Messum’s St James, London
Foreword by Martin Bralsford
It was just 30 years ago when I was first introduced to Alan at his exhibition in St Helier, Jersey. I was attending the show’s launch as a courtesy, as I had only a cursory interest in any artworks. Then a couple of Alan’s larger canvasses of Cyprus soon caught my eye and kept me returning to them. Whilst musing over a possible purchase a fellow guest agreed with my interest and when I asked him which of the two I should buy, he responded. ... “Both” ... So I did!
Thirty years on they hang opposite each other in the principal living room of my home and there is not a day when I’m there, that I don’t stop and admire them at length. The vigorous marks, generously applied impasto oil paint, composition and their combined changes in chromatic glow in differing lights make a serene kaleidoscope to captivate and entertain. If I paid 50 pence a view, they would be my best investment return by
a substantial margin. Since then, (like the Remington razor man), eventually I bought the Jersey gallery and over subsequent years, countless items of Alan’s work. They are all universally admired by visitors of many walks of life and nationalities but particular family members who have some of them gracing their own homes. Like great music, collecting art is a truly international activity that brings people together to share their common humanity and appreciation of both the creative, perceptive and craft skills that lie behind the end product.
I am no artist and my attempts to draw in my biology class school exercise books remain a smarting embarrassment. I was little better drawing endless part imaginary Royal Navy frigates and destroyers – battleships were too tricky. I had not learned the artist’s skill of really looking hard at what is there and understanding the tricks that light, brain and eye can play on our perception of an object or landscape and their texture and colour.
Alan quickly became a good friend, and we have shared travels together, bringing his gimlet yet empathetic eye onto silhouettes of Istanbul’s mosques and the subdued natural beauty of the Worcestershire countryside - for me the quintessential England. As I learned more of Alan’s life story it was revealed we had a common stamping ground, south west of Birmingham ... Bournville in particular, where Alan had formal training, before moving on to the Painting School at Birmingham College of Art. This led to him to producing a series of local landscape works for me, which incidentally served to reveal aspects of his own style and personality that were hitherto hidden. His Worcestershire paintings, being more pastoral and romantic than the wild hot landscapes of Cyprus, or the chilled, snow-crisp slopes of Everest.
I could bore for England on his work and its importance over the entire second half of my life to date, which has been greatly enriched by his work and his multi-layered personality.
Do I have favourites amongst the collection? Yes and they change over time – none become commonplace - all stimulate and compliment the music, food, wine and companions that have enriched my passing years. But those two Cyprus beauties from 1994 never take second place to another; the Mountain Everest peak being, perhaps, the strongest young contender.
But no ... how long have you got? ... because Alan’s work has so much more to say to us ... let me stop and allow his works to speak for themselves, so much more eloquently.
Martin Bralsford