Expression inspired by life on the edge
By the time you read this, Kane Cunningham's cliff-top home might be little more than rubble.
His property – perched at Knipe Point, Scarborough – has been slowly heading towards the waves, thanks to steady coastal erosion.
The artist remains philosophical – when he bought the property for £3,000 in 2010, he knew its ultimate fate.
"I'm in a state of shock or excitement," he said, having been told, shortly before our conversation, that the local council had ordered its demolition.
CAR KEYS AND REMOTES "FREE REMOTE KEY FOB BATTERY" 01482 423414 ...
Peace Of Mind Security Hull Ltd/Hull Car Keys
View details
FOR ALL YOUR CAR KEY NEEDS CALL US NOW ON
01482 423414
SNAPPED KEYS, LOST KEYS, KEYS LOCKED IN VEHICLES,
EXTRA KEYS
WE ALSO REPAIR 90% OF ALL REMOTES AND KEYS, NO FIX NO CHARGE.
Terms: FREE REMOTE KEY FOB BATTERY ONE PER CUSTOMER
Contact: 01482 423414
Valid until: Friday, May 31 2013
"This is a moment I knew was coming for the past three years."
Rather than a place for dwelling, the bungalow was part of an art project known as The House.
The location has been the place for Kane to stage events such as The Last Supper.
Held in 2010, the event saw 12 guests, including MP Clare Short, gathering to discuss issues including the environment and the global economy.
Over the past three years it has also proved a link to his landscape paintings – now being shown at Hull's Studio Eleven – in that all his art draws parallels between places and people.
Among the works being shown in the exhibition, Revealing The Landscape, is a painting of his beloved Spurn Point.
"It is such a beautiful part of the landscape to watch the ebb and flow of the tide and to imagine a narrative," said Kane.
"It has always been a place for trade from Europe along the estuary, and for people travelling on to America.
"All these things were in my mind as I was painting this. My work is not just about capturing the clouds, it is about getting a feel for the place before you begin painting."
Once he has started, Kane can find himself blocking out any other distractions.
"With that particular painting, I'd become so absorbed that I did not realise a deer was standing next to me," he said.
"It had been watching me paint."
His landscapes form part of a collection produced for Scarborough Art Gallery in 2011, in response to the east coast landscape from the Tees down to Spurn Point.
All were produced outdoors over a two-year period.
Kane's work – described by Studio Eleven as "expressive, energetic, bold and elemental" – is being shown alongside paintings by the Oxfordshire artist Karen Clarke.
The show, which runs until Sunday, March 3, is accompanied by new work from ceramicists Trudy Weir and Penny Withers. It also includes other work from gallery artists.
"Hull is developing a really great arts scene, so I am pleased to be involved in this exhibition," said Kane, who lectures in fine art in Scarborough.
"Some of my former students have set up studios there – and I can sense the same ambition the city felt in the early 1970s. It is an exciting vibe."
Comments