Click in images below to view video tours on You Tube of current & recent exhibitons
OCEANLIGHT Video
Old Hall Gallery 2012
Imagined Seas Video
St Donats Arts Centre 2011
New Book Published 23rd October 2010
Click on book cover to view sample pages
The Search for Verrazzano's Sea
The Creative Voyage of Adrian Paul Metcalfe
In 1524 Giovanni da Verrazzano set sail in his ship 'La Dauphine' in search of the fabled North West Passage. He encountered unexplored strange lands, eventually believing he had found a sea linking the two oceans. This was marked on charts as the 'Sea of Verrazzano'. Unfortunately he had only discovered a deep river estuary leading further into land. This error of navigation has been a starting point for much recent work, which explores this imaginary sea and examines the limitless possibilities of that which may or may not exist.
In this book Adrian Paul Metcalfe describes the development of his creative work, exploring its themes, ideas and techniques while examine the contexts in which it can be seen. Over 150 full colour illustrations accompany a text by the artist and a new in depth interview by Alexandra Trowbridge-Matthews.
Everyone records and collects memories, images and experiences as they pass through time, artists perhaps more than most develop their experiences and images into personal interpretations. This is something which has concerned me almost obsessively in my work. The importance of single moments of time, the precariousness of fleeting effects of light, pattern and colour have all been crucial elements in the development of imagery. Often works have formed series investigating changes at a particular location due to time of day, season or climatic conditions. These are developed into works expressing the uniqueness of personal vision.
Photo of the artist in his studio by Alexandra Trowbridge-Matthews
Over the years I have examined again and again these ideas which have led from sketches in the landscape, photographs and video images to finished watercolors, oils, acrylics and prints. I have constantly kept records in the form of photo record books detailing and locating as many places visited as possible. These have led to Limited edition and single, original artists books. Recently I have also explored the use of real time video recording of particular, selected, events and locations. The videos have often formed part of my exhibitions which are intended to be installations based on single locations or a groups of locations. The images are intended to be seen together to create a powerful individual atmosphere which goes beyond the simple depiction of time and place. Often large canvases have carved relief frames, which extend the illusionary three dimensional space of the paintings into the real three dimensional space of the gallery. Recent double sided free hanging blocks of colour are a further example of pieces which seek to engage the viewer in direct involvement with the space
Click on the address below for e-mail links
e-mail : apmetcalfe@freeuk.com
3,
Heathfield Drive, Colcot, Barry. CF62 9UG.
Tel / Answer Phone (01446) 738877