C Ager Art

I look to painting to communicate more than pleasantly acceptable, non-threatening images of the familiar. It is hard not to sound pretentious when discussing my own work & you may conclude I paint a little better with a palette knife than I do with words.

My work is constructed from successive re-painting of the same subject over repeated sittings, on the same canvas & thus reflects my considered perceptions of, & reflections upon, the subject matter over many weeks or months. I paint people & objects the way I see them, not photo realistic representations of each topic. I would expect the viewer to recognise the fundamental object of my paintings. Thereafter the viewer is invited to linger & contemplate the images, to tease out of their own imagination & recollections the multiple layers & depths that painting can bring to a topic.

The viewer will come to each painting with their own perceptions & insights born of their individual life's experiences & will necessarily see the work differently from me. Thus, I do not consider there is a singular, particular or correct way to see or judge each piece of my work. The titles are guides or markers indicating where my mind was dwelling at the time I painted each image. They are indicators of the journey I took in creating the picture & invite the viewer to travel with me on this journey of exploration & see what reminiscences, thoughts & insights they may inspire.

I hope the images provoke or stimulate thoughts & discussion about each topic. Where appropriate I have included a short text briefly explaining why or how I have made each image. It is not necessary to read these in order to understand, appreciate or be moved by the paintings, nor do I expect each viewer to share unquestioningly my views or values.

There is no absolute value or moral in each painting. However, I have grown up, been educated by, live & work in, England, a liberal democracy. Compassion, understanding, tolerance & respect are the core values of my culture & I hope these are reflected in my work. If viewers find social comment or political commentary also in my work, it will not be accidental.

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current series: reclining nudes
series: waves | olympia | bathing | andromeda
historic series: 1970's collection
mediums: oil | acrylic

reclining nudes: too much salsa
olympia series: olympia | excite, arouse & excitare | satisfy, fulfill or exceed? | behold, enquire & observe | conjugal inamorato contemplation | high heels - gratify, pander, mores | exuberant, bouyant & exuberare | joie de vivre | cannote sated ecstasy, well perhaps | reflections of self by jolie laidie | slaked exigency exigentia or simply morn? | ponder felicitous light | credence, confidence & humour | bliss | jocund jocunda or seductive jezebel | disquiet, disdain or disingenuous? | life's a bitch | maturity, disillusion or enlightenment | ultimatum | silence
waves series: heat wave IV
bathing Series: after the tub
1970's collection: umbalan drummer | frederico fellini | sir francis chichester | clown

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