Another piece in Tim Garner's ‘Kids’ series, two children are pictured by Manchester's Victoria Station, immersed in the surreal morning light. A tram passes in the distance, and towering lampposts parallel the shiny vertical tower blocks, contrasting to the horizontal flow of the railway bridge. Garner's signature skies determine the moody, sepia-like aura of this piece, with flecks of cement creating a vignette around this dynamic composition.
- Media: mixed media on board framed
- Dimensions: 155 x 122cm
- Price: £4200.00
Another piece in Tim Garner's ‘Kids’ series, two children are pictured by Manchester's Victoria Station, immersed in the surreal morning light. A tram passes in the distance, and towering lampposts parallel the shiny vertical tower blocks, contrasting to the horizontal flow of the railway bridge. Garner's signature skies determine the moody, sepia-like aura of this piece, creating an almost apocalyptic atmosphere, with flecks of cement creating a vignette around this dynamic composition. The two young figures are the focal aspect of this piece, which is unusual within Garner's oeuvre - Garner doesn't often paint people; his main concerns are capturing the spirit and physicality of a city. However, Garner has proven his versatility; the figures create a stillness within this piece, as though a quiet snapshot within a city in motion. Those familiar with Manchester will be aware of the hustle and bustle of the city centre, and how rapidly the cityscape changes - old structures are constantly being displaced to make way for skyscrapers and new builds. Garner's works have a distinctive way of honouring the historical architecture, whilst also embracing the dynamic changes within the city. “I think paintings tell you where they want to go” Differently to many of Garner's other works, here we are positioned at ground level, submerged in city. It's as though we can feel the grit of the concrete around us; as though we can hear the trams gliding through the city. Garner appropriates this physicality through a formula of industrial materials such as metals and cement, emulating the grit of the city, paired with a colour palette of metallics and iridescent paints to imbue texture, light and depth. Through this process, Garner is able to capture still moments in time, snapshots of the mundane, anti-landmarks of a city, expanded to large scale compositions which demand our time and attention. Garner views painting as a way of interpreting what's around us in a way that's both physical and metaphysical - this piece is no exception - Garner's works have their own agency in their ability to capture snapshots of Mancunian history, and tell a visual story of a dynamic and exciting city.
Based in his home studio in Stockport, Tim Garner is an artist who captures cityscapes through his own avant-garde lens. Inspired from his time living between Manchester and Paris, Garner works from photography and photo collage as his primary references, taking advantage of their visual immediacy and accuracy. Paint and cement are then used as a way of injecting emotive layers of meaning, forming Garner's distinctive style and flair. Through this process Garner has established his own visual language, which is imbued with character. His works are comfortingly familiar to a Northern audience, whilst enlightening and educating wider audiences. A piece of Mancunian history, this artwork would be a valuable asset for any contemporary art space, collection or home.