Award-winning Scottish-based artist, Justin Prigmore will be unveiling his latest large scale oil on canvas painting, titled ‘Staredown’, to the public on the John Rigby & Co. booth at The Game Fair (booth #J1044), held at Ragley Hall in Warwickshire from Friday 28 to Sunday 30 July 2023.
Renowned for his powerful and inspirational portrayals of the natural world, Prigmore’s distinguished paintings are held in prestigious collections in both public and privately held museums. His large-scale oil paintings are the result of dedicated research, a unique vision and years of experience in the field. Filled with drama and passion in every new work, the artist has gained a solid following based on accuracy and authenticity within sporting, conservation and fine art circles.
As the title suggests, the painting depicts an obstinacy of buffalo bulls sporting their notorious, tenacious glares, stopping you dead in your tracks with just a glance.
Created for Rigby Art, the striking 30×48-inch original oil painting is designed to capture the characters of these old buffalo bulls and tell a little of their life history living in such a treacherous environment. In the painting, notice how the bull on the right has scars and scratch marks on his side from an encounter with lions, the middle bull has a ripped ear, possibly from a fight with another buffalo, while the grumpy old dagga boy on the left has a broken horn.
Five oxpeckers are busy searching for ticks and parasites, even inspecting their ears and nostrils. There are also egrets hanging around waiting for insects to be stirred up from their hooves and the artist has even hinted at flies on the buffaloes’ noses. Fallen branches and grazed bushes suggest the impact of elephants on the mopane forest.
As an ecologist and conservationist, the artist believes that we need to find common ground to ensure that we all see the benefits of having wildlife and nature in our lives and commented: “The fun of painting Africa with an ecologist’s eyes is that there are so many stories to tell.”
Marc Newton, managing director of John Rigby & Co. added: “The roots of Rigby run deep in Africa. It’s a place I feel deeply connected with and privileged to have spent much time hunting and exploring. As someone who has encountered those deathly stares, Justin has done an incredible job at capturing all they embody and that chilling feeling you get as you stand face-to-face with an old dagga boy. His attention to detail is second to none.”
Price: £8,000, plus VAT.
