Sarah Medway - the River Series

During the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020–2021, Sarah Medway, a London-based painter, created a series of twenty-eight oil paintings that capture the diverse dynamics, rhythms, and energy of the River Thames. The paintings, which reference 20th-century modernist movements, feature abstract representations of the river's ripples, bubbles, eddies, and currents. Medway's lyrical and often graphic approach to painting results in a vibrant interplay between pattern and color. The book, published by Anomie Publishing, includes an introductory text by critic and writer Sue Hubbard and an in-person conversation between Medway and writer, editor, and curator Anna McNay. The hardback publication is designed and produced by Peter B. Willberg and features an illustrated chronology documenting Medway's life and career.

Format: Hardback
Length: 88 pages
Publication date: 05 April 2022
Publisher: Anomie Publishing

in London. Her second publication from Anomie Publishing, titled "The River Thames," is a captivating exploration of the iconic river. The book showcases a series of twenty-eight oil paintings created during the COVID-19 lockdowns of 2020-2021, capturing the essence of the Thames through the artist's abstract painting style.

Medway's paintings evoke a sense of beauty, terror, power, allure, and danger, reflecting the diverse dynamics, rhythms, and energy of the river. Through the use of abstract painting techniques, she captures the ripples, bubbles, eddies, currents, reflections, and refractions of the Thames, employing sinuous lines, ellipses, spots, dots, loops, flecks, and swirls to convey these elements. The artist draws inspiration from 20th-century modernist movements such as De Stijl, Tachisme, and post-war American Abstract Expressionism, infusing her own lyrical and often graphic approach into her portrayal of the river.

The paintings in "The River Thames" exhibit a vivid interplay between pattern and color, evoking the musical resonances found in an orchestral score. They range from joyous and playful to brooding and menacing, yet always moving, in flux, and traveling onward towards the sea. An introductory text by critic and writer Sue Hubbard provides insights into the series, exploring how the paintings engage with the qualities and complexities of the river. An in-person conversation between Medway and writer, editor, and curator Anna McNay delves deeper into the artist's life and work, shedding light on her creative processes and the philosophical underpinnings behind her paintings.

The publication is meticulously designed and produced by Peter B. Willberg, featuring a foil-blocked, cloth-bound hardback format with a special dustjacket. Additionally, an illustrated chronology documents Medway's life and career, showcasing her artistic journey from early beginnings to the present day.

Sarah Medway's "The River Thames" is a remarkable testament to the power of art to capture the essence of a natural wonder. Through her abstract painting style, she invites viewers to explore the beauty, terror, power, allure, and danger of the Thames, offering a fresh perspective on this iconic river.

Dimension: 260 x 245 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781910221303