Art Inspired by Our Backyard
As a gallery, Taylor-Jones & Son is firmly rooted in the landscape of Kent. Many of our artists draw inspiration from both the natural and the built environs. Others reference the culture of seaside towns and there are those who are drawn to the wildlife. None of these exist in a vacuum and indeed belong to a rich tradition of creative obsession with the area.

Whilst some of you may well be aware of the literary connections to Kent - our favourite fun fact is that Ian Flemming gave James Bond his iconic 007 after 
the local bus route connecting Canterbury to the coast - we've decided to use this newsletter to highlight a historical snapshot of just a few of the many visual artists inspired by our neck of the woods.
'Rupert Bear' by Mary Tourtel, published 1924
Mary Tourtel created Rupert Bear in 1920 as a comic strip feature for The Daily Express. Tourtel was born and raised in Kent. Although she travelled extensively in Italy, Egypt and India, it is the topography, wildlife and folklore of the Kent countryside that she used as inspiration for the setting for Rupert's adventures in Nutwood. Even the White Cliffs make an appearance in some of the stories.  
Weathered, Susannah Preston, acrylic on canvas, 120 x120cm

Susannah Preston's interpretation of the cliffs in this painting creates a bridge between Mary Tourtel and the next historic artist we look at in this newsletter, Eric Ravillous. Preston's work is created around an imagined Kentish estate, abandoned between the wars, which stretches back from the White Cliffs inland. We think you'll agree, her work really does have an echo of the early 20th century to it.
'Firing a 9.2 gun, 1941', Eric Ravilious, watercolour on paper, 59 x 70cm
In this painting, Ravilious illustrates the moment a 9.2-inch naval gun fires from the front-line port of Dover. The gun blasts out a burst of fire akin to that of a dragon towards the coastline, an imagined and exaggerated portrayal of a firing gun, but one of spectacle and awe.

The group of five artillerymen are shown as ghost-like figures, pale in comparison to the luscious greens of the landscape in the foreground. Ravilious spent the summer of 1941 in Dover before moving to Dundee in Scotland.
Vestige (Dymchurch Grand Redoubt), Ben Fenton, oil on canvas, 92 x 122cm

Thankfully, we no longer need fortifications on the south coast but Ben Fenton's paintings return again and again to the Dymchurch Grand Redoubt, a fortress built during the Napoleonic Wars. Like Ravillous, we see Fenton using a muted colour palette on a coastal structure built to defend us from an invading enemy.
'Margate' (2012), Tracey Emin, photogravure on paper, 42 x 50cm
Tracey Emin has said of Margate seafront that it's 'one of my favourite views in the whole world'. Her connection to Margate is significant, both personally and professionally. Margate is her hometown, and she often uses it as a backdrop for her art, particularly her work wit the sea and the town's unique architectural features.
'Deal, Kent c1825', J.M.W. Turner, Watercolour on paper, 19 x 23cm
Last but not least on this little journey through art history and our patch of Kent is J.M.W. Turner. He painted numerous landscapes of of the county, particularly the coastline, reflecting his fascination with light, atmosphere and the sea. These paintings often depict coastal towns like Margate, Whitstable, and Deal, as well as inland views like Aylesford Bridge and Church.
 
Silence Watched, Richard Whadcock, oil on canvas, 120 x 100cm

Like Turner, Richard Whadcock's paintings take the landscapes of the south coast and pare them down to their basics. He refers to himself as an atmospheric landscape painter and his paintings are powerfully evocative of the countryside he immerses himself in. Very often, visitors to the gallery tell is Whadcock's work reminds them of Turner which is high praise indeed.
 

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