Catto Catalogue

F L E TC H E R S I BT H O R P N E W A N D S E L E C T E D WO R K S 2 0 2 0

F L E TC H E R S I BT H O R P N E W A N D S E L E C T E D WO R K S 2 0 2 0

F L E TC H E R S I BT H O R P NEW AND SELECTED WORKS 2020 6 - 24th Februar y 2020

100 Heath Street, Hampstead London NW3 1DP

For Ari

Ari Oil and charcoal on Mylar 32 x 32 INCHES / 81 x 81 CM

FLETCHER takes a large piece of charcoal and roughly

establishing his own thriving factory in Hertfordshire,

marks the area that will eventually become a woman’s

making precision parts for the likes of Rolls Royce. He was

outward gaze. Charcoal splinters fall to the floor as he

an inventor and channelled his creativity into building new

works across the panel, filling the space with expanses

machines and running a successful business.Throughout,he

of shadow that will form the basis of the composition.

carried on his art, seeking solace in the meditative act

Dipping a brush in charcoal powder, he lays down more

of painting. He was self-taught, learning his craft through

form; a sweeping gesture marking the jaw line, another

‘how to’ books and trial and error, challenging himself by

marking the strands of hair before dipping the same

copying

brush in water to move the pigment across the surface.

art book plates.

portraits

by

his

favourite

artists

and

He ignores the drips and obvious flaws the water makes but works with a rag in one hand and a brush in the

As

often

happens, the

painting

gene

skips

a

other, standing back for a moment before setting upon the

generation. So, when his grandson was born, he found

drawing again, carving out the figure with both light

himself a tutor to a willing student eager to create. Oil

and dark.

paints, engineers’ drawings and art manuals were fertile surroundings for Fletcher’s creativity whilst growing

In pursuit of the ‘the poetry of figure and the soul

up. He was often found with a pencil in hand, copying

within’, Fletcher has spent a lifetime honing his art,

from his grandfather’s books and his own well thumbed

experimenting

comics, copying the likes Judge Dread, Stan Lee’s

painting classical

with

and

techniques, to

the

developing

drawing

abstract.

Each

from skill

many the

Spiderman

and

his

favourite

Silver

Surfer. He

another

nostalgically thinks of these as his Marvel Bargue Plates.

potential tool to convey feeling or add a layer of complexity

He also found inspiration on the factory floor capturing

and expression, in service of the ultimate aim: to draw the

the movement of the engineers huddled over lathes and

viewer into a moment or to spark a feeling of recognition..

workbenches as they produced precision parts, their movements assured and accomplished - artists

”For my part, I am often trying to capture that

in their own craft.

moment of contemplation, where the viewer is drawn in; one which stirs emotion, or provokes thought.

”Love

what

you

paint”

was

his

grandfather’s

Perhaps it’s something simple...sensory, or maybe it

advice, so it was no surprise that the likes of Darth

rekindle a memory or provokes…” Fletcher’s work

Vader, Stormtroopers and movie posters started to be

seeks out that essence that makes us human... that bit

portrayed. His father’s science fiction novels and the

of our soul that shines through in a fleeting moment.

iconic Omni magazine, with artists like H R Geiger the creator of Alien, also influenced his ‘shading’ and

Fletcher Sibthorp was born 1967 in Bricketwood

subject matter. Star Wars was a massive influence, to

Hertfordshire

engineers. His

the point where after watching a documentary on its

grandfather, raised in the East End of London, had

making and seeing the special effects scenery painters

aspirations to be an artist but had his creative

at work, Fletcher asked his dad: “Can I go to California

ambitions thwarted by the need to provide for his

and work for Industrial Light and Magic?” The idea of

seven siblings. He became an engineer’s apprentice,

using his art to make a living seemed from that moment

into

a

family

of

to be a real option. When asked what he wanted to do

her last rehearsal there in 2007. The finished painting

when he grew up, he said that he wanted to become an

from those studies ,’Darcey in Three Movements’, helped

‘illustrator’ - which to the eleven year old sounded like

raise funds for the Royal Ballet School, where it was

a real job.

commissioned by Bussell to hang. An honourable mention was bestowed that year by the school and a plaque with

Following an Art Foundation course at Hertfordshire

his name on placed in The White Lodge. He was also given

College of Art and Design, Fletcher embarked on an

the honour of Artist in Residence at the school that year.

Illustration degree at Kingston University. Known for its comprehensive teaching in the classical arts; plein air, life

These

drawing and compositional rigour, the training was akin

growing reputation. With solo exhibitions in 2005-

to a traditional fine art degree. Unlike most students,

2008 with a Cork Street gallery, he won the Fine

he worked on large scale stretched canvas - portraits

Art Trade Guild’s poll as the most successful living

and moving figures captured in oil paint and charcoal, his

British print artist. He has also won and has been given

fascination with depicting the human form ever present.

honourable mentions for his artwork several years in

Commissions followed soon after graduating, from

a row at the ARC Salon – an internationally acclaimed

the likes of Penguin Books, Random House,The Royal

competition based on representational figurative art.

