Monday 5th December, 2022 saw me brave the cold and take the service 3 bus to the ever welcoming Tea Amantes gallery for the latest in its art exhibition series, this time featuring Dr Peter Hughes who has produced a large body of work during the recent pandemic, its lock downs and the recent summer of 2022.
The work is self-described as modern art influenced by Milton’s poem Paradise Lost, the mythic symbolism of the tree of life and the tree of knowledge featuring heavily. I would agree that these are thought provoking, colourful and moving images. It was particularly moving to watch and listen to Peter run through his work’s locations and meanings for his father who had come to see his son’s work. Then there are the scenes from the places that Peter has lived and worked.
Peter’ is extremely prolific. The wall and window hanging space exhausted, the paintings were propped up against the walls and even furniture around the small tea room space and tattoo parlour waiting area. Some of these paintings are really quite large.
They are indeed colourful. They also use a simplifying but very effective compositional technique.
Acrylic paint is the material, laid on thick to create a semi-3D and very textural effect. Subjects are drawn from China, Japan, Norway and back home to Blackpool with renditions of the Blackpool Tower, fairground rides and Stanley Park. I did rather like the effect the paintings of familiar local scenes had achieved, including my refuge Stanley Park – such a post-apocalyptic look. A group of flower pictures, commemorate the war dead of the ghastly Ukrainian war.
“I’ve painted all my life. Trained at Palatine Road, I started as a technical illustrator, very tight and controlled. I then progressed into something looser and more colourful rather than pen and ink,” Peter said of his work.
“The pictures here are something that’s very spontaneous, free and very colourful in acrylic. I do love the larger sizes, powerful images drawn from memory, from Norway to China to Japan and of course Stanley Park.”
Despite the simple but very direct forms used, I found these paintings quite mesmeric and beautiful. Being familiar with the local scenes was interesting as I could appreciate the technique used in simplifying the images down to a striking bare bones, while remaining true to the location.
As ever, I found myself envious of the technique, skill and imagination expressed through these images, which I would never be able to duplicate. Naturally the effects achieved in these paintings, could not be achieved using my favourite watercolour paints. I’ve never really seen much that comes close to these paintings and I’d have to say that they are genuinely unique.
Once again thanks to the Tea Amantes team for hosting this event and providing such excellent drinks and nibbles. Well satisfied with the evening, I repaired down Albert Road to catch the service 6 bus home from Bank Hey Street. The exhibition is on show until the 9th January 2023.
