Painter Neil Canning and ceramicist Jack Doherty are bringing a new exhibition of work to the New Craftsman Gallery from 10th September as part of the September Festival.
Zennor Head, by Neil Canning
Neil’s new collection follows his exploration of the natural world, specifically the ancient and dramatic coastline of West Cornwall, which has inspired much of his work over the past 25 years.
Each artwork responds to the texture, dynamic, and light of the visual world, brought to his paintings through intuitive abstraction. All of the works in this collection have been completed during the last two years, a period Neil describes as “a time of reflection” that gave his work a fresh impetus and a renewed energy, as the act of creating became even more vital. This is evident in the complex application of paint, urgently drawn line and intense colour accents.
Neil lives and works in West Cornwall. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from University of Exeter for his outstanding contribution to contemporary British art, and his work is held in private and public collections throughout the world. Find out more about him at neilcanning.com.
Irish-born potter Jack Doherty studied ceramics at the Ulster College of Art and Design, and now lives and works in West Cornwall. His richly textured, marked, and drawn surfaces reflect his interest in our connection with landscape, and the distinctive nuances of colour inherent in his work are drawn from the China clay and copper used to create his pieces, materials which have shaped the physical and social landscape of Cornwall.
This collection includes a series of large Guardian vessels — some with folded rims which almost enclose the interior space of each piece — a group of spherical ‘pod forms’, ranging in scale from huge to hand sized, and a group of conical vessels in a lighter palette of colours, which show the delicate nature of porcelain.
Jack was chair of the Craft Potters Association for 12 years, was a founder member of Ceramic Art London, and has been guest editor of Ceramic Review magazine. His work is represented in public collections in Ireland, the UK, Europe, Japan, and China. He exhibits internationally and was a finalist in the 2020 Loewe Foundation Craft Prize.
