Although French painter, Georges Braque (1882-1963) shared with Picasso the deep belief that figuration is the very essence of painting, many trustworthy connoisseurs perceive blatant similarities between Annear and Braque.
In his work, Annear catches something that one could depict – if possible – as an encounter between the souls of colour and lines. Colours are neither patches nor fields; they are vibrations whose power lies in subtle nuances rather that in strength. His lines are ways, not borders. Annear paints wet on wet; His work is not assembled, but blends.
Each of Annear’s paintings carry a portion of the space that he has been exploring since the beginning of his works. They offer our eyes something which stands beyond our perception.
So what does he tell us about the dawn? Silence, calm, a tangible moment of peace when the natural world stirs, a new beginning. The air is clear, everything is possible.
Jeremy Annear is an English painter who was introduced to St Ives modernism in his early formative years. He lives and works in Cornwall.