2009
oil on canvas
179 cm 254
The increasing disappearance of the not-so-eternal snows are slowly transforming the Alpine landscapes into relics. Michael Ashcroft has drawn his inspiration from this idea and by unearthing old photographs of the Alps in order to create large-scale paintings of these imposing summits. His works are able to evoke the irrepressible yet beautiful nostalgia we feel for this disappearing present.
A British artist, Michael Ashcroft studied at the University of Northumbria. He was exhibited at Saatchi Gallery, Max Wigram and Anthony d’Offay in London, as well as Andrea Rosen in New York. He was selected for the project “The Triumph of Painting III” at the Saatchi Gallery in London.
His paintings are not created from direct observation, instead he searches for photographs in old publications that celebrate the Alpine setting. In this way, his work refers to our relationship with nature and landscape, as well as the cultural connotations of beauty and the sublime that go hand-in-hand with it. |
