Born in England, Gordon Mansell’s painting has always referenced his involvement with an outdoor life. This love of nature was discovered in his early years which were filled with hiking, canoeing and mountain-climbing. Mansell is typically known for his large abstract canvases, but as this exhibition displays, his artistic proficiency extends to printmaking, drawing and watercolor.
The mediums of watercolor and drawing allow artists to capture images of the world around them quickly and spontaneously. Mansell’s watercolors and drawings were not originally conceived with the intent of exhibition. Rather they served as opportunities for the artist to explore spontaneous scenes and ideas that he encountered during his travels. The transparent, luminous quality of watercolor lends itself to the special effects of light across English hillsides and moorlands as well as to the bright sunlight of the American Southwest. His work relies on the viewer’s deep, emotional
response and reverence for the natural world.
Spanning Mansell’s entire career, Places In Time provides a rare opportunity to witness intimate and personal artistic studies never intended for view outside of the studio or classroom, These studies provide no simple questions or answers. Instead, they ask the viewer to consider the contrast between our myths and our realities and to think of the land as home rather than as scenic backdrop.
Website
http://www.gordanmansell.net
