Martin Gale (b. 1949) Strangers

Across three painted panels, a meticulously painted rural scene unfolds. The landscape moves from a pebbled shoreline across lush green fields to a low mountain in the far horizon. It is populated  by two distinct groups of male figures, one looking pensively towards the water, the others strolling across the grass meadow, perhaps towards a caravan just perceptible in the distance. Dark grey and white clouds gather overhead, occasionally revealing patches of blue sky which are brightly reflected in the narrow rivulet that cuts vertically through the composition. There is a sense of disconnection between the figures and this uneasiness is emphasised by the unsettled weather. 

Gale’s studious documentation of human, animal and plant life creates a sense of detached, scientific observation even as the unresolved narratives in the work encourage us to imagine the wider story taking place. Who are the strangers called out in the title of the work? What is the relationship, if any, between the two groups of men? Gale leaves such questions unanswered, inviting us as viewers to balance the minute detail of what we can see with the greater unknown.