The Swedish painter Ulf Greder has drawn inspiration again, for his new exhibition with Francis Kyle gallery, from his inimitably leisurely travels in France, this time extending over a three year period, which have taken him from Lille in the north by way of Paris to Collioure on the Mediterranean, from Camaret in Brittany to Annecy in the Alps - a meandering hexagon of an itinerary, in the course of which the artist participated in a wider range than ever of traditional gallic pursuits. In his quest for the meridional 'douce de vivre', Greder has lingered in cafes, bars and street markets without number in small towns of 'la France profonde'. In the countryside around he has joined fishing parties, while on the coast, at Honfleur and La Rochelle, he has allowed long-nurtured but also long-restrained enthusiasm for fishing boats finally to flower, now furnished after sustained experiment with technique to do justice to the subject. Virtuosity in the handling of his chosen eccentric medium has also allowed him to celebrate for the first time the 'Tour de France'. In Ulf Greder's Land of Cockaigne, in this latest incarnation, happiness no longer belongs exclusively to the French nor is it always located in the south, just as fine weather does not exclude rain (Greder's umbrellas have always had a life of their own, weather providing shelter from rain or sun): beyond the quotidian detail there shines, as in Rabelais, some intimation of the universal in the artist's gently humorous and affectionate take on present human foibles.... Ulf Greder has been represented by Francis Kyle Gallery in London, U.K. since 1983 and has held one-man exhibitions there in 1991, 1993, 1994, 1997,2000 and 2003. He has also participated in several group shows at the same gallery. To arrange a viewing of the paintings, receive an invitation to the next exhibition or any other information regarding these paintings please call Francis Kyle Gallery, 9 Maddox Street, London W1R 9LE. Telephone; +44 (0)20 7499 6870/6970. Fax; +44 (0) 7495 0180. E-mail; info@franciskylegallery.com

Francis Kyle Gallery