insideKENT Magazine Issue 49 - April 2016 | Page 23

ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT

Kent Artist Profile:

Matthew Alexander
Matthew Alexander has always loved the Garden of England. insideKENT’s
Lisamarie Lamb recently spoke to him about his love of the county, the inspiration
behind his paintings, and what the future holds for him – including a fifth
fascinating exhibition at Thompson’s Gallery in London.

How would you describe
your art?
I am a landscape painter and am
proud to continue a tradition in art
that reveres the production of
paintings executed in oil paint and
contained within the confines of a
canvas or board. This statement
may sound rather obvious, but
when one considers that the word
‘art’ has come to mean anything
created by anyone who considers
themselves to be an artist I feel it
necessary to clarify my attitude to
this wonderfully diverse and
challenging discipline.
What inspires you?
My work is deeply rooted in the
great tradition of European
landscape painting and can be
regarded as a continuation of the
British Impressionist Movement.
Having lived all my life in Kent, I
garner inspiration from the
wonderful landscape of this
beautiful county which has nurtured
my artistic endeavours since
childhood. I travel widely and have
been inspired to paint in the furthest
corners of the UK and also in many
of the countries and cities of
mainland Europe.

You have your fifth solo
exhibition at Thompson’s Gallery
in London coming up; is it still
just as exciting to see your work
on display as it was the first time?
My exhibition at Thompson’s
Gallery is a great opportunity to
display my paintings to a truly
international clientele and I am
always excited, if not somewhat
apprehensive, to see how my latest
creations are received by a broader
public audience.

What is the most
difficult painting you’ve
ever undertaken?
All paintings are difficult
as the final result only
comes into focus as the
painting progresses. I
always get worried when
a painting feels easy as
that’s usually a sure sign
that things are going to
go badly. I have learnt
over time to suspend
judgment of newly
finished pieces and review
a painting in the cold light
of day. Fresh eyes will
usually tell me if it’s a
‘keeper’!

What is it about the Kent
countryside that makes it so
perfect to paint?
I do feel that Kent has a much more
varied landscape than most people
appreciate. The coastal features
around Thanet where I was born
and continue to live have given me
some of my most enduring subject
matter – sometimes gentle,
sometimes spectacular but always
changing; and the skies (as noted
by our greatest artist JMW Turner)
are the finest to be found in Europe.
The countryside in mid-Kent near
Tenterden, Maidstone and
Tunbridge Wells is beautiful
because of the unspoilt rural
landscape. The whole county has
retained incredible variety and
diversity despite the pressures from
housing and business
development.

What has been your proudest artistic achievement to date?
I have, (like many I’m sure) had many successes and many failures, all of
which contribute to the fullness of life and I try not to dwell on them too
much. As Graham Clarke (one of our great Kentish artists) once told me:
“You wouldn’t have become an artist if you weren't an optimist!”
Where can we see your work?
I continue to show my work in various galleries in the UK and the USA
and I also have my own studio/gallery in Monkton, Kent where I hold
occasional shows of my work. Details of these can be found on my website.
What does the future hold?
Wouldn’t we all like to know the answer to that question! I have a few
exhibitions planned and a couple sketched in and a few exciting projects
that I am working on, but really I just keep painting and responding to my
own inner direction and time will tell where that leads me.
www.matthew-alexander.com

23