Exhibitions - Previous Exhibitions- James Naughton and Emerson Mayes

original paintings - 07.10.06 – 29.10.06

The Gascoigne gallery is extremely proud to announce that two of the gallery’s most successful local artists are showing their latest work during October.  James Naughton and Emerson Mayes are without a doubt two of the best landscape artists that have ever graduated from Leeds Metropolitan University. 

James Naughton - View gallery

James creates breathtaking landscapes that bear the ravages of time and the elements.  These stunning vistas are imposing and intimidating and yet express a sense of wonder through the epic forces of nature.  His paintings always evoke an emotional experience, sometimes even a spiritual response, but James doesn’t feel comfortable with attaching such definitive meanings to his paintings, preferring the work to speak for itself and allowing the individual viewer their own personal dialog with the image.

His work has been compared with that of the great British landscape artist, Turner, and James himself admits to Turner being one of the painters he admires because of the playfulness and economy of his painting that allows figurative elements to ach as an anchor and give reference to his abstract markings.

Probably the most surprising element about James’ work is that he doesn’t paint from sketches or photographs of the landscape around him.  He describes his work as slightly abstract in the way that he has no firm idea of how the work will start or turn out and believes that the paintings “come out of the paint itself”.

Emerson Mayes - View gallery

Emerson Mayes is an award winning artist whose roots are firmly planted in the Yorkshire soil to which he was born.  His landscapes reflect his passion for this vast and changeable land and are never tied by the topographical elements in the landscape.  “It is the emotional reaction and the sense of the place that is most important, not whether or not a tree is in the right place.”

Emerson feels no need to trek the world searching for inspiration for his work, “ I just love the fact that I am constantly surrounded by the landscape that inspires me so I don’t see a need to travel further a field.”  What matters most is a connection with the subject that he is painting and that is seen in his fresh and uncontrived approach. 

Emerson has experienced both critical and commercial success since the beginning of his career, a rare achievement in any field, which was reflected in 1995 when he was awarded the accolade of Young Artist of The Year.

The body of work is this year’s show takes one step further the themes that have being developing in Emerson’s work since his move up to Nidderdale, namely that of the River Nidd and it’s contrast to the vast hills that surround it. A keen fly-fisherman, Emerson spends a lot of time on the river and is now getting to know it very well. He hopes to capture the intimacy he feels with the river - especially those long summer evenings, with their extensive shadows and warm light. Emerson also loves to explore the valley, moors and hills that make up Nidderdale. In these paintings he tries to convey their sheer size and that feeling of awe he feels when stood upon them.