Oliver Pyle - A Tale of Two Piers, Swanage

Oliver Pyle - A Tale of Two Piers, Swanage

Oliver has established himself as a successful landscape artist, working exclusively in watercolour.  With Oliver's work we explore the impact of light, the weather, and the seasons and how these combine to achieve paintings that are evocative and atmospheric.

"Little is left of the original pier in Swanage, other than a few supports and stanchions. In its heyday it played a vital role in the transport of the locally quarried Purbeck stone. Today, it acts as a resting point for seagulls and, in a similar fashion to the remains of the West Pier in Brighton, a muse for photographers.

The existing pier was built in Victorian times, and despite a chequered past of usefulness it is now an integral part of the seafront, particularly as a base for local diving schools, and local boat trips. 'Moonfleet' - the large boat moored up in this painting - is a Dutch cutter that is now used successfully as a sailing training vessel, and has become a familiar sight in the bay.