PETER CURLING AT THE GALLERY

CORK ST., LONDON

23^RD SEPT. TO 4TH OCTOBER 2003

Peter Curling is an Irish artist who lives and works in Tipperary. He has made his name painting horses but also paints a number of other subjects, including landscapes and portraits.

Born in 1955, he spent his early years in the west of Ireland. The family moved to England in 1963.  Peter showed an early interest in drawing and painting and his life long love of horses started when he first went to a riding school at the age of eight.   His precocious talent led to his first exhibition in Lambourn when he was fourteen years old and at the age of fifteen he won an art scholarship to Millfield.   His work came to the attention of Aylmer Tryon of the Tryon Gallery and with encouragement from Susan Crawford, he went to Florence where he studied with the famous Signorina Simi.   He then spent a brief but valuable time with John Skeaping R.A.   Exhibitions followed in Dublin, London and the United States.

For a number of years Peter Curling was kept very busy painting commissions and the demand for his work was such that he rarely exhibited publicly, but a conscious decision four years ago to say no to any further commissions has meant that he has been able to concentrate on the subjects which he finds exciting and challenging.

THURLES ON A THURSDAY - Oil 60x40

THE GRAND CANAL FROM THE ACCADEMIA  -  Oil 30x22

Atmospheric paintings of the horse in action have been a dominant theme in Peter Curling’s painting but the movement in landscape and water are also fascinating subjects for him. This exhibition focuses on three main subjects;  Venice, Tipperary and the Turf.

GREY MORNING, THE PIAZETTA, ST. MARKS  -  Oil 36x24

For the last five years Peter Curling has been making regular trips to Venice and he has now gained an intimate knowledge of this beautiful city. Light, reflection, the juxtaposition of gondoliers, and the ever moving crowds in the busy piazzas and streets are subjects which, like countless artists before him, he finds a never ending source of inspiration.

 
SAN GIORGIO, LATE AFTERNOON  -  Oil  30x15

The Irish landscape is a varied and changing subject. From his studio in Tipperary, Peter can venture out and within a small radius can find ample opportunity to indulge in the rich colours and strong contrasts, which these local scenes provide. These paintings are generally smaller and he likes to work quickly to catch the changing light and the intimate detail, which he finds so fascinating.

FLOOD WATER, THE SUIR  -  Oil  20x11.5

CATTLE IN T.J.‘S  -  Oil 12x8

Horses have always been a major part of Peter Curling’s life and from an early age his paintings showed a natural affiliation with them.  He is excited by the movement and power of horses, their strength and the bond, which is evident between horse and rider.   He likes to concentrate on big, bold paintings, trying to capture the atmospheric moments both on and off the racecourse.  He is very lucky to have plenty of subject matter close at hand as he runs a busy yard of horses with his wife, Louise.

TWO YEAR OLDS ON THE GRASS, BALLYDOYLE  -  Watercolour 60x40

This exhibition is the culmination of two years work.   The variety in subject matter and medium and the contrast between the large equine subjects and the much smaller landscapes are the dominant themes.  So many exhibitions have a sameness about the work, a feeling of reassurance in that one piece is more or less the same as the next.  Peter Curling has tried to breakaway from this; to show variety, both in interpretation and subject matter.   He has never forgotten his early grounding in solid draftsmanship and his admiration of Sargeant, Munnings, Skeaping and many more is evident in his work.   But by pushing these various themes and ideas Peter Curling has developed a style of his own and this comes through in all the work irrespective of the subject.

TRAGHETTO, SAN TOMA  -  Oil  30x20

Peter Curling is a traditional artist but he enjoys experimenting with lots of different ideas and techniques.  Versatility is the dominant theme. Oils, watercolors, sculpture, charcoal and sanguine are all here. 8’x 6’ paintings of horses contrast with tiny 5x3 landscapes, yet all are handled with subtlety and respect for the medium.  This exhibition is about variety and different challenges and the way one artist interprets them.

 
FIRST LOT, KILLEENS  - Watercolour  20x16

PETER CURLING.

EXHIBITIONS.

1970 Lambourn engineering, Lambourn

1972 Combridges Art Gallery, Dublin.

1973 Combridges Art Gallery, Dublin.

1975 Goffs, Kildare, Ireland.

1975 The Tryon Gallery, London

1978 The Tryon Gallery, London

1981 The Tryon Gallery, London

1982 Cross Gate Gallery, Lexington, Kentucky

1986 The Tryon Gallery, London

1989 The Cross Gate Gallery, Saratoga, U.S.A.

1992 Jorgensen Fine Art, Dublin.

Peter Curling has paintings in the collections of  The Sultan of Brunei,  John Magnier,  Dermot Desmond, J.P. McManus, Bertram Firestone, Frank Dunne and many other collections.   He has exhibited at The Royal Portrait Painters society and his paintings have been used by the Irish Post Office