I went to see the Atkinson Grimshaw exhibition at the Guildhall Art Gallery (it's on until 15th January).
Although it is a good show, it should really be four or five times larger to do justice to such an original artist.
The genius of Atkinson Grimshaw was to paint conventional scenes by moonlight, achieving an entirely new way of looking at the world (Simon Marsden does this today with his use of infra-red photography). The result is a heightened sense of awareness - everything is the same and yet simultaneously totally different. Not sure I am explaining this very well.
Atkinson Grimshaw was wildly popular in his day. Councils asked him to paint landscapes to encourage tourism. Newspapers used to review his individual paintings (can't think of any artist who gets that treatment today).
Moonlight, Wharfedale - capturing the ethereal transition of twilight.
Waterloo Lake, Leeds - fabulously still lakes - limpid pools is not a cliche.
The Port Light, 1890s - serene combination of water and sky.
On Strike, Leeds 1879 - even an industrial landscape appears romantic and full of sympathy.
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