Colchester’s award-winning free art gallery Firstsite is currently delivering a  once-in-a-lifetime exhibit, an opportunity you can’t miss out on! The ‘Landscapes and Beasts’ exhibit celebrates the works of Denis Wirth-Miller, a local artist (his studio having been in Wivenhoe), who spent most of his life in the shadows of his best friend of 50 years, Francis Bacon. The gallery boasts one of Bacon’s most famous paintings of the ‘screaming pope’, however, I argue that the empowerment of Wirth-Miller’s work may be even more remarkable. The way he captures our local landscapes creates a warm familiarity when wandering the exhibit, something I feel Essex should feel more of within the art world. 

 

Despite Bacon’s extraordinary success (some of his paintings being worth as much as 142,405,000 USD), little know about his collaboration with Wirth-Miller, whom he worked with in the same Wivenhoe studio. Indeed, Wirth-Miller introduced Bacon to the photographer Muybridge, from whom he gained most of his reference material. It is undeniably clear that the inspiration between each of their works is uncanny, to the point where some believe that they contributed to elements of each other’s paintings. Whether it be the brush stroke of a tail or late-night conversations about works between the pair, their influence is unmistakable. And yet, Bacon is the one under the spotlight. Firstsite aims to rectify this, hoping to plant the seeds of revival for not only the love of these local artists but our landscapes and culture alongside it. 

 

The exhibit has been received very well so far, with visitor Lloyd Falltrick commenting that he ‘loved seeing local landscapes shown’, and that he was ‘impressed to see such amazing pieces in our local, free gallery’. He makes a point, not only is it important to see our lesser-known artists being uplifted, but the opportunity to have such remarkable works so nearby is incredible for Colchester and surrounding areas, much unlike the queues needed to wait through in larger, paid-for galleries just to see a single piece. 

 

And it’s not just Wirth-Miller who has previously fallen short of the appreciation his works deserve, but artists such as Eric Ravilious, or John Constable, who are yet to make themselves household names in the same way Bacon is. Exhibitions like this are not just important, but vital for uplifting Essex’s rich art history and culture.

So if you’re interested in looking around Wirth-Miller’s works, stop by Firstsite!