Julian Bailey Recent paintings 2013 - 2017
JULIAN BAILEY Recent paintings from the studio
Works in oil & gouache 2013 - 2017
Julian Bailey: a distinctive kind of realism Tucked away in a corner of Thomas Hardy’s Wessex is a handsome brick vicarage mellowed by the centuries. On one side of the house is a beautiful loggia and nearby a lawn with sloping grass banks, whilst on another side is a yard skirted by a number of outbuildings. One of these is Julian Bailey’s studio. Painted white throughout and heated by a log-stove MR [MRXIV MX LEW E WIGSRH ¾SSV XLEX GER SRP] FI VIEGLIH F] GPMQFMRK E PEHHIV ½\IH XS SRI [EPP 0EVKI MR WM^I ERH ]IX MRXMQEXI MR EXQSWTLIVI PMKLX ¾SSHW MRXS XLI WXYHMS -X MW E [SVPH YRXS MXWIPJ [MXLSYX ER] HMWXVEGXMSRW JVSQ XLI SYXWMHI Yet it does not feel still; rather an air of bursting energy and physicality pervades the working space. Every square inch is devoted to Bailey’s art: from tables and surfaces scattered with drawings, trays of pigment, sketches and written notes to canvasses awaiting attention on long-legged easels. On the walls hang completed oils and gouaches. These are the survivors: Bailey is ruthless in what he discards. A painter of extraordinary perceptiveness, he enters into the world of his subjects with humanity, insight and imagination. His paintings are marked by a distinctive kind of realism in which the complex structure of the world is reduced yet the emotions are heightened. For him the world is a magical box of possibilities. He paints what he observes and I\TIVMIRGIW E QSQIRX MR XMQI MRZSPZMRK TEVXMGYPEV MRHMZMHYEPW MR VIPEXMSRWLMT XS SRI ERSXLIV ER MRXIVMSV ¾SSHIH [MXL YRLMRHIVIH PMKLX XLI XSYGL ERH WQIPP SJ LERH QEHI TSXW ½PPIH [MXL LIVFW ERH ¾S[IVW SV XLI I\GMXIQIRX ERH GLESW of boats circling like sharks before a race begins. Whatever the subject, Bailey’s paintings have presence and a sense of immediacy. The apparent spontaneity of the application of paint belies the well-honed skills needed to achieve such surfaces. Time and place are important to Bailey, as shown in the narrative titles he gives to his paintings. Nearly all start life as MR WMXY HVE[MRKW (VE[R MR E QEXXIV SJ QMRYXIW MR WOIXGLFSSOW XLEX ½X MRXS XLI TEPQ SJ E LERH XLIWI WXVYGXYVEP HVE[MRKW EVI WXVMTTIH SJ MVVIPIZERX QEXXIV -RWXERXERISYW ERH WYTIVF XLI] IZMHIRGI &EMPI]´W GSQTPIXI GSRXVSP SJ PMRI ERH WTEGI They also convey light and mood. For Bailey, painting is about developing and furthering a distinctive visual language. Though remaining representational in the main, in his recent work there has been a noticeable strengthening of more abstract or structural elements. Scudding skies, once sweeping with billowing clouds, have been reduced to simple bands of colour or lost altogether; rows of FVMKLX WLMVXW [SVR F] KEXLIVMRK ]SYRK JSPO LEZI FIGSQI FPSGOW SJ GSPSYV PEMH SYX MR WXVSRK LSVM^SRXEPW XVMERKYPEV WEMPW have become elements of a more complex geometry. With a strong sense of his own presence in his work, what Bailey gives us is a cornucopia of life, one in which he conveys E HIIT VIWTIGX JSV LMW WYFNIGX QEXXIV &IMRK XVYI XS LMQWIPJ ERH LMW EVX MW JSV LMQ E QEXXIV SJ GSRWGMIRGI -X [MPP OIIT LMQ exploring humanity for a long time to come and for us will be a continuing source of inspiration and joy.
