feel that closely mirrors Robert’s original paintings.
Dark, deadly and dangerous, Robert Oxley’s latest limited edition prints form his predatory new collection, The Dark Knights . Three of the animal kingdom’s rulers are united for a body of work that is borne of natural history and medieval legend. “Most people will know The Dark Knight from Christopher Nolan’s Batman film trilogy,” says Robert, whose art recently appeared on an episode of Channel 4’s Grand Designs . “Its origins come from Arthurian legends, where the black knight is often shown as a villain in contrast to the valiant white knight.” Featuring a lion, tiger and jaguar, the trio of hand-varnished boxed canvasses saw the wildlife painter return to a neon colour palette for his self-described “psychedelic” style. A 2D format with a glossy finish creates a contemporary
He says: “I like the mixture of pop culture and a heraldic, royal meaning. This is what we all think of when we imagine big cats: an animal at the top of the hierarchy, dominating their habitat and serving to balance the environment.” Unlike his most recent works, the artist has concentrated not just on the face of his chosen animal, but its full body. The effect is startling: the predators step out of the darkness and seemingly off the canvas. What the viewer is unable to see is left to their own imagination, which Robert says is part of their allure. He adds: “I wanted to show my cats as neither good nor bad…as a stealthy power that lurks in the shadows, ready to strike its prey.”
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