Graham Dean's first exhibition in 20 years

Brighton and Hove's Cameron Art Gallery is hosting an autumn exhibition of works by Graham Dean (October 8-November 6).
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Graham

Robin Cameron, of Cameron Art Gallery, said: “One of Britain’s most powerful figurative painters, Dean’s career has spanned four decades and seen his work exhibited worldwide. His watercolour works have been described as extraordinary and immensely powerful in the relentless investigation of the human body in a variety of media.

“It is many years since Graham has exhibited in his home town of Brighton, and we know that the show will attract a great deal of international interest. We’re very excited to be hosting his work.

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“In Graham, we have an exceptional talent. He is renowned for his challenge of accepted ideas about watercolour, wrestling it away from its 18th-century roots in landscape painting to make monumental, life-size depictures of the human body that can take years to complete.

“Dean is also launching his first book in early October, which will be available through the Cameron Art Gallery as well as online and in major book stores across the UK.

“Written by author, musician and journalist James Attlee and published by Unicorn Publishing Group, the book, simply entitled Graham Dean, is a visually-stunning portrayal of Dean’s career and explores his work from the satirical post-pop images that gained him exposure in the early twenties, through to cinematic urban realist paintings and his current large-scale, genre defying watercolour works.”

Graham is delighted to be showcasing his work to the Brighton’ community, 20 years after his last show, during which time his work has changed with the use of new techniques and evolving themes.

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“Brighton will always be special as this is my home town, and this autumn is a poignant time for the exhibition, alongside the launch of my new book written in association with James Attlee. I really hope the book will become an inspiration to many lovers of art as well as students and artist themselves.

“I am delighted to be working with Robin Cameron on this show, and hope that we welcome many of Brighton’s residents to the Cameron Art Gallery to come and have a look. Everyone is welcome.”

Employing a technique that he calls reverse archaeology, Graham transforms the conventional use of watercolour painting.

“Contrasting layers of paint are laid separately onto porous handmade Indian paper, achieving a density and brilliance of colour that is visceral in its effects, merging the figure with the organic process of paint spreading through paper. Sections from several different versions of the same composition are torn away and reassembled in a form of collage, lending each image a rawness and immediacy which supports the emotive and dramatic qualities of the works.”

Graham has exhibited internationally now for more than 30 years, and his work is in many private and public collections throughout the world.

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