Ian McKeever

The Alan Cristea Gallery is holding an exhibition of new paintings, gouaches and watercolours by Ian McKeever.

The exhibition will feature two large oils from the Four Quartet series, one new Sentinel painting and numerous works on paper from the most recent series of Sentinel drawings. Their title comes from what he sees as their guardian-like quality and the suggestion of a doorway or threshold. They directly confront us, drawing us into their space while holding us at bay, setting their physical presence against our own.

Predominantly red and white, or black and white, the paintings are neither abstract nor figurative. Visceral in their paint quality and emanating light, they combine the veils and transparencies of earlier work with a more sculptural or architectural structure.

Ian McKeever was born in Yorkshire in 1946. Having studied English Literature in London, he began painting in the late 1960s and taught for many years at the Slade. He has exhibited widely, especially in Northern Europe. He lives and works in Dorset and is currently Professor in Painting at the Faculty of Art and Architecture at the University of Brighton.

The exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue and will coincide with exhibitions of paintings and drawings at Kettle's Yard gallery in Cambridge (15May - 4July) and his Four Quartet paintings at Newlyn Art Gallery (15 May - 12June 2004). Together they provide the most comprehensive view of McKeever's work since his major exhibition at the Whitechapel Art Gallery in 1990.