World War One Horse Power Art Exhibition at St Martin's Church, Birmingham

Post

Subscribe

Thu 24 Jul 2014 - Wed 27 Aug 2014

An art exhibition at Birmingham's St Martin's Church in the Bull Ring will recall the contribution made by horses and aircraft to World War One.

The display of paintings, titled Horse Power, opens at the church on July 24 and runs until August 27.



The exhibition showcases the work of Birmingham-born artists Paul Langford and Trevor Lay. Paul contributes paintings of horses while Trevor's canvases depict the aircraft of the Great War.

The duo, both born in 1950, met in 2006 at Bournville College where Trevor was a support worker and Paul a mature student working towards an art degree.



Talking about his inspiration for the exhibition, Paul says: ''Horses have played a big part in my life. I've bred them, ridden point to point and hunted. I decided that my theme for 2014 would be horses and mules in the First World War, their contribution and plight.
''The exhibition is called Horse Power because during World War One there was the change from using actual horses to aeroplanes and machinery.''



Paul lives near Halesowen but creates his oil paintings at a city centre studio at the Jubilee Centre in Pershore Street.
''I did a lot of research for this project,'' he explains. ''I get my ideas from books and archives. My source material is old photographs but I take and use them to do something else with it. I try to make it something more than just a copy of a photograph.''



Paul recalls that he has exhibited at St Martin's before.
''My first exhibition at St Martin's was called Remembrance in 2003/ 4. I exhibited paintings of poppy fields alongside poetry by World War One poets. I invited people to consider war and the loss of their loved ones.
''I want people to look at something, then question things. Paintings should offer, first, a sensation, so it draws you in; then if people want to unpick the context – why has he painted it?, why has he painted it at that time of day? - then they can do so.''

#art
#birmingham_city_centre
#central_birmingham
#churches
#equestrian
#exhibitions
#free
#history
#interviews
#remembrance_day
#july
#august
!date 24/07/2014 -- 27/08/2014
%wnbirmingham