Like many people, I tend to shy away of sentimentality, instinctively. Art of cute little babies in a basket, or like, Jesus hugging a Marine: all of that saccharine tearjerker stuff repels me. The purpose of art is to make you feel things, sure, but I cringe when art is so *transparently* emotionally manipulative.
All that being said, I fucking love Gary Bunt.
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| "With Jesus" |
Bunt was an elderly man who hailed from East Peckham, a village in kent. He painted sweet little scenes of dogs, the elderly, and Jesus, up until his death in summer 2025. Though cutesy as hell, his work is straightforward and seems Real in a way that other sentimental art doesn't, to me.
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| "Let It Snow" |
Looking at his biography, Bunt seems to have had a somewhat atypical artistic journey. He grew up in what he called a "happy working class family." Following in his father's footsteps, he began working in construction at the age of sixteen. His artistic interests were more musical at that time, and he used the money he earned in construction to support his pursuits as a guitarist. He played in a bunch of different bands, doing the occasional watercolor for beer money. Based on what I've been able to gather, it seems like this was a turbulent period of his life: drugs, drinking, a failed marriage.
Bunt seemingly cleaned up his act around the time of his second marriage, which would last until the end of his life. He quit drinking when his second child was born and started to seriously pursue his painting (again supported by money from his construction work). His first solo show was at the age of 41, but was shortly followed by a vocal cancer diagnosis. Bunt underwent two years of chemo and radiation, which left him permanently unable to eat solid foods.
During his treatment, Bunt said he found himself thinking of his memories of childhood, the countryside, and his own children. His first painting out of his illness was a memory of himself, sick with measles as a child. Bunt said that, in the moment, he thought, “It’s the first time in my life I’ve really painted”.
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| "Westie Wind" |
His art underwent a radical change after his brush with death - from Impressionistic to his now iconic naive style. Rather than drawing what he thought was artistically significant, Bunt painted what he knew, from his life in the countryside. Figures recurred in his art - a broad and amiable seeming old man (who he called "Bert" after his father) and various dogs, following along or carried if the painted snow was too chilly for their paws.
"Bert" was meant to represent the viewer's "father, grandfather, someone they are familiar with," but also represented Bunt's self in what he imagined as his elder years. Interestingly enough, Bunt himself doesn't look much like his alter ego - he was slender (almost lanky) and clean-shaven. His own father was a broad shouldered man; maybe Bunt thought he'd look more like him as he aged.
Bert's dog changes color and breed across paintings, as Bunt said he liked "people to imagine the dog to be their dog, and name them." Again, could easily be too "cute," but Bunt's sincerity makes it work for me.
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| "Grace" |
One of the most charming things about Bunt's art is the little poems he wrote, to accompany several of his pieces. They're from the dog's POV and are too cute for words. The piece above had the following poem:
My Master’s been busy cooking
He’s got sausage and mash for tea
I’m in my place, saying grace
Praying there’s a sausage for me
Freaking delightful!
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| "Knock and It Shall Be Opened" |
Though he had issues with organized religion, Bunt was a spiritual man. He build a chapel in his backyard and said that when he wasn't painting, one could usually find him praying. Despite his devout Christianity, Bunt's works present a pretty casual image of Jesus. Makes sense, as Bunt said he wanted to “make it easier for people to associate with Christ.”
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| "Sleep Tight" |
And, yes, the dog's teddy bear has a name (Ted).
I really love these works, where Bunt's humanism shines through so beautifully. On the topic of spirituality, he ones said, "Christ doesn't suffer fools gladly, but he knows what’s in one's heart and God knows I am trying."
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| "Feeling Blessed" |
What really draws me to Bunt's works is the care behind them. The level of attention to detail. His tenderness towards the small and quiet and ordinary. Treating everyday pleasures (a dog, a walk, a nice breakfast) with great reverence.
As an artist, I find Bunt inspirational, both for starting later in life with no formal training and for how much of himself he put in his work. Finding the beauty in YOUR life and telling it as yourself requires bravery. Bunt's way of seeing the grace in the everyday, but also not taking it too seriously, is really marvelous. I'm a fan!
Further Reading 🐶:
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