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REUBEN COLLEY<br />
<strong>REMNANT</strong>
REUBEN COLLEY FINE ART<br />
remnant/ˈrɛmnənt/noun<br />
“A part or quantity that is left after a greater part has been used, removed or destroyed.<br />
A surviving trace”.<br />
Life moves forward, time relentlessly ticks away and we all continue about our daily business.<br />
Meanwhile our surroundings are constantly evolving. Everywhere we look there is evidence of<br />
the passing of time. Dated architecture which, having lost its purpose, is now being redeveloped;<br />
somewhere which has been neglected enough for nature to repossess; some 20th century graffiti on<br />
beautiful Victorian masonry; or simply a tree stump in the middle of the woods.<br />
Whilst painting this collection I became interested in what motivates us to do the things we do,<br />
to create and destroy. I am sure that Paradise Circus was once a brave new development, but it<br />
hasn’t stood the test of time. Lee Bank Business Centre was designed for manufacturing and is now<br />
destined to become residential. Businesses come and go.<br />
What motivates somebody to access highly inaccessible places in order to render a piece of graffiti?<br />
Why do we cut down a tree? Regardless of significance, there are remnants of the past everywhere,<br />
and there is a story to accompany all of them.<br />
<strong>Reuben</strong> <strong>Colley</strong><br />
Tuesday 7th November – Saturday 2nd December 2017<br />
<strong>REMNANT</strong><br />
REUBEN COLLEY FINE ART<br />
REUBEN COLLEY FINE ART<br />
Foreword<br />
Birmingham’s urban landscape has never stood still. Shaped by the industrial revolution in the<br />
REUBEN COLLEY FINE ART<br />
18th century, and then by Victorian city-builders, it is still a building site, and perhaps always will<br />
be. For more than two hundred years, artists have been recording the changing face of the city,<br />
building upon the legacy of Samuel Lines who immortalised early 19th century Birmingham and<br />
fostered what became known as the ‘Birmingham School’ of landscape painters.<br />
The Impressionist movement legitimised ordinary city life as a subject for fine art, and in the 20th<br />
century, urban decay increasingly became a focus for artists. In Birmingham, the Lockwoods<br />
recorded the demolition of factories, and photographer Phyllis Nicklin captured a snapshot of a<br />
city in transition in the 1960s. Further north, Lowry was producing his iconic images of working<br />
class city life. Birmingham also bred artists who observed urban environments around the world.<br />
John Salt, born in Birmingham, pioneered the photorealist school in the United States and became<br />
celebrated for his paintings of abandoned vehicles.<br />
Exhibition sponsors<br />
Born in Hodge Hill, <strong>Reuben</strong> <strong>Colley</strong> spent his childhood playing in scrubland between high rise<br />
tower blocks, and cycling in the shade of the Aston Expressway. Over the last 20 years, <strong>Colley</strong> has<br />
firmly established himself within the Birmingham topographical tradition. In his paintings of<br />
the urban landscape, he draws upon some of modern art’s most powerful movements, including<br />
impressionism, photorealism and even pop art. The ordinary, the commonplace, the neglected, the<br />
abandoned: great art can, and should, be made of these things.<br />
Front cover: ‘Paradise’, Oil on Canvas, 122 x 99 cm<br />
Henrietta Lockhart
Fletchers Walk I, Oil on Canvas, 50 x 40 cm
Fletchers Walk II, Oil on Canvas, 50 x 40 cm
Paradise, Oil on Canvas, 122 x 99 cm
Paradise Lost I, Oil on Canvas, 76 x 61 cm
Paradise Lost II, Oil on Canvas, 76 x 61 cm
Mass House Pillar, Oil on Canvas, 51 x 46 cm
Mass House Pillars Diptych, Oil on Canvas, 80 x 56 cm
Red Lee Bank Business Centre, Oil on Canvas, 76 x 61 cm
Yellow Lee Bank Business Centre, Oil on Canvas, 76 x 61 cm
127 Aldridge Road, Oil on Canvas, 40 x 25 cm
Duddeston Viaduct, Oil on Canvas, 25 x 40 cm
The Birmingham Arms, Oil on Canvas, 25 x 40 cm
Stumps, Oil on Canvas, 138 x 115 cm
The Sculpture, Oil on Canvas, 138 x 115 cm
The Butts (Study), Oil on Canvas, 26 x 21 cm
The Butts, Oil on Canvas, 76 x 61 cm
The Footbridge, Oil on Canvas, 76 x 61 cm
The Bridge, Oil on Canvas, 76 x 61 cm
The White Diamond, Oil on Canvas, 76 x 61 cm
Sane, Oil on Canvas, 76 x 61 cm
Moseley In Bloom, Oil on Canvas, 76 x 61 cm
Moseley Rail, Oil on Canvas, 50 x 40 cm
Bridge 83, Dark Tunnel, Oil on Canvas, 76 x 61 cm
Bridge 83, Light Tunnel, Oil on Canvas, 76 x 61 cm
The Drome, Oil on Canvas, 40 x 25 cm
Tickets-Parcels, Longbridge, Oil on Canvas, 40 x 25 cm
The Knife and Fork, Oil on Canvas, 40 x 25 cm
KPMG is delighted to be supporting <strong>Reuben</strong> <strong>Colley</strong> on his latest exhibition - Remnant.<br />
As a UK leading provider of professional services, including audit, tax and advisory specialisms - KPMG<br />
is committed to the Midlands, with offices in central Birmingham, Nottingham and Leicester. Our<br />
Birmingham office, which is our largest in the UK outside London, underlines this commitment. Set in the<br />
heart of the Colmore Business District and close to Snowhill and Birmingham New Street rail stations, the<br />
office is home to over 40 partners and 1,000 staff.<br />
We pride ourselves in our ability to support businesses ranging from SMEs to PLCs, including the<br />
successful individuals behind them. Everything we do at KPMG is about unlocking potential, whether it’s<br />
for our clients, our people, our suppliers or our wider communities.<br />
REUBEN COLLEY FINE ART<br />
<strong>REMNANT</strong><br />
REUBEN COLLEY FINE ART<br />
Our people are at the heart of everything we do. They are our greatest asset, helping us to stand out from<br />
the crowd and help our vision to become the clear choice for our clients in a constantly evolving landscape.<br />
KPMG provides a leading tax advisory service to some of the region’s most prominent entrepreneurs and<br />
families. Given ever increasing complexity and change in the UK tax system, taxpayers are increasingly<br />
keen to ensure that their tax affairs are properly reported to HMRC, and that they understand the<br />
implications of these legislative developments upon diverse matters such as family inheritance, business<br />
sales, as well as investment and philanthropic activities. Our Private Client Advisory team can expertly<br />
support across all personal tax matters.<br />
REUBEN COLLEY FINE ART<br />
For more information on how we can help you, please contact our Tax Partner, Marc Abrams today on<br />
07825 316 668 or via marc.abrams@kpmg.co.uk<br />
REUBEN COLLEY FINE ART<br />
Karl Edge<br />
Midlands Chairman<br />
Catalogue Design: mauvedesign.co.uk
REUBEN COLLEY FINE ART<br />
REUBEN COLLEY FINE ART<br />
REUBEN COLLEY FINE ART<br />
<strong>Reuben</strong> <strong>Colley</strong> Fine Art<br />
85-89 Colmore Row, Birmingham, B3 2BB<br />
T: 0121 236 0920<br />
www.reubencolleyfineart.co.uk<br />
info@reubencolleyfineart.co.uk<br />
@RCFA_Gallery<br />
Catalogue: £12.00