Michael Honnor 3rd – 20th June 2014
T H A C K E R AY G A L L E RY E ST. 1968
25 Anniversary Show TH
Michael Honnor seeks and indeed gains his strength from the land, and the sea, the places his feet tread, his roots in the earth, which nourish and inspire him in the most organic of transactions. With many artists’ work, the finished painting is a static moment in time; a record much like a photograph, it remains still. In Michael Honnor’s work, there seems to be a barely contained vitality, as if the paint has been somehow expertly wrestled on to the canvas. And once there, it seems to live, reflecting the very elements it evokes. The dynamics of the compositions often echo this idea; the artist crouched next to the ground, his low perspective pulling towards an off-centre vortex which may be buried in the soil, or scheming behind dark clouds. This purposefully visible struggle to catch the ever-changing nature of the land and elements marks all Honnor’s work. It has been described as a pleasurable battle between artist and landscape, eschewing any romantic fancies with its underlying physicality. This is not to suggest that every piece reflects chaos and turmoil, just untameability. Even peaceful scenes appear to be at the point of a change which could go either way. Gabriella Jakubowicz
Predannack, Summer Rain mixed media on linen 61x63.5cm (24x25ins)
Minsmere Old River acrylic on linen 91x102cm (36x40ins)
4
Pendeen Cliff mixed media on paper 48x61cm (19x24ins)
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Arkle Beck, Buttercups IV acrylic on linen 33x33cm (13x13ins)
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Arkle Beck, Buttercups I acrylic on linen 33x33cm (13x13ins)
10
Welcombe Ebb, Winter mixed media on linen 81x99cm (32x39ins)
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Diptych – Portheras acrylic on linen 81x107cm (32x42ins)
14
The Flowers at Les Alazards VII mixed media on linen 43x48cm (17x19ins)
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Mattiscombe, May acrylic on linen 33x38cm (13x15ins)
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Welcombe Mouth mixed media on linen 107x97cm (42x38ins)
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The River at Minsmere Sluice West acrylic on linen 53x66cm (21x26ins)
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Sea Flowers I mixed media on linen 48x51cm (19x20ins)
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Sea Flowers II mixed media on linen 28x30cm (11x12ins)
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Pendeen Storm mixed media on linen 51x76cm (20x30ins)
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Minsmere River to the Sea mixed media on paper 76x104cm (30x41ins)
D E TA I L
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Eskdale Fell, Autumn acrylic on linen 97x107cm (38x42ins)
32
Michael Honnor was born in 1944 and he grew up on the edge of Dartmoor, Devon – this location instilled and forged an instinctive connection with the wilderness and wildness of landscape. He left Devon to read English at Oxford University and then painting at Hornsey College followed in turn by a year at Byam Shaw School of Art, London. In 1978 Michael returned to Dartmoor, basing himself on the edge of the Erme valley. It was at this time that his involvement at Dartington Hall began and he set up their renowned print workshop and he has been the Director ever since. He continues to live and work in Devon. Finding the place is finding the painting. Over the years I build up a store. The best ones seem inexhaustible and a new one is an important find. As I get to know it I learn to be lucky with the weather and light, where to be at the right moment. The hours spent working outside are an experience of landscape like none other. Outside there’s chaos, change and sensation, inside there’s the harmony of art. Somewhere between the two the painting is to be found. Michael Honnor
For Michael Honnor, the wilder landscape of Britain has been a constant source of inspiration – and in the last few years he has also found material for his painting in Italy, Corsica, Portugal, France and most recently Australia. Much of his work is created outdoors, in all weathers and in particular in the places where land meets water. “What I am after – out of all the excitement, the sun, wind and rain – is a painting so on the point of balance you can hear a pin drop. A bit like a pause in a dance, something alive and breathing and still” Michael has exhibited widely in the UK, and has work in many Public and Corporate Collections and British Embassies worldwide. Michael Honnor has been exhibiting with Thackeray Gallery since 1989, which makes this year his 25th year with the gallery.
The entire exhibition can be viewed on our website www.thackeraygallery.com