London.- Opus Art Presents ‘Karl de Vroomen: This is the First Thing’ At The Gallery on Cork Street in London from May 23rd to 28th 2011 (with a private viewing on Tuesday 24th May from 6 – 8pm). The internationally renowned Opus Art comes to London for an exhibition to showcase the work of highly regarded artist, Karl de Vroomen. This exhibition will showcase an exceptional body of new work relaying the thematics of Philip Larkin’s 1940 poem, “This is the First Thing”. Thematically, Larkin’s poem deals exclusively with the destructive passage of time, a notion central to de Vroomen’s work. For both Larkin and de Vroomen, time is a mighty and destructive force. It is shown by de Vroomen in his desolate landscapes, wilting sunflowers and animals suspended in a moment of time. The artist’s paintings show a consideration of death and the cycles of nature, they are introspective explorations of man’s search for ‘meaning’, his paintings endeavour to make sense of the strangeness and disquiet that pervades everyday life.
De Vroomen is intrigued by the peripheral or marginal sites that exist between nature and culture, countryside and city. His paintings cleverly combine an investigation into the formal aspects of painting – drawing from the traditional practice of Romanticism, whilst responding to the poetry and desolation of these places or animals he depicts. De Vroomen has an established reputation in the art world. From exhibiting with Saatchi to being shortlisted for the Sainsbury’s Scholarship in Painting and Sculpture at the British School of Rome. De Vroomen has shown his work in London, New York, Manchester and Newcastle upon Tyne.
De Vroomen was born in 1982 in London and lives and works in Newcastle upon Tyne. He graduated from Newcastle University in 2009 with an MA in Fine Art (with distinction), following the completion of a BA (Hons) in Fine Art Painting at the University of Brighton in 2006. Upon graduating de Vroomen was awarded the Hole Editions Postgraduate Print Award and in 2010 was awarded a residency at Newcastle University. Visit the artists website at … http://www.karldevroomen.com
Opus Art is housed in a beautiful Art Nouveau building, Milburn House, on Dean Street close to Newcastle’s Quayside and Central Station. The gallery boasts a large reception area and three separate viewing rooms, plus a ‘windows’ gallery overlooking a busy street. The gallery is by appointment only, Monday – Friday 10am – 5pm. Established in 2005, Opus Art, the North’s premier contemporary art gallery, represents the best in cutting edge contemporary art and photography. Its extensive roster of artists includes Chris Acheson, Kim Baker, Charlotte Bracegirdle, Teresa Duck, Hector de Gregorio, Hush, Chris Kettle and Karl de Vroomen. In addition to maintaining an international presence through its websites, Opus Art hosts exhibitions in major cities and attends international art fairs, typically in New York, Miami, Basel and London. Visit the gallery’s website at … http://www.opus-art.com
