John Virtue

Michael Hue-Williams is delighted to be presenting his first exhibition in sixteen years with John Virtue at Albion Barn, opening 2nd April 2015. This new body of 42 paintings continues the sequence of works made exploring the north Norfolk coast at Blakeney Point. John Virtue continues his practice of once weekly walks along the coastline in all weathers. Making studies in pocket sketchbooks, which go towards the finished paintings in acrylic on canvas and linen. Continuing the tradition of painting the sea, which passes from Turner, Constable to Courbet, these works combine the sentiment of abstraction not dissimilar to the approach of Pollock and Kline with the gestural tradition to be found in Japanese calligraphic painting. A new publication with text commissioned from Andrew Graham-Dixon presents the paintings and the practice of this most determined and focused artist. Unlike his concurrent exhibition at the Towner Art Gallery entitled The Sea, which previously travelled from The Sainsbury Centre and will go on to firstsite in Colchester, these works are more manageable in scale. The Towner exhibition continues until 12th April 2015 and the firstsite exhibition opens on 13th June and runs until 20th September 2015.--www.albionbarn.com.