Introduction
Martyn Brewster’s abstract paintings are strongly linked to the English landscape tradition. His paintings and drawings explore the coastal light of the south coast of Dorset where he lives and works. In his recent work, Brewster often uses a softer palette and square forms which, although reminiscent of boats or islands, deserve to be viewed in less representational terms. Brewster has had retrospective exhibitions at the Russell– Cotes Art Gallery and Museum, 1997; the Royal West of England Academy, 2001; and the Study Gallery of Modern Art, Poole, 2003, amongst others. He has won numerous awards and has work in private, public and corporate collections worldwide. Public collections include the Victoria & Albert Museum, British Museum, Russell–Cotes Art Gallery and Museum, Arts Institute at Bournemouth and Bournemouth University.
“My primary concern has always been with painting. I have never ceased to be fascinated and enthralled by the tactile and evocative qualities of paint, oil paint especially. Early on, I developed a particular interest in colour and abstraction which is the key to my work, coupled with a lyrical and poetic response to both Nature and the medium.
I have always loved the related activities of drawing and printmaking. The drawings represent a more direct response to nature, and all are done outside, in front of the motif. It is a challenge to deal with light and shade, space and atmosphere, and to find new compositions amongst such an endless multitude of forms. The prints are the opposite and allow for a complete absorption in colour and abstraction free from any directly associated references. Drawing influences printmaking, which affects painting and so on, each practice constantly enriching and extending the other, and inspiring new work.”