Resonant responses to human landscape impact
This week we talk to artist D Alun Evans, whose work is on display at MOSTYN Gallery, Llandudno.
Q Tell us about your family
A I am married to Liz whom I met in Newport College of Art in 1963 while we were both studying fine art. We have two grown up children, Mari and Angharad. Liz and I studied to be art teachers in London and, from there, we moved to Cheshire where we both lectured in art and design.
We are both members of the Welsh Regional Print Centre which is based in Coleg Cambria in Wrexham.
Q What are you best known for?
A I am a landscape painter and printmaker and live just outside Chester. The landscapes that engross me are mainly those that I have lived near or which I have a deep affection for. They include the North Pembrokeshire coast that embraces St David’s; the coal mining Rhymney Valley where Liz grew up; Jodrell Bank in Cheshire and, most recently, the Liverpool waterfront environment and its historical significance. Many of my paintings are in the collections of the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth and the Grosvenor Museum and Art Gallery, Chester.
Q Tell us about your exhibition
A I called the exhibition ‘Place over Time’ as it shows the locations mentioned above which I have visited over the past 20 years. The exhibition is at MOSTYN Gallery in Vaughan Street, Llandudno until the 1st of November.
Q What can people expect?
A All the work has been screen printed at the Regional Print Centre in Wrexham which is a wonderful open access workshop. The pictures use drawn and photographic artwork to create resonant, colourful responses to landscapes that show the impact of man.
Q Name five things that make the exhibition great
A The skill of the hand printed subjects; the change in scale from small prints to large; the impact of the colour; the quality of the presentation and the uniqueness of the interpretation of the landscapes.
Q What is good about the venue?
A MOSTYN is a superb setting with a variety of galleries focusing on both local and international artists. It also has an extensive retail space – the best in the UK – packed with beautiful, high quality handmade crafts. There is also a tasty café with views over the town.
Q Who is your favourite artist?
A It’s a dead heat! From my time growing up in Pembrokeshire I have loved the work of Graham Sutherland and John Piper. In particular, the very personal ways they recorded the landscapes of North and South Wales. Fortunately, many drawings and paintings by each of them are in public collections so it is easy to view and study them.
Q What piece are you most proud of?
A Probably a painting in three parts – a triptych – which is in the collection of the National Library of Wales. It is over four metres long and is called ‘Bargoed/ Aberbargoed’. They are the towns on either side of the dismantled Bargoed colliery in the Rhymney
Valley. The thin central section represents the filled in shaft. The two panels on either side took over five months to paint.
Q Tell us a little-known fact about yourself
A I loved playing soccer when I was younger. When I settled in Cheshire, I started t df following ll i E Everton t and d I love going to home matches. It is going to be a good season for the club but, sadly, no chance of heading to Goodison Park just yet.
Q What are your best and worst habits?
A I tend to have lots of things on the go and flit from one to the other. Garden, studio, house repairs, gallery visits i it and db breaks k away. Th There is always something beckoning which draws my attention. On the good side I have started to learn Greek and have vowed to tackle a short session every day. I have a granddaughter, Seren, who lives in Australia but attends a Greek community school, and is learning Greek, so I have an enthusiastic language guide there.
Q What are you working ki on at the moment?
A In lockdown I started prints cutting and collaging up trial them screen to larger pieces of paper. They’re all based on Liverpool waterfront and look at history and function of the buildings and docks – from early slave trading to current tourism.