Joe Furlonger: Horizons

16 More recently, in 2018, Furlonger has spoken of the importance of the drawn line, noting that he did not render his figures in a classical draughtsman’s sense, but that these were more naive and rough- hewed works. His process of making numerous detailed preliminary drawings was a way of injecting authenticity into his final painting and getting to know the subject: drawing became a form of ‘note- taking’ and stimulated problem-solving. By ‘burning out the drawing’ in this way, Furlonger has been able to paint in a freer, more confident manner. 2 For his large figurative ‘fishermen’ and ‘bather’ paintings, Furlonger immersed himself in the styles and techniques of Picasso and Matisse, learning from their example and adapting those lessons to his own purpose. He is quick to acknowledge them: I laboured on the Picassoid thing — you are aware of these influences, but there is no use just playing around the perimeters of these things. You may as well just wade in — go through it rather than around it. I was drawn naturally to the major figurative painters so naturally there’s going to be versions of Leger, Picasso and Matisse. 3 What makes these figurative works unique is that, despite their impressive size (some roughly two and a half by three metres each), they carry a deep sensitivity to the subject, evolving, he says, ‘from a more definite return to life drawing to reinvest observation and realism into my painting’. 4 Each figure powerfully, monumentally, inhabits their evocative beachscape, with the ever-present sea in the background.