It is true to say that the character of an artist is expressed in the work they produce and this is particularly clear-cut in Jacob's oil paintings: his choice of subject matter is a direct reflection of his psyche, created in the austerity of
The Goose Farm (Cardiganshire); Wick Court Farm (Gloucestershire); Hill Farm and West Moor Farm (Pembrokeshire); Arlington Farm and Talton Mill Farm (Warwickshire) in persistently inclement weather over the past three years. Working in difficult
conditions is perhaps a necessary component of Jacob's artistic talent. This is particularly true of the long period of time he spent over the past decade in Afghanistan living with people in war-torn Kabul and its hinterland. The net result of
this
extraordinary adventure is an exquisite portfolio of charcoal drawings of people depicted in everyday life during a very difficult period in their history. His exquisite series of farm paintings also reflect his stoic perseverance: shaped by
the
elements of the four seasons, but with occasional respite, the environment is depicted from within - a window to the elements.
Akin to the seasons his subjects are fourfold: animals, pl==ants, places, people. It is neither easy nor
appropriate to pigeonhole the work of Jacob Sutton. It is what it is - natural - painted with acute observation. If humanity can be regarded as another species of animal, this would best explain the human expressions and movements encapsulated in
his
farm animals. There an is innocence about these depictions yet they are also humorous, lively, inquisitive, and often sad. The comical aspect springs from the hilarious way the subject matter attempts to evade artistic recording. This is
essentialised by a hen darting past the artist in full stride (Where has she gone?), a proud and playful gathering of hens (We have just laid an Egg), curiosity is certainly aroused in the face of a sheep (Sheep and Birds), and there is an apparent
melancholy in the frontal gaze of three cows (We have just been Milked).
Jacob Sutton's love of the environment is clear from the contextualization of all his animal subjects with their immediate setting: the farms on which they reside,
the
fields they graze in, and other wildlife with which they are naturally associated, notably birds. It is curious that a range of pictorial principles are used in which to achieve this, and I wonder how conscious this was in the mind of the
artist when
these paintings were conceived? In this sense, the most simplistic - but nonetheless effective - technique used in I'm having a Good Day and Talnot Hill Farm, and several other paintings. By using a background of contrast the
representations are
given a powerful sense of projection thus circumventing the need to create a receding background. In examples such as David's Sheep and Time I laid an Egg a foreground landscape is included combined with a contrasting background
to give an increment
of recession. A third solution is apparent in Behind us is David's Farmhouse, We are snowed in, and other works: effectively more features are added, such as farm buildings and sky to complete the full illusion of a receding
landscape. Thus we move
from projection to recession through the application of a range of simple but effective artistic permutations.
There are several instances in Jacob's work in which the window is used as an interface or portal to
move from the exterior
environment to the interior (The Farm Yard, Wick Court Farm Window and Clouds) and these usher in an emphasis on that part of the environment that beautifies a farmhouse: flowers and fruit. Thematically, this set of paintings
are the most vibrant
works and exhibit a striking palette range, accentuated by a range of background colours, and the verdant rendering of the flower bottle in all cases: from the simplistic charm of The Flowers to the almost electrifying
virtuosity of The Flowers of
Tenby. There is a beautiful but perhaps spartan softness to Jacob's paintings of fruit (Manorbier Fruit Bowl, The Fruit Bowl), evocative once again of an agrarian simplicity.
Dr Mark Merrony, May 2010
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