Andrew Hunt, a painter of quite traditional figurative realism, was one of the artists that I liked the most at the Other Art Fair. A painter who captures a segment of British life in a way that is so poignant that it made me suddenly stop, entranced, and spend some time in front of the paintings. I don’t know how long I spent there, reflecting on what I’m seeing and how genuine and honest Hunt’s work is,

As is the case with all nations, the United Kingdom possesses its own unique characteristics, in addition to regional characteristics that vary across the islands and, of course, local characteristics as well.
A good many of these things are overlooked.

This is what Andrew Hunt paints, and it is quite mesmerising. If you spend a reasonable amount of time in the United Kingdom, you will notice that elderly people, particularly people from working-class backgrounds, have a distinct culture. This culture is rapidly disappearing, but it has been a source of strength and community for many decades. He points out things that I have witnessed many times but have nearly never paid attention to since it didn’t appear to have anything to do with me. However, it does indeed have everything to do with me ,and all of us who have been here and care about who we are as a nation. The love of animals: the manner in which animals are incorporated into virtually every facet of human existence. There is something quite distinctive about the genuine affection that the United Kingdom has for animals, primarily dogs, but also for other animals, such as horses, donkeys, and so on.
The pub has long been considered the centre of a community, and Hunt conveys this brilliantly. It’s very sad to know that today so many pubs have disappeared, mostly due to developer greed but in some cases due to demographic change. Andrew Hunt’s paintings remind the viewer of humanity, culture and history and reminds us especially to pay attention to the elders who make up the subjects of his paintings . Here is pure humanity; whether his subjects are exuberant or grumpy or contemplative, they are so real!

No matter where I am in the world, if I were to catch a glimpse of one of these pictures, I would be transported back to Britain, to the land of endless clouds, pints of beer and the ever-present little dog that rules the roost.

(I took these photos at the Other Art Fair but you can see better ones at Hunt’s own website and do follow him on Instagram @huntforart