OLIVER BEVAN

FRENCH SKIPPING

Beyond the Game

Jump, (Fountain)

Jump, Dappled Light

oil on canvas 91 x 91 cm

oil on canvas 91 x 91 cm

oil on canvas 68 x 73 cm

Under the Plane Tree

oil on canvas 91 x 65 cm

Leap,(Arches)

oil on canvas 71 x 91 cm

Jump, (Against t he Light)

Leap, (Pink Shirt)

oil on canvas 46 x 38 cm

oil on canvas 76 x 61 cm

I have lived in Uzès in the South of France since 2001. These pictures are amongst the first that I painted here. My studio was in a loft which overlooks the Place aux Herbes, a large, arcaded space which draws people out of the surrounding maze of mediaeval streets to see what events, markets or entertainments are happening. My daughters and their friends are seen here skipping "à l'élastique", a natural extension for me of the London playground series. In these paintings the surrounding space, and above all the light, enfold the children's game.