Artist Jeremy Houghton Sets Sail With His Latest Exhibition "Good Sport" + A High Profile Residency for the 2017 America's Cup
March 31, 2016
Themes of space, light, movement and time are central to British artist Jeremy Houghton’s work.
One of the most successful and collectible artists of his generation, Houghton’s resume is an impressive lineup of royal and sporting residencies including Artist in Residence to HM the Queen of England at Windsor Castle, Official BT Olympic Artist for the 2012 London games, official tour artist for the Aston Martin Centenary Tour of Europe, and Official Artist for the ‘Race Against Time’ to the North Pole.
In 2015, Houghton was commissioned to be the official artist in residence for Land Rover Ben Ainslie Racing’s America Cup challenge. Over the next year, he will chart Sir Ben and his team’s bid to bring the 2017 America’s Cup (the most prestigious race in sailing) home to England.
Diehl Gallery has been Houghton’s sole United States representative gallery since 2014, and we are thrilled to bring his work to New York in May of 2016 and again for a solo exhibition in Jackson Hole August 18-September 7.
Good Sport
The works presented in the Diehl Gallery “Good Sport” exhibition include a selection of paintings from his various residencies.
In addition to his skiing, sailing, equine, auto racing, and cycling works, he also composes extraordinary avian and ‘royals’ paintings, which were done during his residency at Windsor Castle.
The tradition of sporting art captures the emotion of competition, the joy of the win and the agony of a defeat, showing the struggle to maintain resolve in the face of overwhelming odds, pain and fatigue.
“When painting sports I aim for the representation of movement,” says Houghton. “To do this, I eliminate unnecessary detail and focus on the essentials of the composition. I also try and make my sporting work look timeless. Sport transcends generations, so I like my paintings to look like old photos and negatives to evoke a feeling of nostalgia.”
Houghton’s sense of movement is inherent in all of his works. So many artists don’t understand motion, but his use of it is thrilling and exhilarating. His works give the viewer a heady sense of action.
The America’s Cup
As artist in residence for Land Rover Ben Ainslie Racing’s America’s Cup challenge, Houghton will document the team’s bid to bring home the cup in 2017. “It’s the oldest international competition in the world,” says Houghton. “So to be part in its cultural legacy is very exciting.”
“When I paint boats and yachts, there is so much more than meets the eye,” he continues. “In the composition as well as the yachts and crew, I include the water, light, spray and reflections, so it’s a real feat of artistic possibilities.”
As an artist l try to avoid comfort zones, push the boundaries and further perceptual horizons. I have worked with world class athletes in many different fields, all who drive themselves to the limit. I hope my paintings capture this human sense of purpose, adding to the legacy of sport and adventure.”
An Icon of His Generation
With solo exhibitions at the Saatchi Gallery in London, the Everard Road Gallery in Johannesburg and the Ashmolean Museum in Broadway, Houghton is an international contemporary artist at the top of his career, and is poised to become an icon of his generation.
For more about Jeremy and his work, visit http://www.jeremyhoughton.co.uk
Back to Blog