michael j strang
a sequence of prayers

A sequence of prayers

There is always a gap between what might be termed intellectual logic and emotional experience; and it is in this space that the world of art hovers – like an electric current connecting two polar points.

The history of art is long and inspirationally exciting. Also, the scientific basis of paintings engenders endless volumes and debates. But the work of art, however complex, is but one tangible vehicle to trap the intangible; that which tears at the heart and puts us in touch with the music of spheres.

Picasso famously said "they say they cannot understand my paintings but can they understand a sunset or the song of a canary?” The word prayer in its broadest sense is very important here and this conjures up the title of this exhibition. Albert Camus wrote about works complementing on another; correcting, overtaking, even contradicting their counterparts. But in essence, whether individually or in total, they are prayers trembling and reaching into the cosmos and sometimes one can sense a response in the paint like a light from a distant star. R S Thomas evoked the thought in one of his exquisite poems, that a church is like a stone trap into which to entice God. And it cold be argued in the same way that a painting is a physical entity that allows that which is beyond all understanding to enter and become one with pigment.

Michael Strang
April 2010

Over the years I have borrowed many of Michael Strang’s important paintings for temporary exhibitions held at Falmouth Art Gallery. Through these loans I have got to know him well. His gentle humour, kindness, thoughtful conversation and love of art have ensured that the staff of Falmouth Art Gallery look forward to his regular visits.

As an artist he is prolific. His insatiable energy is evident in the rhythms of every one of his marks or blobs of colour. Yet stand back from the work and there is fresh air, sunshine and moving light captured in a brief moment of time. His compositions magically invite the viewer to undertake the journey through the landscape, often accompanied by butterflies, bees and other insects, to the far distance and beyond. There are some pertinent lines in a poem by A. E. Houseman that encapsulate beautifully this experience that Strang brings to his work:

‘Comrade look not on the west,
will have the heart out of your breast,
will take your soul and sink it far,
leagues beyond the sunset bar.’

Though steeped in profundity and addressing the tantalising questions of our existence, it is not just curators and collectors that admire his work. One is struck by how children are inspired by it at our gallery workshops. They have made their own version of ‘Michael Strangs’ by mixing poster paint with flour and watching the creative excitement engendered by these versions one can see at firsthand how different generations of artists inspire one another.

Michael Strang’s art always lifts my spirits and reminds me of a comment by Henri Matisse: “What I dream of is an art of balance, purity and serenity, devoid of troubling or depressing subject matter”.

Brian Stewart
Director, Falmouth Art Gallery

To purchase a painting, call 01326 318452 (during gallery hours) or 07971 206 938 (at other times) or e-mail gallery@greatatlantic.co.uk with a contact number.

To request a paper catalogue, please send your postal address to catalogue@greatatlantic.co.uk

Purchases may be collected at the end of the show or we can arrange for delivery for as little as £20 depending on size and distance. All of the paintings are mounted, framed and glazed. Sizes are of the painted images, excluding mounts and frames. Please be advised that catalogue colours may differ slightly from actual painting colours due to the reprographic processes employed. We offer a money back if not entirely satisfied guarantee to distance purchasers, provided we are informed of any problems within 3 days of collection or delivery.

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