INSIDE CORNWALL - JULY 2002

BEAUTY THROUGH IMPERFECTION

The first anniversary of Truro’s Pydar Gallery is marked by an exhibition of work by Paul Wadsworth until 24 July, alongside the work of the gallery’s artist/proprietor Melanie MacDonald.
“I opened the gallery with the intention of developing a space in which I could have my own work on permanent display, without having to compromise to the particular tastes of a gallery owner,” says Melanie.
“People seem to enjoy seeing the entire oeuvre of an artist. It’s always impossible to predict how people will react to a painting, which never ceases to amaze me.”
For this reason guest artists at Pydar are given free rein to show work of their choice and for this exhibition Paul has chosen to show his collection on sunflowers.
Well known for his ‘gold’ paintings and expressionistic Cornish landscapes, Paul has established himself as a serious contemporary artist.
In addition to his work, Paul is passionate about sunflowers and grows them in his garden at Porthleven, then drawing them at various stages of their lives. The exhibition is a selection of the best of the countless sketches, drawings and paintings he has made over the years. Individual flowers have been drawn and re-drawn. Strong graphite marks are glimpsed through layers of chalky white paint and the resulting images have a luminous, fresco-like appearance. Some of his paintings continue the study of individual sunflowers; others are more abstract. In many pieces the paint builds into thick impasto layers and is scored into, the images are often destroyed and rebuilt.
“The surfaces of my paintings becomes an important factor, like weathered walls they have a history – a beauty through imperfection,” says Paul.
His understated, often monochrome palette, further complements the content of the work and inevitably some are touched with gold.
To compliment Paul’s work, Melanie will be exhibiting new paintings. “My new work will continue the exploration of paint through studies of the life model”.