About

Surface is pleased to welcome Homecoming, a solo exhibition by Nottingham-born artist, Richard Mynett.

Homecoming comprises a combination of Mynett’s new figurative and abstract landscapes, a series examining place and myth. Mynett’s practise considers the spaces that surround us and looks to challenge our perception of natural environments and its inhabitants. “Horizons are disrupted by lines that vibrate and jostle for position, drips of paint challenge the illusion of perspective and distance, and there is a tension between a feeling of calm and of something about to happen. These are scenes that are more than a representation of space, they imply a trace of an event, or the marking of time passing, and ask us to question our relationship to the landscapes that surround us.”

“Where wildlife appears, they are the everyday (but vanishing) animals of northern Europe, deer and hares. Except of course, there is magic in these creatures. Magic that exists in the landscape too, magic that we bury away from our modern technology focussed lives.” Mynett’s works act as subtle reminders that we in fact exist as part of this world, not separate from it. 

Mynett’s simplified compositions, muted palettes and loose but intentional mark-making, explore a more abstractive symbolism, creating space to redress the narrative of humanity’s “drive for control and dominance”. Mynett carries his environmental interests and concerns into his artwork, using his paintings and drawings to question our human relationship with our environments. 

Artist Talk

Saturday 14th September, 12pm

Mynett will discuss his diverse body of work, including drawings and acrylic paintings that have progressed from his figurative roots, to his more recent abstractive landscapes. He will address the important environmental themes in his work, and how his new methodology and artistic processes allows him to explore local mythology and his connection to the landscapes of the East Midlands.

These talks are informal and there will be time for questions throughout the tour.

Homecoming opens in the Main Gallery. As always, there will be a donation bar with ales from local brewery, Pheasantry.

Website

Booking Link