FESTIVAL OF CHICHESTER: Richard explores the planets through his works of art

Lavant artist Richard Whincop invites you to come and see the start of his very own Planets Suite when he opens his studio for the Festival of Chichester.
Taken at Richard Whincop Portrait Artist Studio, Lavant, West Sussex, UK, Friday, 27/05/2016. Photo by: Richard Ryder SUS-160615-084855003Taken at Richard Whincop Portrait Artist Studio, Lavant, West Sussex, UK, Friday, 27/05/2016. Photo by: Richard Ryder SUS-160615-084855003
Taken at Richard Whincop Portrait Artist Studio, Lavant, West Sussex, UK, Friday, 27/05/2016. Photo by: Richard Ryder SUS-160615-084855003

One of this year’s Festival Artists, Richard is welcoming visitors to 2 Redmans Cottages, Midhurst Road, Lavant, PO18 0BJ, from Friday, June 24-Monday June 27, 10.30am-5.30pm when he will be intrigued to chat through people’s responses to his latest work.

“Obviously, it doesn’t happen all the time. Some people just pop in and look, but it is really interesting when people want to chat and tell me what they think.

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“I have started a new series of paintings in which the theme is the planets. I have got Venus so far. I have got the Venus de Milo standing on a heap of coal and various other symbols. I hope to get a number of them ready for the festival. There is definitely food symbolism for Mars, but I don’t want to be promoting particular products! The Jupiter one has got a car floating in outer space. They are like dreams really. Sometimes my ideas evolve as I am painting the picture, and sometimes you are thinking of other meanings. It’s a bit like having a dream and then waking up and thinking what it was all about.”

Richard did a degree in English and art history at York University: “It was great. I had a really good art history tutor who really inspired me in terms of what it was possible to put into a work of art in terms of content. We did a lot of analysis about how stories are told and come across, and I learnt a lot about the content and the richness you can put into a painting.

“I thought about being an artist before I went to university. I wondered about going to art school, but I was good academically, and there was a lot of encouragement to do an academic degree. When I finished I spent a lot of time painting and drawing. I didn’t know what else to do.

“I moved to Glasgow in 1988 and I did some teaching there, but by the early 90s, I felt I was ready to take the plunge and go full time, and I have been full time as an artist ever since. Initially I did a lot of commissions for bars and pubs and clubs and got a lot of work, but after a few years, I really wanted to focus on my own work, and I went down the gallery route. I had my first solo show in 2006 in Dublin. The owner of the gallery had seen my work at the Glasgow Art Fair. He bought all my work and said he was going to sell it at twice the price in Dublin and that he would like to offer me a solo show. It was all quite encouraging.”

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After 22 years in Glasgow, Richard moved with his Canadian wife to Lavant in 2010, partly to live in the countryside, partly to be nearer his parents.

“As soon as I saw Chalk Pit Lane, the chalk and the flint reminded me of my childhood and I felt at home. I just love it. I go running and walking and cycling all the time. My interest in landscape painting has really kicked off since moving down here. It has been a really great move for us.”

www.richardwhincop.co.uk. Free admission. Limited disabled access: step at front door.

n Other Festival of Chichester art exhibition include three exhibitions from the same family:

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n until Sunday, July 17. The Conversation, Patrick Kundra, Various locations throughout Chichester city centre. Two mobile mannequin sculptures in conversation to be seen in various locations during the Festival.

n until Sunday, July 17. first solo exhibition – Matisse Kundra, CGC Emporium, 58 north street, chichester. 13-year-old Matisse Kundra draws narratives of characters from his favourite stories in pen and ink. Free admission.

n June 28-July 10, 10am-4.30pm. Voyage, Pascale Guillot, Oxmarket Centre Of Arts, Chichester French artist Pascale exhibits her oil and acrylic paintings based on nature. Free admission.

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