"Rambles in Andalucia"
An Exhibition of Watercolours

Jim Manley, A.R.U.A.
April 14 to May 7

Jim Manley - Axarquia

In the Spanish province of Andalucia between Malaga and Granada lies an area known as Axarquia. Its southern boundary is the Mediterranean, where unsurprisingly the coastline is developed for the sun seekers of northern Europe. In complete contrast, the northern limits are wild and rugged mountain ranges. There is an arid fertility on the lower slopes, and olive oils and almonds are famous. The groves give food and shelter to song birds and afford space for wild flowers and butterflies. The farmers of Axarquia haven't even heard of barbed wire, and altogether it is a pleasant place to work and draw.

The works on show are based upon, or are the actual chalk drawings, from over the last dozen years. The media are combinations of pastel, gouache and water colour.

Opening Night
7.00 pm to 9.00 PM

The Artist will give a brief talk about his work.

More Artist Details
Review of the Current Exhibition
Price List

"Basura : Tomatoes"
Watercolour.
45 x 63cm
Enlarge (35k)

"Pomegranates, Rio Bermagoza "
Watercolour.
22 x 28 cm
Enlarge (35k)

"Asparagus Woman, Wild Artichokes"
Watercolour.
57x 77cm
Enlarge (35k)

"Oranges, Early Morning"
Watercolour.
69x 55cm
Enlarge (35k)

JIM MANLEY A.R.U.A. Born in St. Helens, Lancashire. Resident in Co. Down since 1971.

Apart from being a painter, Jim Manley is also "a long time fisherman, serious mountaineer and inveterate hiker, a scavenger in country hedgerows who ranges across the unpopulated wilderness of mountain, shoreline and bog" - 'Jim Manley : The Modern Troubadour' - Brian McAvera

Selected Exhibitions

Group Exhibitions

Awards

Watercolours purchased by Public Collections include:

• Conrad Hotel
• Ulster Television, Belfast
• Stormont Castle, Belfast
• Abbott Hall, Kendal
• The Walker Gallery, Liverpool
• Bank of Ireland, Dublin
• AIB International
• Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

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Review of the Current Exhibition

"Rambles in Andalucia," an exhibition of watercolours by Jim Manley currently showing at the Dyehouse Gallery Waterford, until the 7th. May.

Originally from St. Helens in Lancashire, Jim Manley has spent almost half his life in Northern Ireland, and as a result his previous work has been indebted to both English and Irish cultural traditions. On the one hand the visionary English Romantic landscape tradition of the Blake, Palmer and Turner tradition, and on the other, he has often made pictorial reference to 'Sweeney' the unfortunate wraithlike creature whose story is told in the medieval Irish epic, 'Buile Suibhne'. In his most recent paintings however, Manley has forsaken this familiar territory for the rugged mountain landscape of southern Spain, a region he has visited many times.

The works now showing at the Dyehouse have been inspired by the wild and arid region lying between Malaga and Granada, known as Axarquia. Olive, almond and orange trees are cultivated on its mountainous slopes, and amongst these groves, the picturesque flora and fauna which inhabit Manley's watercolours are to be found. These include tomatoes , pomegranates , mushrooms , convolvulous, gentians and poppies . The latter feature in a number of paintings , their rich red colouring often contrasting with a complementary background to produce an exhilarating effect.

Manley is nothing if not a colourist of consumate ability, and he contrives subtle harmonies to counter the naturally draining effect of intense sunlight. A lifetime's familiarity with the countryside, as not only 'plein air' artist, but also fisherman, mountaineer, and what he himself describes as a 'scavenger in country hedgerows,' has sharpened Manley's vision. The beauty of much of his work resides in this very detailed perception, but interestingly enough he does not present it like a botanical illustration. Rather it is transformed through the temperament of the artist into a more generalised impression.

Combined with his extraordinary qualities of perception, Manley is also highly creative in his technique. He uses a wax-resist type of paper, which wrinkles when the paint is applied, producing an interesting surface effect. This surface paper then mounted on a newspaper base, the print from which is visible occasionally - as in the top right hand area of 'Basura Tomatoes .' By the time Manley has finished, original chalk drawings have given way to a complex collage of effects, combining paper, watercolour, pastel and gouache. One of the most intriguing works in the exhibition offers a bird's eye view of an ornamental goldfish pond (Goldfish El Estanque ). Here, perhaps in the 'water feature' of some Moorish garden, fish swirl around creating sudden flashes of opalescent light amidst the murky watery depths. It is a fascinating evocation, one which would enthral the viewer for some time, and is typical of Jim Manley's unique ability to transform nature into art.

An exhibition well worth visiting.

Peter Jordan, 19.4.00

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Price List

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