ART MATTERS by Enzo Marra

This month, with the unpredictability of the current situation, I’m going to concentrate on profiling local artists you may not know about. I’m going to begin this new phase with a painter whose works will grab your attention and demand you explore their oeuvre further.

Rhys Trussler is a very individual painter whose subject matter is distinct and authentic to his own painted world. Having studied at Winchester School of Art and having been part of the Turps Studio Painting Programme, he is very much a local now and has been settled here for years. A recipient of the study exchange at the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design in Vancouver, the Willow Tree Award at Winchester School of Art and the Eaton Fund Prize. His works are very much deserving of such accolades.

His subject matter esoteric and deep felt, exploring an array of symbols and scenarios that have been years developed in each consecutive image he has painted into being. An authentic artist who does not pander to passing fashions and fads, who depicts what he needs to, exactly how he needs to, without softening what is presented to us once the paint has been left to dry and is as complete as it is willing to be.

The recurring imagery of the cardboard box headed figure, seen mode seance, in darkened corners, staring blankly in television light, in spaces that could but do not yet exist. The cat as man, as horror figure, as dark entity, as observer, as participant, suited and dapper. The carnival with all its oddities, its archetypal characters congregated for our gaze. The essential portrayal of nudity in contorted and warped poses, c**ks hanging out, heads missing or concealed. His world is not an immediately welcoming space, it doesn’t offer easy answers, obvious questions, ready made analogies, each perturbing and challenging to the exact right degree. Allowing you a chance to be included in a reality that is stranger but much more tempting to dive into, than the mundanity we are faced with as we wake every day into a very similar world.

Having shown these works in a multitude of exhibitions in Brighton, across London and in Germany, their international acceptance is only just beginning. His studio an intimate space where a multitude of images vie for your attention, I certainly did enjoy my last visit to remind myself of where his paintings had been and where they are now travelling to. Owning one of his paintings myself and having the luxury of being able to stare at it whenever I wish to, I recommend the ownership of things you love, things you enjoy spending time with. They become part of your life and gradually demand more equally individual companions. A pursuit you will never regret.