Noel Myles 'Down to Earth'

The depiction of landscape usually implies making images of land and sky. Despite compelling paintings of skies by many artists including Turner and Constable, they were rarely presented as autonomous, independent works but more as studies to be used for reference in the studio and incorporated into paintings, whether they were landscapes or portraits containing landscapes as a setting. Paintings of landscapes were not usually complete without an attached sky.

As our eyes face forwards, we have a natural tendency to look towards the illusory conjunction of land and sky which we call the horizon. If we move towards it, it continuously changes. We never manage to reach what we saw beforehand from our previous standpoint. The land and the sky never touch.

With this in mind, I decided to make my landscape compositions by photographing straight downwards, just in front of my feet, taking one frame after another as I walked along. I particularly liked ploughed fields; the plough drawing linear sculptural designs and patterns. The driven tractor and the plough were the draughtsmen.

The oxides in the soil gave the variety of colours. I soon realised the ochres of clay and the reds of Herefordshire farmland could provide a palette to be exploited.  Weather conditions, frosts for example,

offered blues.

Over a period of time, I collected hundreds of small but uncropped prints and set about making my compositions. These essential English landscapes comprised photographs taken in many counties. I felt liberated from the particular and the picturesque. By eliminating the horizon, I had dispensed with view.

My subject matter extended to other surfaces, tiled floors, and old brick walls.  Wading up a river, which could still be considered landscape, was a particularly challenging experience.

However, there were no pic-nics to be enjoyed on sunlit riverbanks. There was no ‘Dejeuner sur L’Herbe to be had in these landscapes. These are simply the surfaces we stand on, raw and essential. By illuminating the horizon, I had dispensed with view.

Noel Myles

Preview and meet the artist between 12 noon and 6pm on Saturday 6th July.

The exhibition continues until Bank Holiday Monday 26th August 2024.

Gallery opening hours: Thursday to Sunday 10:30am – 4pm   Free admission.