Pete Neal

Fawley Refinery from Netley

Oil on linen

The work is a painting of the view of Fawley Oil Refinery from the beach at Netley. All sea traffic going into and out of Southampton passes between those two points, through the eyeline of the person looking at the painting. My father used to work at sea, on ships such as the Queen Mary, and later he worked at the oil refinery for many years. He saw this stretch of water numerous times, as have many thousands of people making many kinds of journeys – starting voyages of work, leisure, exploration and migration. It’s a stretch of water that has seen some fascinating tales – if only it could tell them.