Festival of Colour and Sound
KEITH GENTLE EXHIBITION
The exhibition of Keith Gentle's paintings at the Church of St. Cyriac and St. Julitta demonstrated the skill and talent of an artist who manages to show sensitivity and romance without dipping a toe into sentimentality. Perhaps it is his draughtsmanship that first draws attention, but the subtle treatment of mellow pastel shades is very enjoyable. Ancient civilisations first echoed nature in architecture by depicting vegetable forms on columns; after all, the first columns were trees. In one painting here, Keith Gentle cleverly explored a related theme in the transition of fan vaulting of Kings College Chapel to actual tree forms. He paints what his mind sees and some of his vistas relate to well loved buildings in imaginative ways, initially puzzling, then interesting and entertaining. His paintings appeal at different levels, and the exhibition was a treat of too short a duration, in a superb and very appropriate setting. Many of the paintings were sold to lucky viewers for their continuing pleasure.