Coast

The ArtSpace launched  'Coast' in Feburary 2007, looking at the British coastline. "It's a really atmospheric collection," says gallery co-owner Greg McGee, "There comes accompanied with the coast as subject matter all kinds of dangers of airbrushed, over romantic tweeness, but our artists each bring something unique to the table. Sure, there are a few crowd pleasers here, but there are a few more provocative pieces too."

Interestingly, it's not the provocative nature of some of the work but the inclusion of York based artist Malcolm Ludvigsen that has for now attracted the most grumblings. "It's fair to say that we've had a few people in over the last 2 weeks who claim to have had enough of seeing Ludvigsen's paintings around the city. There's Ludvigsen fatigue in York! But Malcolm's got nothing to apologise for."

One of the criticisms thrown at Ludvigsen is that he's 'too traditional': "I don't mind this at all," says the Professor of Mathematics turned worldwide selling oil painter, "I'd much rather do my own thing, traditional though it may be, than be original like everybody else. I simply paint the things I find visually interesting." Malcolm puts his commercial success down to the fact that they're painted en plein air, "Somebody once said that a brush stroke done in nature is worth twenty in the studio, and it's this that gives them their vibrancy."

Comercial success has brought a considerable amount of negative grumbling, with one local conceptual artist calling Malcolm's work 'pot boilers'. "Malcolm's at an intersting point in his career. He's gathering supporters in tandem with detractors - his work is ubiquitous, and he has a distinctive style that irritates certain people," says Greg, "Maybe it's the tall poppy thing."

"From a gallery's point of view, Malcolm is great to workn with," says co-owner Ails Denholm, "He's very professional, he's tirelessly sociable, and he's very prolific, and he's dependable: he turns up to drop work off or pick it up. His work is certainly collectable. He's upped the ante - he's everywhere because he puts the hours in, and sometimes he gets it just right. In a sense, he's a challenge to tother local artists - stop thinking about it, just do it. When he connects he's up there with local maters such as David Baumforth." York born David Baumforth shares the walls with Ludvigsen along with Baz Ward, Andy Fullalove, Rory Motion, Val Rolls, Anthony Ratcliffe and Mick Oxley."Baumforth is out there on his own. York gets to see his work far too seldom - there's a rage in there that isn't in Ludvigsen's, but that's all the more reason why they should shre the stage," says Ails.

"No pun intended, but Baumforth's really our flagship for the 'Coast' exhibition," says Greg, "He's an internationally established name, with support from Financial Times Art Critics, Sister Wendy Beckett and Jackdaw Magazine. He's also hilariously honest, a real old school character. And his work is pretty breathtaking: you can't fake conviction, and that's what he's got."

"I execute and present my pictures with all the professional sophisticated skill, feeling and vision that I can muster", says Baumforth, "those who paint purely for financial gain run the very real risk of severely compromising their worth."

"Baumforth and Ludvigsen are like the Lennon and McCartney in this exhibition, the Stanley and the Simmons" jokes Greg, "Light and dark. And their work is augmented even more by the other top notch artists we've got on board. Baz is a legend amongst York artists - Milladdio introduced him to us at one of our launch parties, his Bile Beans painting fromn the 1980s is a classic. We're honoured to include his work from his beautiful 'Staithes Series'.

South Yorkshireman Anthony Raytcliffe's large woodcut prints, handprinted in small editions, have proved to be the most successful from the exhibition so far. "These are deep, heavy statements of beauty,' says Greg, "We're happy to see people are snapping them up. People's tastes are perhaps changing in a more adventurous direction. The bracingly clement 'Day in Whitby' is from one of two women artists in the exhibition, Yorkshire born Val Rolls. "We've wanted to include her work for some time, and 'Coast' allows her to show off her skills with oil paint."

"Rory Motion is back with us - he's a sweetheart, a real Renaissance man. His pastel pieces on Staithes are gorgeous," says Ails. The ArtSpace is for the first time bringing in artists from outside Yorkshire. "Northumbrian Mick Oxley's seascapes flings brine from the walls. And Sheffield lad Andy Fullalove - genuine name bytheway - brings some calm to the waters with his Rothko-esque abstracts. there's a real community of artists in York, there has been for years, way before I thought of The ArtSpace," says Ails, "But it's good to bring in new blood to remind us all that standards have to stay high. Imports are just as vital as exports in York's artscene, and with Malcolmn selling his work in places as far flung as Mexico and Dubai, who know 's where we'll find our next artist."