Timothy Spall, A Soft and Brutal Debate (2023)
courtesy Pontone Gallery
Timothy Spall, the star of arty biopics such as Mr Turner and Mrs Lowry and Son, is not just a veteran film star. He’s also making his mark in the art world (for real) with a second show, Winter Sun (until 23 December), opening at the Pontone Gallery in Mayfair, London (his first show opened there in 2021). The exhibition comprises “15 startling landscapes, each priced at £4,500, that are more than a little Turner-esque”, says the Sunday Times. The gallery says that Spall uses a subdued palette, with a tonal emphasis, which serves to describe the effect of light. Spall himself says that painting became an obsession in 2019 on the set of Mrs Lowry and Son when he played the popular Lancashire painter. But in typical British style, he is self-deprecating about his art. “I’m very aware that I’ve jumped a few queues. That people may think I’m just a poncey actor who’s got a hobby,” he quips.
