Ed Gray, arguably the greatest living painter of London and Londoners, is set to unveil his stunning new London panorama at his biggest ever exhibition.
The new, 2 metre wide, London panorama is the product of the artist's recent residency at Searcys on the top of The Gherkin. Neither my photographic skills nor equipment do it justice!
You will be able to see it yourself (and dozens of the artist's other works) and most importantly meet the man himself at a unique exhibition on board a boat moored on the Thames on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11th of November.
Ebb and Flow: Painter of London Life Ed Gray is a completely free and will be taking place on board the P.S. Dixie Queen, Butler's Wharf, Tower Bridge SE1 2YE. There is a bar too; what better way of enjoying an exhibition than with a glass of wine in your hand?
The exhibition is open each day from 11am, closing at 6pm on Saturday and 5pm on Sunday. But the best time to visit is 3pm when Ed will be giving a free tour of the exhibition and talking about all of his work.
If you haven't seen Ed's works before or heard him talk about his art I really do encourage you to go along. He is an artist committed to engaging fresh audiences.
His choice of location gives you an idea of his commitment to democratising the appreciation of art. I love the fact that he is holding this exhibition on a pleasure steamer and not in some stuffy private gallery. The fact that he will be there to talk about his work makes this exhibition more like a two day Private View for people who wouldn't normally want to attend a Private View, no matter how much free plonk is on offer.
This exhibition is for and about all Londoners. Ed holds a mirror to us and our city. His work can make us smile in recognition or pause to reflect on our lives and our impact, however fleeting, on our fellow Londoners.
His style of painting, vigorous, figurative, incisive and full of keen observation, is accessible to all. And, unlike so many current artists, he does not leave us to interpret his work all by ourselves. As he talks he explains the circumstances and anecdotes connected with the making of each painting, he points out the numerous metaphors and explains his motivations for making each work. His willingness to talk about the work is refreshing and illuminating and has enhanced my appreciation of the paintings and drawings enormously.
Ed Gray is skillfully carrying the mantle of Hogarth into the Twenty First Century, don't miss this show.
To see more of Ed's works on-line visit his website.