:MZMIRRI 0MKLX *67% Above: Going out gouache 63/4” x 61/4” Cover: Rocket & chives oil 10” x 11”
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Works in oil
3 8LI 6MZIVFSEX TEVX] 0SRHSR oil 40” x 42”
16 Sunlight in the loggia with basil, orange cup & bottle oil 15” x 16”
4 Classics event, Fowey oil 22” x 24”
15 Basil, parsley & limes on a dresser oil 15” x 16”
9 A morning in April, on the Southbank oil 18” x 20”
13 Pilot boats & tug, Falmouth harbour oil 18” x 20”
19 Geraniums under cover oil 15” x 16”
22 =SYRK FEWMP GLMZIW MR ¾S[IV oil 10” x 11”
6 Doors open to the loggia spring oil 19” x 20”
11 Handmade cups in the studio oil 18” x 20”
25 8IVVEGSXXE TSXW ¾S[IVW MR XLI PSKKME oil 10” x 11”
8 +EXLIVMRK ½KYVIW 0SRHSR 7SYXLFERO oil 18” x 20”
20 Rocket & chives oil 10” x 11”
24 A message in text oil 10” x 11”
5 Barcelona evening oil 22” x 24”
12 Sailors on leave, Falmouth oil 18” x 20”
10 4EWWMRK ½KYVIW 'LVMWXGLYVGL oil 18” x 20”
7 Yachting regatta, Gallants, Fowey oil 19” x 20”
2 Sailors plotting a course, Fowey (2010 - 2013) oil 42” x 45”
21 Geraniums & blue bottle on the studio table oil 10” x 11”
1 Yachts circling before a race, Falmouth oil 42” x 45”
18 French salad oil 15” x 16”
14 Raised beds, Spring oil 15” x 16”
Works in gouache
23 Genovese basil in a handmade cup oil 10” x 11”
39 Handmade pottery on a table top gouache 5” x 6”
28 Moroccan pots, geraniums & herbs gouache 81/3” x 81/2”
32 Girls meeting up gouache 6” x 7”
38 Corner table gouache 5” x 6”
35 On the Ramblas, Barcelona gouache 43/4” x 61/5”
33 On the foreshore, Carrick Roads gouache 7” x 8”
34 Going out gouache 63/4” x 61/4”
31 A race to the swing bridge, Weymouth gouache 53/4” x 6”
36 Gathering youths on the Ramblas gouache 61/4” x 61/4”
37 On the river, Fowey gouache 5” x 61/2”
29 Provencal pots on a dresser gouache 73/4” x 61/2”
40 0IVV]R (YWO gouache 43/4” x 61/4”
27 Tankers berthing, Falmouth estuary gouache 101/4” x 11”
30 Barcelona nights gouache 6” x 8”
Artist’s notes (1)
Solo Exhibitions
.YPMER [SVOW QEMRP] MR SMP TEMRX KSYEGLI ,I QEOIW WQEPP WXYHMIW SR LMW XVMTW XS 0SRHSR &EXL XLI ;IWX 'SYRXV] [MXL conte pencils. On returning to the studio he will work these drawings up by adding colour & some of these images will go on to form the basis for his larger studio work.
1980
First one-man show, Great Malvern.
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Julian has been painting almost every day for about thirty years, & has developed a very concise style, characterised by his ‘drawing in paint’ approach. This leads to cleanly mixed clear colour, painted with considerable impasto, but separated by scraped back areas. The scraping back allows each mark to ‘stand alone’ & the colour to sing out.
2007, 2010, 2013
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2009, 2012, 2014
Sladers Yard, Dorset.
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8LI XLIQIW SJ WXERHMRK WIEXIH ½KYVIW FSEXW WXMPP PMJI LEZI FIIR E TVISGGYTEXMSR JSV QER] ]IEVW )EGL XLIQI MW continuously revisited as new knowledge & insight is brought to bear on the subject.
Group Shows 2001-2017
Art Chicago, Browse & Darby
.YPMER &EMPI]´W VIGIRX [SVO JSGYWIW SR XLI GSRXIQTSVEV] ½KYVI I\TPSVMRK XLI QIIXMRK YT SJ KVSYTW SJ TISTPI MR FEV GEJq society. Painted with characteristically long limbs & angular torsos Julian’s economic use of paint brings out the essential VIPEXMSRWLMTW SJ ]SYXLJYP ½KYVIW
2003
The Discerning Eye 1EPP +EPPIVMIW 0SRHSR
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2007-08
Dorset Visual Art Exhibition, The Study Centre, Poole
This collection of work is also based on the courtyard & loggia settings at home. These paintings centre on the relationship FIX[IIR LERHQEHI TSXXIV] ¾S[IVW LIVFW %W [MXL XLI ½KYVEXMZI TEMRXMRK GSPSYV MW XLI TVMQEV] GSRGIVR FYX XLI WGYPTXYVEP UYEPMXMIW SJ XLI JSVQ EVI RIZIV WEGVM½GIH XS XLMW IRH 8LI EMQ FIMRK XS ½RH E QEXGLMRK VIWSPYXMSR SJ JSVQ colour in space.
