Ken Browne Solo show - 'Shadows Falling' October 7th - 28th back

Somberness, Calmness, Tranquility, these are the three words that come to mind when one thinks of Ken Browne's 'Shadows Falling.' The habitat for these twenty works is Browne's mind, painting from memory as he uncovers with his dark and gloomy palette the landscapes of Ireland. Here, the artist chooses to evoke powerful emotions through the abstract, a style which has previously been unexplored by him, as well as the heavy use of the colours black, grey, blue and white. The most striking colour in these compositions is grey, undefined, and which shrouds the viewer with a perennial contemplation of who they are and the true meaning of life. The sky which appears to be lacerated is reflected in the depths of the land, resulting in these top-heavy portrayals, which act as a passageway through the tunnel of existence, the light at the end representing the ascent into heaven. 

"With this new collection it was important for me to limit the palette and to return to mark making , a process which I have always loved since I started my journey as an artist. With my new collection, I directed myself towards the abstract style of painting, however, still maintaining that feel of the Irish landscape, as I will always be a landscape painter. The manner in which the clouds quietly pass over and cast their shadows on the land as they drift over is enthralling and captivating. I could sit for hours watching their swift movement and for that reason, I have tried to capture its essence in 'Shadows Falling. '

To achieve the multi-layered texture of the canvases, the Kells-based artist decided to use primarily acrylic paint, in order to attain a high and precise level of definition, followed by a considerable amount of charcoal, allowing the ominous shadows Browne had envisioned to come to life and finally, a light wash over of his own special solution, which gives the works a fitful quality. Bringing the viewer a term Browne calls 'mark making', presenting it himself as "what describes the different lines, patterns, and textures that are made visible as a manifestation of applied or gestural energy. It is the gestural “language” of the artist, and it is a term that can refer to any art material applied to any surface."