Portraying the whimsical side of woe is a well established form of self-analysis and expression for many artists, past and present. For example, Ensor, Schiele, Goya, etc. A title like ‘It only hurts when I laugh!’ would make a good sub-title for many of the paintings in this latest collection by John A Rowe. Varying degrees of emotional memories and imagined comical scenarios are expressed imaginatively through Rowe’s usual intertwined British sense of humour, thrown in with a more than generous helping of nervous anxiety. Abstract mark-making combined with figurative story-telling… well and truly shaken, but never, ever stirred!

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