Arthur EASTON, R.O.I

Hailed as a still life genius, the maestro returns to Highgate this March with his still life oil paintings to soothe the eye and intrigue the mind.

With a generally subdued palette and soft tones, Arthur uses the play of light to emphasise the texture and surfaces of inanimate objects to bring them to life and give them character. His compositions are balanced with a sense of irony – the spoon teetering on the edge, the lemons precariously positioned begging us to look more closely; he elevates the status of useless ephemera - a piece of string or a solitary nail and gives beauty to a rotting piece of fruit.

Arthur’s careful handling of paint and love of detail allows him to produce work that is composed and elegant with a humorous tone,but still pure and simple.

Born in Surrey,1939, Arthur went to Reigate School of Art 1963-66 to study painting and printmaking. Then, to obtain a better understanding of the handling of light and shade, he went to Italy to study the Old Masters, winning The Diploma of Merit at Florence's University of the Arts.In 1991 he won the Stanley Grimm Prize. His singular love and consuming passion for still life has put him near the top of the still life world, an opinion shared by many collectors.

..’The return of the Maestro’ 2005 Highgate Fine Art

Recognised as one of the finest exponents of still-life working in the UK today,we are always delighted to welcome Arthur back to Highgate.

Arthur’s approach to still life is reassuringly simple; a dedication to composition and meticulous detail. His selection of objects, whether it be a battered aluminum pan, a rusty nail, a cracked ceramic pot or a crumpled paper bag is arranged with consummate effect to harmonise all elements and enhance the effect of light and shade. His technique is reminiscent of the Flemish masters but somehow transcends easily into the 21st Century, through his masterly use of paint and his ‘subdued palette’.

The intense detail that Arthur reproduces seems to bring inanimate objects to life; the decaying rose, the less than perfect pear are shown a sense of respect, and his unique way of composing these unremarkable objects, some precariously balanced and linked in many cases with twine, has become his trademark.

For many years Arthur and his family lived in Surrey. He was teaching and painting simultaneously, but it seemed that his passion to paint was always foremost and when given the opportunity to move to Devon some years ago, he and his wife moved without hesitation so he could devote more time to his all-consuming passion.

Selected one man exhibitions:

Upper Street Gallery, London 1973 -75
Centre Gallery, Bletchingley 1979,87,98,2000
Bakehouse Gallery, London 1982
The Talent Store Gallery, London 1987-88
Lizard Gallery, Farnham 1987
Phoenix Gallery, Lavenham 1990
Mistral Galleries, London 1992,93,95
Highgate Fine Art, London 1997,98,2002,05
Fosse Gallery, Stow-on-the-Wold 2000
Hind Street, Ottery St Mary 2002,04
Gallery 27, Cork Street, London 2003

Eton Contemporary Art, Eton 2005 - 2009

Selected shared/ group exhibitions:

Fringe Edinburgh Festival 1976
Phoenix Gallery, Lavenham 1989
Mistral Galleries, London 1990,92,93
Kaleidoscope Gallery,London(Prizewinner)1975,76
Chelsea Gallery, London 1983
Neville Gallery, Canterbury 1985
Hunting Art Prize, London 1990
Piccadilly Gallery, London 1990,91
King Street Galleries, London 1990,91
Artists for Nuclear DisarmamentExhibition,London 1994
Fosse Gallery, Stow-on-the-Wold 1995,2001
South West Academy, Exeter 2000,01
Highgate Fine Art, London from 1997 - 2007

He has also exhibited at:
The Royal Academy London
The Mall Galleries (regularly) with:
Royal Institute of Oil Painters and
Royal Society of British Artists
National Soc.of Painters,Sculptors &Printmakers.

Awarded the Stanley Grimm Prize 1992

Work in Public Collections:
Museum of British Labour
American Institute of Strategic Studies.
Arthur’s work is also included in many notable private collections both in the UK and overseas.