Ballet, The

Royal

Shakespeare

high-profile

projects

bolstered

Fletcher’s

Company, Chase

Manhattan Bank and others. But Fletcher’s passion

What really engages Fletcher is unravelling the

was always to be as an exhibiting artist. His interest in

mystery of human condition.This is his life’s work.This new

anatomy and movement defined his first solo show in

series of artworks at the Catto include paintings based

1992. And, really, little has changed since. He says: “To

on Fletcher’s time in Bermuda and his lifelong love

interpret weight, form, light and then the flow and line of

of water. Inspired by the crystal clear waters of the

the human form is the challenge.To create the body with

Sargasso Sea and the hidden coves and inlets of this

as much economy of line as possible is the ultimate goal.”

mysterious and magical island, Fletcher has embarked on capturing the essence of experiencing the ocean and

At the start of his career, Fletcher found rich

its myriad symbolism. He says ‘Water to me represents

source material in gymnastics, sports and dance. A

many aspects of humanity, from basic survival to myths,

watershed moment came in 1995 when he was asked

evolution,birth and death.Submerged and floating in water

by the Sadler’s Wells Theatre to paint a series based

is the closest most of us come to an other worldly experience.

around Flamenco dance company Paco Pena. This

I wanted to capture that feeling most of us have had along with

began a series of over a hundred paintings and drawings

touching the deep symbolism that pervades the oceans”

celebrating the art of Flamenco. Later, Fletcher switched focus to the world of ballet. He spent many hours in the

Interestingly, these paintings sit alongside others

rehearsal rooms, determined to reflect the craft of the

that are much more still. Evolving around the idea of

dancers as much as the glamour of their performances.

entropy;

This led to a long collaboration with The Royal Ballet

disorder, to create and then destroy, then to build again

and Darcey Bussell, who first modelled for him when

using the elements of water, fire, air and earth. His

she was just 23 and consequently invited him to attend

approach is multi-layered, a slow building of paint

the

gradual

decline

from

form

to

and texture; to observe the ‘infinite smallness and

“Even though the work, in its content, is becoming

bigness of things’ and to celebrate the ‘music of chance’

simpler, the paintings are harder to resolve, as the underlying

whilst paying homage to centuries old painting traditions.

expression becomes harder to achieve; layer upon layer of

Pieces such as The Breath of Shadows and The Light She

paint applied and rubbed off, then applied again” he says.

Brings are – on one level – simple portraits of female

“Even I don’t know how they will develop. They take on their

figures. But, says Fletcher, don’t mistake simple for easy.

own life, creating their own spirituality.”

The Secret Admirer study Oil and charcoal on Mylar 17 x 13

INCHES

/ 43 x 33 CM

The Darkest Light Oil and mixed media on panel 48 x 48 INCHES / 122 x 122 CM

The Defiant Oil and charcoal on Mylar 32 x 32 INCHES / 81 x 81 CM

Ataraxia Oil and mixed media on aluminium panel 48 x 48 INCHES / 122 x 122 CM

The Unknown Oil and charcoal on Mylar 32 x 32 INCHES / 81 x 81 CM

The Darkest Light study Mixed media on Mylar 32 x 32 INCHES / 81 x 81 CM

A Certain Slant of Light II Oil and charcoal on Mylar 24 x 34 INCHES / 61 x 86 CM

Indigo Nights II study Oil and charcoal on Mylar 17 x 13

INCHES

/ 43 x 33 CM

Ataraxia study Oil and charcoal on Mylar 32 x 32 INCHES / 81 x 81 CM

The Light She Brings Oil on panel 16 x 16 INCHES / 41 x 41 CM

The Breath of Shadows Oil on canvas panel 15 x 15 INCHES / 38 x 38 CM

Sargasso IV study Oil and charcoal on Mylar 26.5 x 23.5 INCHES / 67 x 60 CM

Sargasso III study Oil and charcoal on Mylar 30 x 30 INCHES / 76 x 76 CM

Sargasso V preparatory painting Oil and charcoal on Mylar 26.5 x 24

INCHES

/ 67 x 61 CM

Sargasso IV Oil, wax, sand, sargassum and acrylic gels on aluminium panel 48 x 48 INCHES / 122 x 122 CM

Sargasso V Oil, wax, sand, sargassum and acrylic gels on aluminium panel 48 x 48 INCHES / 122 x 122 CM

Lacrimea Rerum Oil and mixed media on panel 16 x 16 INCHES / 41 x 41 CM

Sargasso VI preparatory painting Oil and mixed media on panel 16 x 16 INCHES / 41 x 41 CM

Sargasso II preparatory painting Oil and charcoal on Mylar 33 x 32 INCHES / 83 x 81 CM

Sargasso I preparatory painting Oil and charcoal on Mylar 28 x 31 INCHES / 71 x 79z v CM

Catalogue created for the exhibition New Works 2020 6th - 24th Februar y at Catto Galler y 100 Heath Street, Hampstead London NW3 1DP Tel +44(0)2074356660 www.cattogaller y.co.uk ar t@cattogaller y.co.uk Inside cover photo by Nato Welton www.natowelton.com All ar twork Š Fletcher Sibthorp All rights reser ved. Except for purposes of review no par t of this book may be reproduced without prior permission from the ar tist.