“It is very gratifying to see so many familiar and new faces,” said Louis Turpin at the opening of his first exhibition at Rye Art Gallery (RAG) for over two years, September Song.
With a relationship with the gallery spanning over 50 years, Louis’ much-loved work can be seen adorning the walls of many Rye houses. “Just take a walk around Church Square and surrounding streets in the evening and you will see quite a few of Louis’ paintings through the windows,” said RAG director Dr Julian Day, at the opening on Saturday 12 September.
The paintings in the exhibition are a series of views of the gardens of Great Dixter through the seasons – compositions of structured topiary and hedges contrasting with the colour and textures of the planting that Dixter is famous for.
The painting First Frost at Great Dixter was the first in this series. “I had the idea for painting across the seasons when I painted the garden during a heavy frost. It was a beautiful bright day, a stunning Narnia day, like walking through the wardrobe with everything sparkling, with the neatly cut topiary backdrop,” explained Louis.
Colour and textures leap out of the canvas in all the seasons. Areas of colour hint at certain flowers, while others are more precise and recognisable – as in the tall stems of the September Salvia and evening primrose in Deep in the Garden and April Tulips at Great Dixter.
Even in his winter and autumn paintings, rich colours feature in the deep lush greens of the hedges and trees and the browns, oranges and yellows of the seedheads of the plants.
“The paintings show the flow of life through the seasons. There are always new plants added to the garden which keeps it fresh and moving along – Fergus Garrett does a fantastic job,” Louis said. Fergus Garrett is the head gardener at Great Dixter since 1993 and has been the CEO of The Great Dixter Charitable Trust since 2006.
And what for the future? “I am working on the idea of painting glasshouses,” Louis said. “I always feel the most interesting painting is the one that I am working on.”
Louis Turpin and September Song has been a great success, said Julian Day. “It is also a real achievement by the painter through difficult times of ill health over the past two years. His commitment to creating this series of exceptional paintings about Great Dixter through the seasons for me had some symbolic messages at work too – a subtle reminder of change and our own mortality – for these paintings are about the human seasons that also fill the measure of the year in the mind of man.”
Also on display are paintings by Mick Rooney RA, who sadly died just a few days before the opening, a good friend of Louis and his wife, artist Davida Smith. “Mick is a fantastic artist – imaginative and very skilled. We were excited at the idea of showing again together – we have shown together many times – so this is a tribute to our friendship and to his work. We also often played guitar together at home and parties. It is sad that he could not see the show but it has been good to do it.”
“The preview had a note of sadness as we knew our dear friend Mick Rooney RA had been slipping away from us,” said Julian Day. “The decision to feature his work in the gallery was made only two weeks ago as a tribute to him. Louis particularly supported me in this idea of Mick being a featured artist at September Song and the family were all there at the opening to celebrate the works of these two old friends.”
The exhibition continues until 11 October 20206. There will be a curatorial walk and talk on 18 September from 5.00pm to 6.30pm. Book tickets here.
Rye Art Gallery is at 107 High Street, Rye and is open Monday to Saturday from 11am to 5pm, Sunday from 11am to 4pm, closed on Tuesdays.
Image Credits: John Cole , Louis Turpin/Rye Art Gallery .