Artwork of the Month - February 2011
Road to Mountain
Artist: Larry Ham (1934-2007)
Medium: Oil on canvas
Status: Permanent collection
Item No.: GMAG 2006.144
About the Subject
In the mid-Eighties Larry Ham had an opportunity to travel to Europe and began with a five week camping trip to the South of France. He took every available opportunity to sketch and paint this newly discovered landscape, which previously he had only seen through the paintings of other artists.
This month's Artwork of the Month by Larry Ham, was inspired by that particular trip. It presents a landscape very much like that painted by Paul Cezanne of Mont Saint-Victoire. The artist leads our eye immediately to the centre of the painting using strong lines created by the road and foreground, which finish at the foot of the mountain. The shapes and colours then start to disperse, creating a dramatic feeling of depth and perspective.
A monograph of Larry Ham's work, written by the art historian Peter Davies is available in the Museum shop.
