Home Alone

We had an invitation to the preview of a dog art exhibition by Gavin Watson  We had a peek at the gallery the day before as we walked past the gallery on our late night walk. And we couldn’t wait to see Gavin again. So on Wednesday evening, we hurried along to the PreviewOur friend, Rebecca greeted us – and told us that there are bone-shaped biscuits but sadly they were not for pooches! 🙁

Seems like the humans are eating our regular bone-shaped treats!Oh, never mind. We’re here for more esoteric matters …
Gavin Watson’s interpretation of our secret lives when we are home alone. Now, how would he know?Gavin, what do you think George and I will get up to when we’re left alone?  Maybe some day we will see what he knows about us.

Do you the some of them go to their owner’s dressing table and put on the string of pearls?
Oh hello, Spotty!You’re real. Is this you?Running giddily down the hallway?Do all dogs run down the hallway when they’re home alone? Obviously not. This tends to be us.And these guys are probably doing what they’re not allowed to.Uh-oh! He stole someone’s doll!  Time for a good chew!

May’s comment: We were invited to the private view of Gavin Watson‘s new exhibition at Jonathan Cooper Gallery.

“Dogs bring joy to our lives, offer companionship and protection, and make a house a home. There can be fewer greater pleasures in life than returning home to the exuberant greeting of an affectionate pooch. While cats are sometimes accused of aloofness and inscrutability, a dog’s delight is always plain to see in the furious wagging of a tail. Yet for all this easy openness, one mystery remains: just what do our dogs do all day, alone at home?

This is the question that the fertile imagination of Gavin Watson has explored over the past two years. Viewing the world from a dog’s eye view, Watson leads us through a diverse spectrum of emotions, from boredom to expectancy, melancholy and contentment. His light-filled paintings playfully reference a deep and diverse range of sources, from literature and art history to popular culture, and are populated by a loveable and idiosyncratic cast of characters, imbued with the artist’s signature warmth and humour, these works are the product of deep meditation and meticulous craftsmanship, yet always wear their learning lightly. Above all, they make one thing clear: when we are with our canine companions, we are never alone.”

I would so love to have Gavin do my two pooches one day.  But I first need wall space. His works are best on a larger scale. But I have seen those little portraits as well, but setting our sight on one large piece of the two of them with Gavin’s touch of imagination and humour of what they could be doing when left alone at home.

We have met Gavin last year, and hope one day something will come out of it. George being his usual self.Darcy, always the ready model.

The Home Alone exhibition at Jonathan Cooper Gallery is from the 2-25 February.