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Inspiration From Artists Week 117 Featuring Artists : Mike Hall and MHV de Silva.
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Posted
MIKE HALL, born 1937 in Hornchurch, Essex, is a British contemporary artist who graduated from Manchester College of Art and completed his post graduate studies at the Royal College of Art in London.
Before becoming a full-time artist, he enjoyed successful careers during the 1970s and 1980s, first as a freelance interior designer and then as a television and film set designer. This understanding of interior space is evident in his paintings as the home space and natural world are brought together to create tranquil sunlit scenes, yet absent of human presence. “I like to work with spaces that are not yet occupied and yet have the mark of a human presence.”
His paintings are acrylic on board and mostly 30 x 36 cm.
Edited
by Jenny Harris
Posted
The absence of figures is a deliberate choice, so I wouldn't question it - this is a wider question: I'm often tempted to include figures, birds, sheep, other animals or signs of biological life; and I often do .... but I don't always feel very easy about it; I had a painting on the gallery, and Alan Bickley said "ditch the birds"! And as soon as I saw that, I thought - he's right; I've just put them in because I thought I had to; but you don't always see birds in landscapes; yes, you often do, but how much do they really add? As for human figures - I do put 'em in, usually at a distance, but whenever I see others doing it, e.g. the "little man and his dog" motif, I often wonder at the wisdom of it. I think the real problem is that when we introduce figures - or anyway, when I do - they tend to be diagrammatic: symbols representing figures, birds, dogs or whatever: they also seem to me to be representing something that's missing, but not really identifying what that might be, just inserting a substitute for whatever it is..
Which leaves me where? Confused, as per usual.... I do like these paintings; I also see Sylvia's point; the only point I'd make in response is that I also see a lot of room for the viewer's imagination to people them; is that enough, though? Blowed if I really know....
Posted
Thank you Jenny for introducing Mike and his paintings. I really like the depth of colour he uses and the “ clean” lines he achieves. I particularly like the painting of the table overlooking the sea, but do like the others too. I don’t mind the fact there’s no people in them. Maybe that would distract from the scenes themselves.
Posted
Well I will ne blowed as well …..as I said I appreciate the competence and enjoyed the looking, but they are like an empty rooms , I know what you mean about the little V sign birdies in the air Robert or the token stick person and his dog and have wondered myself whether to include them. But these just make me want more……
Posted
I like them and hadn’t thought about the absence of figures, to me they are painted as if you are stood in the room etc and are in the picture looking around . A painting needs to tell a story for me and the majority of his work does, I particularly like the one that Andrew has just posted a view from the studio window to me and what a superb
A few I really like .
Edited
by Paul (Dixie) Dean
Posted
What a wonderful sunlit world this artist shows us, each work beautifully painted. I'm somebody who generally likes to see people in landscapes. Especially those where you expect to see people gathered. So, for me, there's a missing element to many of these paintings. But this is the artist's choice, not mine. A very fine painter, whose work is a pleasure to see.
Posted
Mike is certainly a very proficient artist producing attractive and eye catching work. I would be happy to have one of his paintings on my wall. At the same time I can sympathise with Sylvia’s feeling that they are slightly soulless. I found this further information about him and I think his explanation of his working methods makes clear how this arises. He is very fastidious in his planning of a painting which starts with an image he wants to create and will not deviate from that. Therefore there is no hint of the looseness which we seem to crave, which maybe would give his work more ‘soul’. Does this matter? I still like his paintings but I do feel a little something too planned and ‘film set’ about them.
