Often, I fall in love several times a day. Not with people... most are too hard and guarded, but with works of art.
A few months back I 'fessed to being a cat person. It's time for another confession.
Generally, I am not fond of churches (the painted kind, not the buildings), neither am I particularly fond of landscapes or pretty pictures. Objectively, however, I can fully appreciate and admire the technique, composition and other qualities/elements pertinent to such genres or subjects. It's just that subjectively, I'm not too inclined to purchasing or hanging such a work in my home (under normal circumstances).
So when Marc England first mentioned his upcoming exhibition titled Mostly Churches, I decided I had to delve "into" this one with an open mind.
Although I had had the opportunity of scrutinising Mr England's works in the past, these were sporadic one-off instances whereby he had participated in some collective or other. Thus, the whole sweeping series of watercolour and mixed media works currently on show at St James Cavalier's main hall took me somewhat by surprise. In a good way.
Hauntingly tenebrous skies: nocturnal depictions in some instances. That is what first hit me, not the churches. In my eyes these skies were tempestuous and tumultuous rather than anything else. Almost a painted confession of some inner turmoil.
Seeing so many works, one beside the other, the majority of which depicting a like subject, the works and series of Claude Monet came to mind. And no, nowhere am I hinting that Mr England's "style" is indebted to impressionism in any way... not in the least bit actually. But the repetition of a subject often leads to abstraction. If this does not apply to the artist, because of his/her direct involvement, then at least to the viewer, who, almost unknowingly starts to focus on the execution, choice of palette and the emotion transmitted rather than the mere interpretation of the figurative subject.
When Monet painted the Poplar, Rouen Cathedral or Houses of Parliament series, his focus was not the subject, but rather the way the subject could be interpreted, and altered in "form" under various weather conditions.
The ambience Mr England has imparted to his subjects, however, seems almost to have stemmed from association with the Gothic church. There is drama in his work - the kind that can't really be captured when painting en plein air. And this repeated scenic drama is what leads to the dissolution of the subject's prominence.
Although Mr England has quite an obvious penchant for churches, this subject only constitutes half the formula in this successful equation. His intensely Gothicised churches, appear quite weightless. These rise out of thin air, like rockets ready for take-off. This is especially true of the Mellieħa Parish Church. The watercolour medium has moreover aided him in diluting the apparent mass of these immense structures to an almost liquified state.
In some cases, the churches almost merge and morph into their dense ambience; the tips of the steeples are elongated and stretched to their limits, probably in an attempt to bridge the gap to the heavens. The buildings' environs are given life, a role... what should constitute a simple backdrop becomes a cloak, a shroud in which the churches are engulfed. The two elements become inseparable.
Initially, I started off this article by writing about love. I fell in love twice at Mr England's show. One instance was love at first sight - the object of my affection titled Harbour Cranes, Marsa. And here an amount of bias was concerned, simply due to a long-lasting fascination with the towering steel and iron dinosaurs, which I can't help but associate strongly with our skyline, progress, ongoing change and the unfinished. However, Mr England has handled this subject with the same sophistication deserving of his churches.
The other instance wasn't as immediate. But I found myself returning to gaze at the Manikata Church painting more than once. It is a quiet work, it whispers rather than converses animatedly as do the other works. It doesn't demand the same attention. Perhaps it is the element of history locked within this work, one which traces back a couple of generations in the England family history. Perhaps it is just the wintry, icy quietude of the work. But I reckon this is the calm after the storm and it's painted tranquillity is palpable.
My only critique would be directed at the cramming of the works: I felt that the paintings needed more breathing space in the exhibition hall. These paintings demand individual attention and their close proximity deters from proper focus. I also wish to see more of Mr England's work which departs from the subject of churches.
The medium chosen by Mr England is not an easy one, nor is the prevalent subject of this show easy to represent, but he has truly mastered both. I might not be fond of representations of churches, but I'm having to rethink my "position" ever since viewing this show.
Mostly Churches runs at St James Cavalier till May 9.