Lot 157: Kevin Geary (b.1952) HOMAGE TO DJANGO REINHARDT,

Kevin Geary (b.1952) HOMAGE TO DJANGO REINHARDT, NO. 5 signed and with title on reverse acrylic on canvas 51 by 51cm., 20 by 20in. Django Reinhardt (1910-1953) was one of the first well-known jazz musicians in Europe. Born in Belgium, Reinhardt's Gypsy nickname "Django" was Romani for "I awake." His innovative and distinctive style takes influence from his time spent in gypsy encampments close to Paris during his youth. His music has been the source of inspiration across the arts and has featured in contemporary films such as, Lasse Hallström's Chocolat and The Aviator. The artist writes: "This series, Homage to Django Reinhardt, started whilst listening to his music. The whole series, including this painting, has reflected the upbeat, colourful, fast, and overlaid sounds of his guitar playing. I continue to paint these works whilst listening to Django, and his music never fails to inspire me, and push me to create these very expressionist abstract works. The textures, overlays and rhythms of each work reflect Django's playing. Listen to his music while you look at my work, and you'll see exactly why I call these works Homage to Django Reinhardt.