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As
one of the South West's leading contemporary artists, Kurt Jacspends
his time exploring and painting the rugged countryside and coastline
of the Land's End Peninsula.
Kurt
Jackson's highly individual landscapes are much prized in the art
world, and can fetch up to £40,000 a canvas.
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| Kurt
at work in Cornwall |
Kurt
made Cornwall his home in 1984 after he'd graduated from University
and travelled extensively around the world.
He
studied Zoology, not art, but found that painting allowed him to
better express his love of the natural world.
A new
TV series 'A Picture of Britain' takes Kurt Jackson on a journey
around Cornwall and explores how the landscapes of the area have
inspired his work over the last 20 years.
On
location
Some
of Kurt Jackson's favourite subjects are the valleys, moorland and
coast near to his West Cornwall home which he returns to repeatedly
in his paintings.
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| Working
off the Cornish coast |
Jackson
prefers the outdoor life to that of being cocooned in a studio.
He explores the South West carrying his paints, sketchbooks and
canvases.
He
has trekked St. Michaels Way, an ancient pilgrim route running from
Lelant in St Ives bay to Marazion in Mounts Bay, resulting in a
series of 172 drawings.
By
painting outdoors and on location Kurt feels he can immerse himself
in the landscape and weather.
Kurt
tries to capture through his work his feelings and sense of awareness
of the particular environment he is painting, rather than fleeting
impressions.
To
get a real sense of place, he regularly paints large canvases of
3 metres x 2 metres out on the cliff tops, weighted down by granite
boulders.
When
working back in his studio, Kurt will produce hundreds of sketches
of the location he wants to paint.
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| Kurt
Jackson in front of one of his pieces of work |
Kurt
will also incorporate debris and found objects from the scene into
his canvases - he feels that it helps him to capture the essence
of the location.
He
is also not afraid to write directly onto his canvases. Words and
phrases that spring to his mind whilst painting find themselves
incorporated into the piece.
Protecting
the countryside
As
Jackson is so immersed in the landscape, he is sensitive to the
threats it faces. Kurt is a committed and active environmental campaigner,
and often gives paintings to charities to help them raise funds
to protect the landscape he so loves.
Jackson
has been artist in residence at the Glastonbury Festival for the
past seven years. The work he produces is auctioned off for environmental
charities at the end of the festival.
You
can see Kurt Jackson's vision of Cornwall as part of the 'A Picture
of Britain' series on Wednesday 8 June at 10.40pm on BBC One South
West.
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