David Parrott

With his solo exhibition ‘Carving Light’, David Parrott captures scenes of ephemeral light found in our City and surrounding countryside, using traditional tools coupled with contemporary techniques. In this body of work Parrott carves a blanket of light onto canvas and paper, with a depth and glow that can only be achieved by those deeply familiar with how it moves, wrapping around a surface as it pours towards us. The exhibition invites you to explore the flow of light through realism to abstraction, skilfully using shadow and contrast to play with perspective.

Parrott uses graphite, charcoal and ink for preliminary studies, attempting to capture the most salient lines and shades, before developing these sketches into monoprints or monotypes. This process enables him to return to the scene to paint the more fleeting aspects of nature. The works exhibited explore Oxford’s ancient trade routes, canals, rivers, paths, bridges and local woods in search of new and often undiscovered motifs, all with an emphasis on the natural environment. The artist’s recent focus on landscapes is influenced by the growing threat to natural spaces, particularly in an increasingly urbanised England, with a rapidly growing population and building projects shooting up on protected green-field sites. Admire the beauty of these threatened environments in ‘Carving Light’, at The Jam Factory until the 19th of February.

Curated by Eleanor Monk