Alexander Pemberton's Certain half-deserted streets is on display between the 1st-23rd April at Chappel Galleries. 'Lane to the sea, Normandy 2001'. The building in sunlight on the left juts into the picture. It is physically felt as a material presence, supported by the dark tree and the exact shadow on the road with a lone figure on its boundary. Alexander has been painting the Thames near where he lives for a considerable time. He paints on the spot and he also paints in the studio. Returning to the same subject again and again makes the picture dense and substantial. Very often there is a large expanse of water. It seems to have stillness, almost a silence which breaks into a flurry of notes, usually gathering of architectural detail. There are some beautiful gouaches which capture the light and freshness of foreign places. In all he paints very personal pictures. Their simplicity makes them strong and finely tuned. | 
