Artist retraces steps for a brush with high culture (From York Press)
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York artist Jake Attree retraces steps for a brush with high culture
9:42am Friday 3rd August 2012 in Exhibitions
Jake Attree, left, on the roof of the Mansion House in York with the Lord Mayor, Coun Keith Hyman
YORK artist Jake Attree has revisited the Mansion House roof, from where he first painted a view of the city five years ago.
The results of his return will form the “signature” painting of Jake’s exhibition at Messum’s of Cork Street, London, next January.
“Five years ago, when Keith Hyman was Sheriff and Irene Waudby was the Lord Mayor of York, the Lord Mayor’s charity asked if I would like to donate a painting for auction, which I was delighted to do,” recalls Jake. “We discussed this and decided on taking a view from the Mansion House roof.”
Move forward five years to another conversation with Coun Hyman, now the Lord Mayor of York.
“A few weeks ago, at the opening of the final show at York Art Gallery before their two-year refurbishment, we met the Lord Mayor and his Lady Mayoress and he kindly asked whether I might like to revisit the roof and its splendid views,” says Jake.
“Coincidentally, a few weeks before this meeting, I’d been offered the show at Messum’s, much to my delight.
“David Messum and Carol Tee came up to my studio at Dean Clough, Halifax, to choose work and fix dates, and we decided it would be a good idea to have a ‘signature’ painting to form a focal point to the exhibition.
“I already had in mind the wonderful view down Stonegate towards the Minster and the surrounding landscape, when the Lord Mayor so kindly offered the opportunity of revisiting the roof.”
Jake began work on a 6ft by 4ft painting from information he had collected on his first visit five years ago, and on Tuesday this week he made further drawings on the roof to refresh his experience of the subject matter. “Thankfully the weather was kind!” he says.
Jake may have his studio in Halifax but his affinity with his home city is as strong as ever, on account of growing up above the Red Lion pub, in Merchantgate, and training at York School of Art before attending Liverpool College of Art and the Royal Academy in London.
His debut show at Messum’s will run from January 16 to February 2 next year.
