JANE GERMAN - solo exhibition at Harleston Gallery

Dappled Things : A collection of new work by Jane German.

8th to 27th October 2009

This extensive solo exhibition of works by the well-known Norfolk painter Jane German takes place in the splendid first floor rooms of the Harleston Gallery (in former times Gurney's Bank), and comprises more than fifty paintings and drawings.

Friesians through the hawthorn hedge, oil on canvas, 120x80cm

Apart from wild birds, most of the depicted creatures are domestic animals. There are a number of Jane's monumental homages to the cow - Friesian, Devon, or Charolais - observed in Norfolk and France, alongside Greek goats and Maltese street cats.

Jane says of her work:
Cattle viewed through a hedge or gap in a wall have been a recurring theme in my work for the past 15 years. Trained as a textile designer I gradually evolved into a painter. In my most recent work the foliage, leaves, tendrils and branches framing the images of the cattle are treated with equal importance in the paintings, resulting in a subtle blend of colour and texture as in a tapestry. The mapping of black and white markings on the Friesian cows give rise to abstract shapes contrasting starkly but at the same time harmonising with the camouflage of the hedgerows. I also paint birds, poultry and other animals that appear in my area of the Waveney Valley in the form of small iconic works: these are a tribute to the creatures they portray and leave reminders of a sighting.

Quinces, Leaves and a Comma, oil on canvas, 60x40cm

Jackdaw, oil on board, 18x24cm

Jane German has taught art and painted in Sussex and Norfolk over the past twenty five years. She trained at Loughborough College of Art and Brighton College of Art.

The exhibiton in the upper galleries at the Harleston Gallery runs until 27 October 2009.

Harleston Gallery
3 Old Market Place
Harleston
Norfolk
IP20 9BE
Tel:01379 855366