Bassetlaw: Work of New York-based artist Richard Combes to feature at museum

New York-based Combes has exhibited his work in galleries around the world including the Gallery Henoch in New York along with the National Portrait Gallery and Mall Galleries in London.

He also has numerous works in private collections, including those of Barbara Streisand, John Major and former Lord Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire, Sir Andrew Buchanan.

Now, thanks to collaboration between Bassetlaw Museum and The Dukeries Art Gallery in Worksop, 12 of Combes’ paintings will be on display alongside the works of other recognised artists including Graham Duckmanton, Norman Evans, Gordon King and Elaine Nash.

“You might not expect a painting of a light bulb to take your breath away, but that is what can happen when the artist responsible is Richard Combes,” said Samantha Glasswell, curator at Bassetlaw Museum.

“Combes has a genius for taking a seemingly ordinary building or object and creating a work of beauty. His mastery of detail and light make the object look more real than the real thing. It is very hard to put into words and photos simply don’t do the paintings justice. You have to see them for yourself.”

Combes worked as an architect in the UK before moving to America where he gained a Master’s Degree from the New York Academy of Art. He is a member of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters and the Royal Society of Portrait Painters.

He now divides his time between New York and the UK and has connections to Bassetlaw as his father, Kip Combes lived in the area and was President of the Worksop Society of Artists.

Entry to the exhibition is free and Bassetlaw Museum is located in Amcott House, Grove Street, Retford. The museum and gallery are open six days a week, Monday to Saturday from 10am to 4.30pm.