Light and Landscape

Willem van Goor paints the partnership between light, landscape and human endeavor of the most western region of Mayo: Achill, Ballycroy, The Mullet.

He comes from a long tradition of Dutch landscape painters. Born and bred on the river in a provincial town in which his ancestors had a shipbuilding business, the magic of the river put a spell on him: the light, the currents, the force of water.

In Achill he found light that was both familiar and foreign. Familiar in the sense that he recognises the play between water and sky, but foreign in how an innocent looking quiet environment can erupt into sudden destructive violence. Amidst this beautiful but almost hostile landscape we see the bits and pieces that make up human habitation: the houses, outbuildings, extensions, barns and walls.

Willem's paintings depict this light in compositions that are built up by putting down layer upon layer of thinly applied colour. It shows the light as it comes to us: filtered through layers of ozone, water, dust particles and pollutants; so devoid of colour and so light it hurts the eye.

Technique: acrylic on board.

Click on a painting to view an enlargement.

Photographer  Willem Vermaase.