© Bucks Fine Arts Fletcher Sibthorp links: www.Fletchersibthorp.com Bucks Fine Art Gallery Egart Gallery Carole Edrich reviews

Carole Edrich talks to the thirty something painter with a reputation for capturing the body in motion and dance/flamenco in particular...

As a student, Umberto Boccioni’s sculpture ‘Unique Forms of Continuity in Space’ spoke to Fletcher Sibthorp of a figure moving through ether and time. He started thinking how marvellous it would be to distil movement on paper in the same way. He does it well; even when his models are depicted at rest his paintings convey a sense of energy. When they’re shown moving, the fire, discipline, dedication and passion that they bring to their dance is wonderfully clear.

In his last term at university Fletcher produced a series of paintings on sport that concentrated particularly on gymnasts and rhythmic gymnasts. It culminated in an exhibition that was so successful in showing motion, the body’s curves and what he calls ‘the body’s natural flow’ that he was commissioned to produce paintings on dance as a result. He was asked to do a piece for the Royal Ballet and from that came a request from Sadlers Wells to paint an image for Paco Peña’s group. What he produced for that was quite abstract and wasn’t used, but he was invited to the photo shoot which resulted in ‘Flamenco Gold’ which is on the cover of Jason Webster’s book “Duende: A Journey In Search Of Flamenco”
 

Fletcher Sibthorp at the opening of his show
© Bucks Fine Arts

He has worked with famous flamenco dancers like Joaquin Cortes, Sara Baras and Eva Yerbabuena but often feels more drawn to members of the supporting troupe than the star. Whether the Principal is actually in the painting or not, their style shines through, instantly identifiable for everyone to see. Fletcher says that flamenco came first for a number of reasons. The dresses flow so beautifully and so much of the human form can be shown beneath. The movements and flow of flamenco also attract him, as do the elegance and expression of hands and faces and the intensity of the dance.

Whether they are contemporary, ballet or flamenco, his dancers are all beautiful. Not in the conventional, soft, weak sense and not like voluptuous dizzy blondes but as strong and purposeful women who have talent, a tangible presence and finely honed skill borne from years of discipline. Talking about selecting dancers to paint, he says “I love the physicality of dance, if a dancer has an athleticism and presence, a definition or preciseness of movements and if they make a good shape I’ll photograph it, make studies from the photos and then the final work will come from them.” I think he particularly likes painting women with that dark, soft, quiet strength that is so often found in good flamenco bailaoras (female dancers). I know he appreciates such qualities, because although I only met her for a very short time, they’re easy to see in his wife.

As I entered his latest exhibition my attention was grabbed by the two pictures to my right. ‘Steps’ and ‘The Rail’ are in dark colours with dancers working on a rail in shadow. They’re elegant, intent on their dance and the images are so vivid you can almost smell the sweat.
 

Steps (A study) by Fletcher Sibthorp
© Bucks Fine Arts

It was no surprise when he told me he did six months training in dance and ballet at Laban (he gave up because his knees wouldn’t take it) some time ago. His paintings show an understanding of dance that you couldn’t get from just watching. They “feel right”, show the dynamics of a pose, the quality of movement and that feeling of stillness and quiet passion that a dancer feels when everything’s going right.

Fletcher says that the beautiful thing about painting dance is the variety. Choreographies, costumes, different dancers. “…. and that’s just the tip of the iceberg! The expanse of different dance styles means that I am never short of inspiration. Quite the opposite. I need to ‘reel myself in’ or the results could be too bitty!”. He likes to concentrate on one performance at a time, take lots of photographs and do at least three or four pieces on each.
 

With Hands Held High by Fletcher Sibthorp
© Bucks Fine Arts

Fletcher is successful and his originals aren’t cheap, but his agents sell prints of a gorgeous quality. He has won several prestigious illustration awards, has been commissioned by big corporations and the Royal Shakespeare Company and his work has been twice on the cover of the Evening Standard, on covers of numerous books and record albums and in famous people’s biographies. He is hoping to devote a future exhibition to just a couple of performances which would mean attending lots of dress rehearsals as well as the final production. Somehow, I don’t think he’ll have many problems doing so.

You can see more of Fletcher’s work on
www.Fletchersibthorp.com

Bucks Fine Art Gallery

Egart Gallery