Jen Orpin, We Left Nothing Behind at Union Gallery, November 2024 – Rather looking forward to seeing these pieces in the flesh as it were, all the play of Motorway City and do we view paintings of motorways in the flesh? More Saturday afternoon East London new exhibition cherry picking and we’ve already been to that rather fine Carol Robertson and Trevor Sutton show at The Grey Gallery, now we’re cutting across the Hackney Road for the afternoon opening of Jen Orpin’s new show at Union

– “Union Gallery is pleased to present our We Left Nothing Behind solo exhibition, by Manchester based painter, Jen Orpin. The artist’s captivating motorway paintings embody memory, travel and the intrinsic connections that shape our journeys” –

Good things were expected, the advance publicity had promised, on-line images had us more than hopeful and yes, of course the paintings live up to it all. These are beautiful paintings, strangely emotional paintings, if you can find passion in motorway bridges, in the creamy yellow glow of concrete, the solitude of an open road, the magic those roads can sometimes lead to or maybe just the magic they be, if you can find passion in all that then that passion is here.

These really are special paintings, the light, the atmosphere, the space, the time, the stillness of time. The absence of people does of course add to it all, the lack of traffic, the lack of movement, the stillness, the contemplation. These are paintings to just drink in, to just stand there with, they are beautifully painted, be it the motorways of England or the sun-drench roads and creamy curves of Los Angeles, there is just so much beauty here (that yellow one deserves an extra mention).

And there are so many questions to ask the artist about the why and wherefores, about the method as well as the motive but then do we really want to know any of that? Do we really want the answers more than we want the questions to linger? Do we want to just be left to engage solely with the paintings, with the roads, with the landscapes, with the prompting, the reflections, with the idea of going somewhere, of the places we’ve already been? These really are beautiful paintings. The beauty of urban landscape, the beauty of colour, the beauty of place, just beautiful emotional paintings.

As with the previously mentioned Carol Robertson and Trevor Sutton show, this really really is worth going to see. Sometimes words aren’t really needed, sometimes it is just about the pure pleasure of walking in to a gallery and just standing there and quietly enjoying paint, paintings and painters. This was a well spent Saturday afternoon, do go to this oen if you have the chance. (sw)

Union Gallery is found at 94 Teesdale Street, Bethnal Green, London, E2 6PU. The gallery is open midday until 6pm Tuesday to Saturday. The Gallery’s own photos of the works are here

www.jenorpinpaintings.co.uk

Previously at Union – Susie Green’s Play Time at East London’s Union Gallery – they do demand a smile and yes, the colours are far far brighter than those that usually fill the darker world of dominance and submission..

As always, do please click on an image to see the whole thing and to run the side show