Above the Blue City

An Exhibition of Landscape paintings and Still lives by Ruth Sallon.

Ruth Sallon is a local painter born and raised in Cricklewood somewhere along the 16 bus route. She still lives in North London, but has since changed bus routes.

The exhibition explores the undervalued park landscapes of London. Parks such as Waterlow Park, with its breathtaking views over the panorama of our “blue city”. Other parks featured in this show include Regents Park, Kew Gardens and Hampstead Heath.

Ruth Sallon likes to paint Autumn landscapes because she is in love with colour, but is also drawn to the brilliant yellows of willows in Springtime. Small figures flitting along lonely paths add a subtle narrative theatricality to her paintings. She often deliberately shrinks the scale of these figures to lend monumental drama to the scene. Reflections which serve to break down the picture surface, and allow the observer to enter into other layers of perception, are also a dominant theme in her work.

Where possible, Ruth Sallon likes to work from direct observation in the open air, with her bulky painting equipment squeezed into a customised Argos shopping trolley. She uses acrylic paints as they are quick drying and enable the painting to progress rapidly. The dramatic elements in her landscapes are further developed in her still life paintings. They are like miniature stage sets, in which she explores the theatricality of the everyday. A carnivalesque iconography, totemic dolls in ritualised settings, bold decorations and brilliant colours evoke the celebratory styles of traditional shrines.

You can see more of Ruth Sallon's work on her website and on her instagram. The opening night is open to the public.