Piecing art together

By Celia Paul

A LOCAL artist launched his latest exhibition in an Islington gallery this month.

Nine paintings by King's Cross based artist Matthew Swift went on display in the Barnsbury gallery on Liverpool Road at the beginning of November, and will remain there until February.

Jeremy Goth, owner of the Barnsbury, said: “We like to help local artists as much as possible by giving them space to hang their pieces, and letting the public see their work.”

Two of the paintings were snapped up by buyers during the private shows held by Mr Swift in the first week. One was sold for £300 and the other for £500, and Mr Swift said he hoped to sell more.

He said: “I was attracted to the Barnsbury because it’s quite an unusual space to display work, and a good opportunity for people to enjoy it.”

The paintings that made up the collection, Piecing it Together, were based on a series of Mr Swift’s earlier collages. He said: “The collages were a different way to try and configure the world, and hopefully the paintings are a visual representation of the slices of life you see in London.”

A trained teacher who has also lived in New York, Mr Swift said he found London life an inspiration for his painting: “The urban location is a brilliant example for me to work from.”