Rue Caulaincourt (Paris Collection) by Tim Garner

Rue Caulaincourt (Paris Collection) by Tim Garner
Rue Caulaincourt (Paris Collection) by Tim Garner

Another serene piece from Tim Garner’s Paris Collection of works, ‘Rue Caulaincourt’ immediately transports us to a sunny street in Montmartre. Garner spent over 20 years living in Paris – works such as this fondly reflect his time there.

Another work from Tim Garner’s Paris Collection, ‘Rue Caulaincourt’ transports us directly to a sunny street in Montmartre. Garner spent over 20 years living in Paris – works such as this fondly reflect his time there. A serene snapshot of a warm day in Spring, Garner has depicted his setting from a ground level perspective, placing his viewer within the setting, approaching an inviting patch of light on the zebra crossing. Flecks of cement dance around this piece, contributing to its hazy aura, as the trees above provide cooling shade from the beaming sun. Hopeful blue skies peer through shading leaves, reminiscent of Claude Monet’s pastel palette. Many of Garner’s works are made using a formula of mixed ground paints and materials such as metals and cement, which are then rigorously layered to create tactile compositions which capture and reflect light throughout the day. This layering can take any time between 10 days and 3 weeks to complete, a process through which Garner perseveres until he feels his works come to life. “It’s all about getting to a point where it could breathe” However, differently to some of his grittier works, this piece feels softer, and more painterly. We are reminded of Garner’s capability as a painter – the light and shadow in this piece reflect the artist’s astounding attention to detail, and his ability to create depth and dimension. Pedestrians are painted with vague faces, perhaps a reminder of the sheer volume of people in the city, parallel to Garner’s depiction of pedestrians in his Manchester cityscapes. This is a calming piece, contrasting to the movement within some of Garner’s Mancunian works – perhaps showing the difference in the pace of life between the two cities. It is undoubtedly Parisian, and parallel to Garner’s works of the UK, it provides a snapshot into everyday life in Paris, celebrating the mundane, anti-landmarks of the city, as opposed to only its famous monuments. These elements establish a certain honesty in Garner’s oeuvre, which is imbued with character and familiarity.

Based in his home studio in Stockport, Tim Garner is an artist who captures cityscapes through his own avant-garde lens. Inspired from his time living between Manchester and Paris, Garner works from photography and photo collage as his primary references, taking advantage of their visual immediacy and accuracy. Paint and cement are then used as a way of injecting emotive layers of meaning, forming Garner's distinctive style and flair. Through this process Garner has established his own visual language, which is imbued with character; this artwork would be a valuable asset for any contemporary art space, collection or home.