So, although I personally may not be planning to ‘Jab & Go’ at the moment, that will not stop me from definitely daring to dream about the locations that inspire my imagination. There are so many artistic locations to fire the imagination, so why not indulge in those dreams at a time when we all need that extra little boost. Maybe the nearest we will get for a while is virtual exhibitions with worldwide influences in the UK but never stop your imagination from having fun in the meantime!
Artist Brian Parker’s fascination with Japan started at a young age with his martial arts interest and then culminated with a whirlwind tour of Japan. Inspired by the food, culture, landscape and art, Parker’s work highlights how the imagination can be inspired by new sights, sounds and experiences.
‘The temple was a great piece of architecture that just begged to be painted, ‘Walking to Work’ was based on a shot of a young Buddhist Monk rushing to get to his temple one morning and ‘Kyoto Joy’ was based on shots I took of a Japanese couple in traditional dress I came across in the back streets of Kyoto who were having their wedding photos taken and the looks of pure joy on their faces just had to be captured.’
In a world of pure art escapism, artists such as Gauguin and his tropical island images in Tahiti spring to mind. Gauguin was desperately trying to escape personal troubles in his life ‘May the day come… when I can flee to the woods on a South Sea island, and live there in ecstasy, for peace and for art’ and the death of his good friend Van Gogh. Although Tahiti perhaps didn’t offer quite the primitive experience Gauguin was searching for, his paintings do offer us a form of escapism. Their bold bright colours and primitive forms seem keen to simplify life and yet the constant symbols tell the story of a still troubled man. Last year’s exhibition at the RA Royal Academy of Arts showed a wonderful collection of Impressionists work including Gauguin’s path from Brittany to Tahiti.
Who cannot long to visit Monet’s beautiful Giverny home whilst gazing at his Water Lily series? Losing yourself in the beauty and serenity of these images takes you into a world of compete escapism. Then back to reality with Monet’s beloved London paintings and ‘The Houses of Parliament’. These iconic painting’s, bathed in mist take us to the present time but the sun shining through gives us hope and joy for the future. So, we may not be going far at the minute but we can dream, make our list and look forward to those destinations, which with all the money we’ve saved doing nothing for a year, should be wild!
Lisa Freeman-Bassett
