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Richard Ennis
The powerful figurative paintings of Richard Ennis are frequently
based on journeys through life, from birth to death. On first
impact, the intense dream-like works can appear almost
claustrophobic with potentially disturbing elements. A deeper
second reading reveals the layered narrative of the pieces, giving
an insight into the experiences of his life.
In a broad sense, the work can be split into
that of playful humour and one of darker imagery but the style and
confidence of his work remains consistent. The characters, often
the product of his imagination and dreams, are a combination of
colourful dancing, flying, sleeping figures which contrast with the
colder sterile and clinical images.
The
sense of realism in this work is attributed to actual events in
Richard’s life, including the death of his sister from cancer and
the birth of his son in the mid 90’s. As a child he was fascinated
with anatomy and physiology books that his mother, a nurse, had at
home and he would often copy from them. |
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