailed into Dartmouth one day with his wife Sally and fell in love with the town. They never left. Having trained as an architect Andras Kaldor was well prepared for the direction his work would take him, painting many of the worlds best loved buildings and most notably the Opera houses. To this day all his work is free drawn and hand coloured. Andras also has a wonderful dry sense of humour. Whilst the country was going through a period of severe drought he suggested to the gang that they should refrain from painting watercolours. His humour was not lost on ‘The Times’, which published it on their front page!
Talking of humour our next artist Simon Drew needs little introduction as his humorous illustrations are enjoyed by a worldwide audience and his exuberant dress sense has added to his reputation as a local celebrity. Simon and Caroline came to Dartmouth in 1980, buying a property in a quiet back street where they opened their gallery selling the work of acclaimed ceramicists alongside Simon’s originals. Simon’s work blends his love of words and his Zoological past using animals and birds as a vehicle to express his ideas. His images are on cards, books, textiles and ceramics marketed very successfully by Caroline at their shop “Plugprints” and many other retail outlets.
“Out of towners” John Donaldson and Paul Riley joined the others to establish an Dartmouth artistic legacy that now reaches well beyond Dartmouth to London, Europe, the USA and the Middle East.
John Donaldson divides his time between Devon and the Mediterranean. Inspired by his artist grandfather he started painting in his teens. Painting and music have been competing in John’s life and he is passionate about both. His highly collectable figurative work is fuelled by Impressionistic tendencies portraying fleeting light and weather effects, especially on buildings in the landscape. His musical skill is often in evidence at the annual Dart music festival. John once famously serenaded the rest of the Dartmouth artists after a group private view in Lymington by playing a piano in a restaurant which was suspended from the ceiling.
Paul Riley came to live outside Dittisham in 1979 with his wife Tina and their young family. Here they converted several stone barns and founded Coombe Farm Studios as an independent leisure art centre. Paul, whose parents are both painters has been painting since childhood getting his first picture into the Royal Academy Summer exhibition at the age of 16. Primarily an oil painter he moved into watercolour through teaching and discovered the challenges of this exacting medium. He is now writing his fourth book on the subject but returns frequently to oils. Not liking to be artistically pigeonholed his paintings are as diverse as the subjects that excite and intrigue him. He also loves printmaking, ceramics and model boat making.
Although not a member of the infamous “Dartmouth 5” the young Mark Farrell worked alongside John Gillo framing everyone’s work and was encouraged by them early on in his career. He is now firmly a part of the Dartmouth art scene and enjoys exhibiting with the others whenever an opportunity for a group show presents itself. He is primarily known for his meticulous miniature paintings of landscapes and animals but has also been specialising in homage’s to famous old master paintings.
This exhibition of the original Dartmouth artists along with Mark Farrell at Coombe Gallery will be their first creative reunion since their group show in Lymington in 1985.
The hairstyles have turned from wild bushes to sleekish silver foxes, the love of food and wine continues unabated and it is a testament to their abilities and the wide audience for their work that they are still painting to this day in the area they love so well.
Coombe Gallery, 20 Foss Street, Dartmouth
01803 835820 www.coombegallery.com