The Art of Alan Gilderdale
Description:... "Alan Gilderdale painted consistently for over sixty years and, when he died in 2013, left a substantial body of work, most of it still in his studio. Gilderdale was much more interested in developing his art than his profile, and only a small fraction of his oevre was ever exhibited. As a result he is now better known as the illustrator of the bestselling Little Yellow Digger books than for his art. The aim of this website, and of the 2015 retrospective at Northart, is to rectify the balance, and to make the work of this highly trained and versatile Anglo/New Zealand artist more readily available. Flying under the radar had the virtue of allowing Gilderdale to constantly develop his work, rather than being tied to the dictates of fashion. He would work his way through a particular idea and, once satisfied, move on. His work was never painted with a meaning in mind. Rather he expected it to resonate with the viewer, leaving it open for each viewer to create their own meanings. Those who live with his works find that they reinvent themselves with each viewing. We hope you enjoy exploring this unique body of work. Over time, more images will be added to the galleries on this site so that it eventually represents the full range of Gilderdale's art. Nevertheless, the initial selection is still indicative of the trajectory of his work ."--Publisher website.
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