Book Launch in Truro

Date: 18 Mar 2008

The launch of Tony Foster's new book, Painting at the Edge of the World, The Watercolours of Tony Foster, was opened at The Royal Cornwall Museum (RCM), Truro, Cornwall, UK on 18 March 2008 by Tim Smit, Chief Executive of the Eden Project.

The exhibition launch attracted many guests from Cornwall and one couple who travelled from Peru.

The proceedings were introduced by Hilary Bracegirdle, Director of Royal Cornwall Museum.

 

In opening the exhibition, Tim Smit spoke of how he felt his vision of the world for the Eden Project was closely aligned with Tony's: "Tony is trying to get people to rediscover their place on the planet by seeing, by really seeing, the awesomeness of the world we live in. By going into the wildernesses of the world to spend considerable time experiencing the places where he was painting, Tony is trying to redress the imbalance caused by "dominion", not romantically, but with clear sighted wonder. He is in the tradition of the great explorers of earlier centuries and a real star."

In reply, Tony said that he "felt that much of art today was not about art so much as the artist. I am trying to put the emphasis back on the subject matter. In the case of the book, I feel that many art books are a bit difficult to engage with and I hope that with my book I've broken the mould by providing sufficient variety with his paintings,diary excerpts,expedition photographs, and related essays by prominent art historians, scientists and fellow travellers, so that the book could be opened at random and immediately enjoyed."