Stephen Finer - Merlyn Driver Recording and Other Paintings

Merlyn Driver recording and other paintings is Finer’s fourth exhibition at Art Space Gallery and, along with the usual group of anonymous subjects, there is a central character: the musician Merlyn Driver. Following a chance encounter an unexpected friendship took root that involved a professional collaboration with the painter painting the musician in the act of making his music. These ‘portraits of music’ form the core of this exhibition.

Some are dense and heavily painted, some more spontaneous, the paint laid on with a vigour and directness that probe the limits between representation and the abstract qualities of the paint itself. We may not always be able to identify individual features but there is a conspicuous and striking human presence.

Stephen Finer (b. 1949) has been exhibited regularly in London and abroad since the eighties, including several prestigious group shows at the National Portrait Gallery. His work is held in the permanent collections of the National Portrait Gallery, The British Council and Arts Council together with other museums and private collections in Great Britain and the USA.