2009
Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 0SRHSR
Artist’s notes (2)
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2010
Originals 10 Printmakers Exhibition 1EPP +EPPIVMIW 0SRHSR
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Biography 1963 1981 1988-1995 1987 1999 2002-2004 2000-2012 SR[EVHW 2011 2012
Bite Artists as Printmakers 1EPP +EPPIVMIW 0SRHSR Born in Cheshire. Studied with Patrick Hamilton in Florence, before going to Oxford University & the Ruskin School of Art. 1SZIH XS 0SRHSR JSV TSWX KVEHYEXI WXYHMIW EX XLI 6S]EP %GEHIQ] 7GLSSPW Painted Notting Hill & Portobello series of works. Met the artist Joseph Herman, whose work he greatly admired. Moved to Stinsford, near Dorchester, in Dorset with his wife Sophie and the family. Painted Giffords Circus & Theatre series. Dorset coastal paintings. :MWMXW XS *EPQSYXL *S[I] 7X -ZIW ERH XLI ;IWX 'SYRXV] IWXYEVMIW Elected member of New English Art Club. Starts to paint regularly in gouache as well as oil. ;SVOMRK SR KEVHIR PSKKME ¾S[IV WIVMIW 0SRHSR 7SYXL &ERO TMGXYVIW ³;EPOMRK F] [EXIV ½KYVIW´
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2015-2017
Thomas Henry Fine Art, Nantucket, USA.
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Prizes 1984
Egerton Coghill 0ERHWGETI 4VM^I 3\JSVH 9RMZIVWMX]
1986
Turner Gold Medal (R. A. Schools)
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An extract from the talk Drawings for Paintings by Julian Bailey 5YMGOP] - ½RH XLEX IZIV]XLMRK - WE] MW QIX [MXL MXW STTSWMXI ERH RSXLMRK MW UYMXI EW MX WIIQW EX ½VWX 1] EXXIQTX EX GVIEXMRK SVHIV ERH WXVYGXYVI VIUYMVIW JEMXL MR XLI WIPIGXMZI ERH observational process. This process of drawing from life started in the sixth form at Malvern College under Bill Denny who encouraged me to make analytical preparatory drawings for A-level work. But it was SYX SJ XLI GPEWWVSSQ [LIVI - VIEPP] ¾SYVMWLIH ERH SR E XLVII QSRXL KET ]IEV XSYV SJ )YVSTI - [EW sketching pretty much anything and everything, TEVXMGYPEVP] ½KYVIW % GLERGI IRGSYRXIV PIH QI to visit the artist Patrick Hamilton, then living in *PSVIRGI - WXE]IH [MXL LMQ JSV E QSRXL ERH - WE[ ½VWX LERH XLI PMJI SJ E [SVOMRK TEMRXIV 4EXVMGO TEMRXIH MR %RRMKSRM´W [SRHIVJYP XST ¾SSV WXYHMS MR 4ME^^E 7ERXE 'VSGI -X [EW XLIVI PMJI HVE[MRK EX great tempo to the music of Vivaldi and Bach that - WE[ LS[ I\GMXMRK HVE[MRK GSYPH FI 4IVLETW JSV XLI ½VWX XMQI - VIEPMWIH XLEX XLI FIWX VIWYPXW GEQI RSX NYWX JVSQ XLI HIXEMPIH SFWIVZEXMSREP rendering of form, but also from a release of guided energy in tandem with a precision for exact mark making. At the Ruskin Art School Jane Dowling encouraged me to make drawings for paintings and WS HVE[MRK XSSO SR E QSVI TYVTSWIJYP VSPI - FIKER XS PSSO EX XLI VIPEXMSRWLMT FIX[IIR TISTPI HVE[MRK EGVSWW XLI TETIV WS EW XS FVMRK EPP XLI ½KYVIW SR XSKIXLIV RSX SRI EJXIV another, and thinking about the spaces between them too. Post Graduate studies followed SR EX XLI 6S]EP %GEHIQ] WGLSSPW ERH - GLSWI XS HS E ]IEV´W MRXIRWI PMJI HVE[MRK XLIVI 9RHIV 2SVQER &PEQI] - WXEVXIH XS WGVYXMRM^I XLI ½KYVI ZIV] GEVIJYPP] ERH XLEX XVERWPEXIH XLVSYKL XS Q] UYMGOIV WOIXGLIW QEHI SYX ERH EFSYX %VSYRH XLMW XMQI - ½VWX WE[ HVE[MRKW F] .SWITL ,IVQER ERH /IMXL :EYKLER XLEX - JIPX [IVI VIEPP] MR EGGSVHERGI [MXL XLI [E] - [ERXIH to progress. 7S XLMW FVMRKW YW XS XLI LIEVX SJ [LEX XLMW XEPO MW EPP EFSYX -R E PEVKIP] TLSXSKVETLMG EKI can you still justify using drawings to make paintings when you could project an image IPIGXVSRMGEPP] SRXS E GERZEW EW - LEZI WIIR QER] EVXMWXW HSMRK# 0IEZMRK EWMHI XLI XLIVETIYXMG FIRI½XW SJ HVE[MRK [LMGL - FIPMIZI EVI QER] XLIVI EVI WXMPP WSQI WSYRH VIEWSRW XS FIPMIZI MR XLI ZEPMHMX] SJ XLI QERYEPP] HVE[R QIXLSH - GER´X WTIEO JSV ER] SXLIV EVXMWX LIVI SRP] Q]WIPJ FIGEYWI EW - WEMH EX XLI FIKMRRMRK XLIVI EVI WS QER] GSRXVEHMGXMSRW ERH I\GITXMSRW great artists using photos early on like Degas, Sickert and more lately Bacon, Hockney and so on. But for me, what it comes down to is distillation: the process of visually editing out
