Nathan Eastwood: Work / Recreation / Freedom

Nathan Eastwood, winner of the inaugural East London Painting Prize, presents his solo exhibition Work / Recreation / Freedom at the Nunnery Gallery from 10 October to 21 December.
The East London Painting Prize has been created by The Legacy List, the charity of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park with the Goldhill Family, Zabludowicz Collection, and in association with Bow Arts, to honour the life and work of painter and philanthropist Jack Goldhill, and commemorates his major contributions to the east End. 
Eastwood was announced as the first winner of the East London Painting Prize in May 2014. Selected from over 300 submissions by artists from across east London, Nathan received a life changing £10,000 prize and the solo exhibition at the Nunnery Gallery. 
Nathan Eastwood lives in Newham and has a studio in Bethnal Green. He graduated from Byam Shaw School of Fine Art in 2009, and has gone on to exhibit in a range of shows including the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition (2013), Contemporary British Painting at The Crypt, St Marylebone (2013); and Towards a New Socio-Painting, a Transition Gallery touring show this year.
Drawing inspiration from the Kitchen Sink Painters of the 1950s, Eastwood’s paintings describe small moments in everyday life in meticulous detail, from cleaning the bathroom to mulling thoughts over a cup of tea. Layering humbrol enamel paint on board and a grey palate, Nathan builds up layers of paint to create images which are both photorealistic, yet riddled with imperfections of trapped dust and hair and loose brushwork.
Eastwood said: “Winning the East London Painting Prize has been a huge boost, I’ve been able to invest a much larger proportion of time in painting and producing new works which are larger in scale.
“At certain moments, when making the bed, walking around in public spaces, noticing rubbish scattered around, picking up the kids from school, surfing the internet, and watching question time, I thinks yes, this is real life. Real life in the sense of repetition of the same actions again and again; activities and places visited. This is what I know and so this is what I want to paint.  The paintings have become allegorical of the domestic and particular public spaces. The participation via social websites and the accessibility of a variety of political positions permeates this experience of the everyday. Today the living room has become a voting booth.
I am really proud to present my solo show at the Nunnery Gallery, it’s an incredible opportunity.

Claire Gevaux, Head of Creative Programmes of The Legacy List said:
Nathan’s work evokes the character and life of east London, and we’re delighted to have been able to support this next stage in his career through the East London Painting Prize. We wish him every success for the exhibition, and his future career.

Rosamond Murdoch, Director of the Nunnery Gallery said:
Our upcoming exhibition of Nathan’s work Work / Recreation / Freedom refers to his observations about the relationship to work and how we simulate rituals within the space of spare time.  Nathan’s work isn’t necessarily looking at the conventional workplace, but domestic and sometimes leisure spaces.  To me this speaks of a typically urban concern which rounds off the Nunnery Gallery’s Year of the East London Painting with alacrity.

Michael Goldhill, representative of the Goldhill Family said:
The selection of Nathan Eastwood as winner of the first East London Painting Prize is testament to the Goldhill Family’s desire to support artists at all stages of their careers. My father would have been a proud advocate of the panel’s choice, and I’m looking forward to seeing more of his work in the forthcoming show.

Exhibition Details
Nathan Eastwood: Work / Recreation / Freedom
Nunnery Gallery, Bow Road, London E3 2SJ
Private View 9 October (6-9pm) RSVP media@bowarts.com
10 October  –  21 December 2014
Open Tuesday  –  Sunday, 10am – 5pm 
Admission free
www.bowarts.org
Supporting the Prize
The Goldhill Family
The Goldhill Family inspired the prize with their wish to commemorate the life of Jack Goldhill.  A property developer and philanthropist, Goldhill was one of the chief figures in the post-second world war reconstruction of Britain and fittingly, the regeneration of the war damaged east end.  A keen amateur artist himself, Goldhill’s name is synonymous with arts philanthropy in the UK. He was a major benefactor to national cultural institutions, supporting over 70 charitable organisations for more than four decades including the Royal Academy of Arts and the Princes Drawing School.
Zabludowicz Collection
Founded in 1994, Zabludowicz Collection brings emerging art to new audiences and supports arts organisations and artists. This dynamic and growing collection spans 40 years of art from the 1970s to today, and exhibits in permanent venues in the UK, USA and Finland. The Collection’s activities are shaped by an ethos of philanthropy and a commitment to engaging with local contexts and communities. www.zabludowiczcollection.com
The Legacy List
The Legacy List is a founding partner of the East London Painting Prize. They are an independent charity for Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, set up in 2011 to support the legacy of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Legacy List develop, commission and support high quality art, education and skill building initiatives to engage, educate and inspire current and future generations. www.thelegacylist.org.uk
Bow Arts
Bow Arts supports community renewal in east London. It was established as an educational arts charity in 1996 based in east London, where it supports a community of over 400 artists with affordable, secure, creative workspace in the heart of London’s Artist Quarter.  Alongside this, Bow Arts manages one of the country’s most exciting education programmes, which takes world-class artists into schools to improve the lives and learning of children and young people.  Bow Arts runs the Nunnery Gallery, a contemporary art gallery, which supports a diverse range of local, national and international exhibitions and events as well as the delivery of public art commissions.  www.bowarts.org
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