Gareth Parry - Some Places, Some People

A native of Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gareth has lived in the area for most of his life. Much of his outlook on life has been shaped by the people, the injustices of the slate industry and the landscape of the area; he developed a sense of belonging, an awareness of ancestry, a respect for nature, and a deep love of the countryside.

As his work has developed, the love for the area and its landscape has remained but we now see a greater emphasis on the effect of the light, the weather, the season and the time of day, which all breathe life into the scene. Through his manipulation of the paint, and his choice of colours, he seeks to capture the atmosphere and mood of the moment.

In both his landscape and depiction of figures, Gareth strives for expressiveness and spontaneity playing an important part in the process of creating work that is lose and free, but never unstructured.

His depictions of people reflect the reality of everyday life in Wales, based on overheard snatches of conversation, on personal experience, feelings, subject or just simple observation. Many of the pieces show ordinary people going about their ordinary lives, while others represent an attempt to note the unconscious humour and irony of life.

Gareth has always considered himself a painter rather than an artist; the handling of the paint being more important than ideas or concepts. He believes the senses can be excited, to a certain degree, by the surface of the painting, by a painter’s own ‘handwriting’ or ‘code’ through which he can create a mood through colour alone.

Though some of these works reflect Gareth’s love of great artists such as Caravaggio, whatever the reason for their creation, he hopes the audience will enjoy them simply for what they are – paintings.

The exhibition will be on show at the National Library from 6 December 2008 – 28 February 2009.  Works are for sale.