the inessentials and clarifying your mind. Drawing is about extracting the essential, underlying structure of a subject and placing the objects before you in space. So, it’s about choosing RSX HIWGVMFMRK ½VWX [MXL E PMRI ERH QE]FI PEXIV [MXL WLEHMRK XS WLS[ LS[ XLI JEPP SJ PMKLX HI½RIW XLI JSVQ SV WGYPTXYVEP UYEPMXMIW SJ XLI SFNIGX (VE[MRK MW EFSYX GSRZI]MRK [IMKLX ERH movement as much as it is about the surface qualities. That’s all very well, you may say, but how about XLI XVMGO] FMX LS[ HS ]SY KIX XS XLI TEMRXMRK# And most importantly the colour – where HSIW XLEX ½X MR# 8LI GSPSYV MW XLI QSWX HMJ½GYPX bit because it has a life of its own. All the other things we have spoken of; line, tone and weight have some rationality to them and are open to a degree of consensus about their quality. 'SPSYV VIEPP] MW QSVI WYFNIGXMZI ¯ EPXLSYKL - HS personally believe in good colour – so it’s hard to prove or justify your choice. But when you see it in artists like Heron or Bonnard you just know it’s true and right. -R Q] S[R HVE[MRKW - [MPP YWYEPP] EHH GSPSYV shortly after returning to the studio, nowadays QEMRP] YWMRK KSYEGLI TEMRX 8LMW MW E [SRHIVJYP QIHMYQ QEXX WXVSRK ERH ZMFVERX - TMR YT XLI WOIXGLIW SR PEVKI FSEVHW ERH TPEGI XLIQ EVSYRH XLI WXYHMS - [MPP LEZI WITEVEXI WOIXGLIW for the different aspects of a subject, some straight line drawings, some tonal ones to show PMKLX ERH WLEHI ERH WSQI MR GSPSYV XS VI IZSOI XLI EXQSWTLIVI SJ XLI WGIRI - XLIR WIPIGX the most promising studies, think through whether a painting in oil is viable and then take a chance. But the logic of my method only extends so far, for as a drawing is not a description SJ E WGIRI RSV MW E TEMRXMRK E PEVKIV HIWGVMTXMSR SJ E HVE[MRK -X XSS LEW E PMJI SJ MXW S[R ERH the sketch is simply the trigger point. Paint is the language of areas and something of an artist’s own internal alphabet has to be methodically built up in the mind in order to make the translation complete. My argument is that the essential dynamism of the drawing is replicated in parallel in oil TEMRX ¯ XLMW XMQI [MXL XLI FVYWL WXSOIW FIGSQMRK XLI PMUYMH SFNIGXW ¯ PMOI XVIIW ½KYVIW SV FSEXW -QTSVXERXP] XLIWI QEVOW FIGSQI H]REQMG HMVIGXMSRW EPMZI [MXL IRIVK] ERH TPEGIH hopefully, with a convincing, natural precision. So line in drawing becomes plane in painting. These planes record the expenditure of human energy and indeed time itself as seen in the rendering of the actual lengths of the marks. The brush stroke is crucial and the quality of the mark is everything, for it alone makes any attempt at bringing to life the visual world in paint truly believable. This mark is our ‘handprint’ and through the tactile and sensual qualities of paint still has the TS[IV XS VIEJ½VQ E WIRWI SJ SYVWIPZIW
001/125 This catalogue is produced in a limited edition of 125 plus 3 proofs for the artist.
Copyright Š 2017 Julian Bailey www.julianbailey.co.uk All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the artist. Photography by Andrew Warrington Portrait and garden photograph by Gabriella Bailey This catalogue is typeset in Gill Sans & printed by Epic Creative Print, Dorchester