Exhibition of paintings with a difference

British artist Robert Sedgley, a regular visitor to Sri Lanka, will hold his fifth exhibition of water colour paintings depicting local buildings at the Artists Gallery, 18 A, Sarasavi Gardens, Nawala Road, Nugegoda from August 5 to 15.

For those not yet familiar with Robert Sedgley's distinctive style of representation there is a treat in store.

In addition to the more obvious subjects of temples and historic monuments, he paints the everyday sights and buildings that most people will overlook and take for granted; finding in them interesting juxtapositions of colour and arrangement of shapes that many would dismiss without a first yet alone a second glance.

He has an eye for detail which is keen and observant without being obsessive; select and finely balanced he includes only what is needed to convey a sense of completeness of the composition.

He will often take a frontal viewpoint which emphasizes the geometric and 'abstract' qualities of his subject and allows him to contain within the frameworks of the whole incidental elements, such as figures, the paraphernalia of the shops spilling onto the pavement and the passing traffic of the street.

Objects such as signboards, water tanks, air conditioning units and concrete telephone posts, objects which other artists might edit out as being "ugly" and not worthy of attention, he will include if they contribute an interesting shape or division of the picture, a splash of colour, a curve or a line.

Evidence of decay: peeling and discoloured paintwork, broken window frames, even grass and plants growing from the roof may also be included, not out of a wish to depict "romantic ruins", but accepted as a matter of fact aspect of the passage of time, and as organic markings on the rigid framework of the building.

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