George Kan
George says, "The crab series of paintings has been going on for over a decade. It's very much influenced by the many crab shells collected over the years and housed in the family bathroom, and in the grandparents' bathroom."
"I'm interested in the peaceful ritual of beachcombing and shell collecting and the opportunity this creates to reconnect with nature and the natural self, its traditions, the satisfaction in its repetition, and the joy of discovery. Beach Combing and collecting is a British tradition. Queen Victoria herself had a large collection of natural history pieces and beach combed items at Osborne house on the Isle of Wight."
The Crab focused pieces were some of the first works George sold professionally, whilst studying in London, and he has been exhibiting them in Seaview Art Gallery since 2012.
**Below this profile is a selection of Available and Sold works by this artist. Just click on one of the 'Shop Available Artwork' buttons to go to the shop and browse ALL available pieces : )
Artists, like Paul Nash and the British surrealists in the 1930s were looking at pieces of driftwood, imagining them as alive, and photographing them – it had a real influence on painting and sculpture at that time. George has always been intrigued by the wide and diverse coastal flotsam and jetsam brought in or removed by every tide and the resulting ever-changing environment teeming with life and beauty.
George often paints the edible crab, repetitively and religiously, it makes him think of dressed crab salad. At Bembridge they used to throw all the shells from the restaurant back into the sea – which was strange for the beachcomber because you'd suddenly find a whole bunch of polished shells, gleaming in the muddy sand.
George splits his time between New York, London, and the Isle of Wight. Commissions can be booked, to be worked on when he is in the UK. Please contact the Gallery for more information.
