The Painted Path: Emily Faludy and Lawrie Quigley
14 June
Tregony Contemporary presents a stunning new exhibition highlighting the Cornish South West Path
Exhibition runs from 6th - 27th July 2024
The Painted Path is an immersive and exciting exhibition of paintings by award-winning artists Emily Faludy and Lawrie Quigley. It is the result of a year spent working on the Cornish South West Path at sites from Fowey to Tintagel.
The 30 new paintings capture all the drama, luminosity, and textures of Cornwall’s landscapes. They also foreground the appeal of plein air practice and the power of nature. The exhibition reveals the risks artists take, as their work seizes the living moment in unpredictable conditions.
Emily brings vibrant, energetic oil paintings to life with a range of plein air techniques, reflecting her passion for the natural world. Influenced by 20th-century masters like David Bomberg, Frank Auerbach and Leon Kossoff, her works are strikingly dynamic.
Lawrie’s work is marked by a reverence for landscape and a fascination with its shifting states. He has a deep interest in the expressive qualities of paint. His practice is influenced by Bomberg, as well as by JMW Turner and John Constable.
Emily and Lawrie have described the challenges they faced in all conditions, including a period of storms, for a publication accompanying the exhibition. Extracts include:
Summer Day Portscatho, Emily Faludy
"The winter season on the North coast was dramatic, with big foamy waves crashing in on the rocks. Even in spring, the weather was so severe I had to invent new ways of working. I lashed my canvas to railings or lamp-posts, buying bungee from a camping store. I carried on. What you want is that something of the day ends up in the paint; that the energy of the elements gets into the work; that the feeling of it transmits to the viewer in a chain effect. Uncomfortable weather produces the best painting, even if it’s after a battle. It’s primal, like wrestling a beast.” - Emily Faludy
Roseland from Falmouth Early Autumn, Lawrie Quigley
“I’ve always liked Cornwall. The mix of ruggedness, change of light, and a lot of rain. It was tough, this project, and the coast path can be tricky, as there's a sheer drop to the sea in places like Zennor. You are carrying your gear, a fold-up easel, palette and paints, rags, brushes. What you want is to feel the wind, the weather, so that the elements influence the marks and brushstrokes that you make. You’re just responding to nature’s force – the conditions between human and landscape. The tide washes in. You might get swept out. Something comes from that into the painting – the spirit of the place imbues it." - Lawrie Quigley
Gallery owners Judi and Brian Green, founders of Tregony Contemporary, said:
‘We are thrilled to present work by two such innovative and experienced plein air artists in a major exhibition. In exploring the traditions of outdoor practice, the project showcases not only the beauty of Cornwall in all its wildness, but also the importance of its ongoing artistic legacy.’
Exhibition Hours Tuesday - Saturday 11am - 5pm (Out-of-hours by appointment)
Opening Reception Saturday 6 July 2-7pm
Boats in Harbour Newlyn, Emily Faludy and View from St Antonys Head early Autumn, Lawrie Quigley