Thornton Walker
Recent works 2006

It is about fourteen years since I was first introduced to Thornton Walker’s work. I remember a beautiful still life. A study of a single vessel, set against a richly textured background. Simple, still, silent: a strong image that lingers in my memory. The quiet persistence of his oeuvre remains, though the still life has shifted gear and has been invigorated with a new life.

The object for contemplation remains: still, silent and simple, but no longer a study in itself. It punctuates a space comprising layers of colour and brushstroke, richly worked to create a surface that swirls and shifts. Its solid, realistic form offers quiet respite on a surface which, unlike the image, is difficult to define or grasp.

- Fiona McIntosh, February 2004