b. 1973 RECENT WORK The focus of this, her third exhibition at the gallery, will be the inherent beauty and conflict of the natural world, with dramatically-depicted flowers and plants being shown almost as sentient animal life in an uncontrolled environment. The large oils she has produced in this vein will be shown alongside the seascapes and landscapes for which she is already acclaimed. The flower paintings brilliantly depict the tension that exists between the outward beauty of the natural world and the constant struggle for survival. The images of plants and flowers gain added intensity through the absence of any surrounding context, allowing the viewer to focus on powerfully-rendered details of each specimen, which provide a dramatic visual narrative. This is reinforced by the scale of the pictures - Cavendish concentrates on small areas of the plant, which frequently end up many times the scale of the original object. The composition is then developed on the canvas as the painting progresses. The artist often has no pre-formed idea of the work as she begins each picture - it is the act of painting itself and constant studying of the subject which allows her to reach a resolution. Cavendish's work is characterised by dark, striking colours which she uses to great dramatic effect in her depictions of the coast of her native Cumbria. Lucy Cavendish was born in 1973 and trained at City and Guilds Art School for a degree in Fine Art (1994). She has received awards from the Goldsmiths Company and the Royal Academy of Arts, and been awarded Artist in Residence in Marrakech (1997) and Spain (1998). Previous exhibitions include the European Academy for the Arts (1998), Bartley Drey Gallery, London (1996), the Michael Parkin Gallery, London and the David Murray Travel Award Exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts (1996). Cavendish also attended Prince Charles's painting academy in Normandy, in 2002. Thomas Williams is delighted to announce a fourth show of Lucy Cavendish's work, to be held in November. Click here to download Press Release
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