LUKEELWESPASSAGE–PaintingsfromtheGangesPrivateView–Thursday7thFebruary,6-9pm

ExhibitionDates–8thFebruary–16thMarch,2019

FrestonianGalleryisdelightedtopresentanewlycompletedbodyofworkbyLukeElwes,thattakesasitsprincipalsourceajourneybytheartistalongtheGangesRiverbeguninearly2018.BeginningatAllahabad,afterattendingtheMela,andwendingalongtheever-changingcourseofperhaps themostvenerated river in themodernworld, through theholy citiesofVaranasiandGaya(Bihar),Elwesandhissmalltravelpartylivedentirelyontheriver,campingaloneonnewly formed sandbanksandon theedgeof theGangaplain–endinghis journeywhere theGangesmeetsthesea,throughtheSundarbansmangrovesofthevastdeltafeedingintotheBayofBengal,nearKolkata.

Alongthisroute,takenatastatelypacebytheusualmodernstandards,Elwesworkedcontinuously,recordinginsketchesandwatercoloursthequalityofthelight,itsplayonthewater,thenatureoftheatmosphere–briskandfullofasenseoftheexpansivenatureofthelandscapeinthenorth,thenhumidandall-envelopingtowardtheSouth.IntothematerialsusedforthesesketchesandpaintingsElwesworkedtracesofwaterandsedimentfromtheriver,ashesoughttocombinebothvisionand

surface–theobjectanditsmanifestationintothe‘livingevidence’thatwouldtravelhomewithhimtohisstudioinLondon,wheretheGangaSeriescouldbegintofirstsettleinhismind’seye,thenariseagainasanewcreationinitself–bothadistillationandreimaginingofthejourney.

Thecourseofthejourneyintheartists’notebook

RobertDelaunay,whendescribingthequalitiesanddistinctivenessofImpressionism,describedthemovement as ‘...the birth of light in painting’– and it is this thatmost resonateswithinElwes’own ties to that traditionof landscapepainting.Hisworkandhis travels, or ratherhisexperienceof thedifferent qualities of light and atmosphere across the globe are completelyindivisible. TheAustralian and Iranian deserts, theNepalesemountains, the quietmist of theEnglish coast and the solitude of the Atlas Mountains all bear their influence within thecontinuityofElwes’practiceasapainter.TheGangaSeries isthusanexamination&meditationonbothanutterlyuniqueenvironmentandauniversalone.TheGangescarrieswithinitaninfinitelyrichhistory–named108differentwaysandexisting inthemindsofabillionsoulsasagod-form(thepersonificationof ‘MotherGaṅgā’). It is however thequalityof the light and senseof timeless expanse that seemsheremostaffectingtotheartistcontemplatingandapproachingitasasubject–albeitwiththevastweightofculturalsignificancethereasasteadyundercurrentalongtheriver’s2,500kmcourse. Thesenewpaintingsseekto,andsucceedin,capturingtheextraordinarymomentsthatsuchajourney invokes.Momentswhere the surfacedarkens then shimmersback into life;momentswherethewaterandtheskybecomecompletelyasoneinadelicatelybruisedhazeofpinksandwhite sunlight. These arewhat Elwes captures, or rather finds,within a series of paintings inthinnedandmanipulatedoilsthatatoncemanagetofeellayered,denseandyetjoyfullylight.ThefinelybalancedGangaSeriescombinesthespecificityofthegod-riveritself,withasenseoftheuniversalqualityofbeingtransportedbyanenvironmentbeyondanydefinitenotionoftimeandplace.NotesontheartistLukeElweswasbornin1961andnowlivesinLondon.HisearlyyearswerespentinIran,wherethe light and space of the mountains and desert were a formative influence. He studied atBristol University and Camberwell School of Art between 1980 and 1985, and completed hisResearchMastersatLondonUniversityin2007.Hisworkhasbeenexhibitedwidely inEuropeandtheUS,withrecent institutionalexhibitionsincluding the Palazzo Lanfranchi (Italy), the National Trust, Young Museum and EstorickCollection (UK) and the Albers Foundation (USA). His work is held in numerous privatecollections worldwide, as well as in public and corporate collections including: The BayerCollection; Christie’s ContemporaryArt Collection;National Trust Foundation forArt; ImperialCollege, University of London; Merrill Lynch Collection; Coopers & Lybrand; NM Rothschild;Deutsche Hypo Bank London; Hoares Bank Collection; Societe Generale, London; ElectraCollection;EuropaCollection,London.