Wednesday 4 June 2008

Roy Turner Durrant




Roy Turner Durrant, Suffolk-born and East-Anglian based, was in his own highly particular way, an artist of a typically English sort, and very much of his time. Not all serious and talented artists necessarily achieve the wider reputation they might deserve, and Durrant’s has been a sleeping reputation.
I saw this wonderful exhibition last Thursday at the Fine Arts Society just as it was finishing, I had not heard of Durrant, yet his work was as good as many of the other mid 20th century artists I have a penchant for.
There was an article a couple of months ago on nymag about how rude NY gallerinas were, I have to say that with the exception of the Gagosian, the gallerinas in London are always cheerful and polite. Galleries like the Fine Art Society look quite exclusive and a little hostile on the outside, yet they could not be more welcoming once you are inside. You nearly always get a smile, which can be as rare as hens teeth in London.

1 comment:

La Belette Rouge said...

Beautiful work. I have never seen his work before. I love a good abstraction--something very natural and elemental to it.

Oh, and for a few years I was a gallery worker and we were encouraged to be snarky and rude. I couldn't do it. They encouraged us not to speak to those who walked in the door. Really horrible.