Art Diary
Flights of Fancy
Most of us will know Welshman Bryan Evans as the artist who, through his much-loved prints, has brought colour and gaiety to our city streets. Dingy tenement closes, ignored by all but the inhabitants or the occasional passing film noir director, have been given an intriguing air of romance, a sense of mystery and premonition. There is often something grand and cinematic about Evans’ specific interpretation of this rather run-down subject matter. Beauty is everywhere and each artist must render it in his own distinct way. One of the first etchings I ever bought at that lovely wee city-centre gallery ‘Art Exposure’ was of a rather seedy staircase, which Evans somehow managed to turn into a nostalgic almost attractive image of my youth. Over the years, and judging by record sales figures, his work has become a ready antidote to the alienation and misery of urban life. And although he was born and bred on a farm surrounded by the breathtaking scenery of Pembrokeshire he has gladly forsaken the rural idyll for the city in all its facets. “It was my visit to Glasgow to study at the School of Art that made me realise that I was a city boy at heart. Since then I have lived in a succession of city tenements, drawn to the communal life they offer.”
