‘Exuberant personality shines in his paintings’

Cunningham’s often semi-abstract landscapes demonstrate a style of action painting reminiscent of Abstract Expressionism, reflecting his energetic technique of mark-making. Densely rich in both colour and depth, his highly concentrated and vibrant paintings have a visual vitality. The renowned landscape photographer Joe Cornish said: “Kane Cunningham is one of those rare artists who finds a freshness and energy in even the most familiar landscapes. His exuberant personality shines through in his art and I can almost hear him saying to me, ‘Look at this, it’s amazing!’ as my eyes move around the brilliant brushstrokes of his huge watercolours.” Cunningham is one of a number of artists based at the refurbished art facility at the Old Parcels Office, near the railway station. He is keen to emphasise its importance to the town as an additional exhibition venue and a developing cultural centre. Committing some of his creative experiences to writing, his 2021 self-published book ‘Coast To Coast’ is an unusual hybrid of a semi-autobiography, a walker’s travelogue and a form of practical artist’s guide. Interspersed with personalised stories, the book explores the various landscapes across Northern England, which he has portrayed on his regular painting expeditions.

He said: “It is about understanding the landscape from an artist’s perspective, which is a very different viewpoint from that of a writer or poet.”

His work is also featured on a recently established website alongside that of numerous other contemporary Northern landscape painters. As an alternative approach to the traditional basis of the art business, the bespoke genre-specific online gallery Thackeray & Browne is unusual in being curated by Cunningham himself, as opposed to an art dealer. “The focus is about promoting art and the artists that I consider have something to offer, selecting and selling good work that I think will be around in the auction houses in 100 years’ time.”

‘Coast To Coast – An artist’s

● companion guide to some of the best views and places to visit in the North of England’, by Kane Cunningham, is available from Amazon. A selection of artwork can be viewed online at kanecunningham.com and also at thackerayandbrownegallery.com