Studio, London, 2024
I am a painter, and I make art about modern life. My practice is largely based on observations of my environment. But it also includes works of the imagination. I also draw upon a background in science and technology, and a lifelong interest in history.
I was born and raised in post-war London. The city is embedded in my psyche. As a teenager I spent two years in Australia. Travelling there gave me an introduction to other cultures and landscapes, fuelling a lifelong passion for photography.
My working life has been rich and varied. From teenage employment as a porter in Covent Garden Market to backstage carpentry work in the West End, these jobs of my youth supported me through my studies, first in aeronautical engineering and then through Camberwell Art School where I honed my craft as a painter and print-maker..
My work hovers between figuration and abstraction, drawing on centuries of artistic tradition from pre-Renaissance through to computer aided art. You can read about my use of AI here.
I synthesize a variety of painting styles, making use of allegory, symbolism, and narrative. I often construct different viewpoints within the same image, nesting pictures within pictures, looking to create a dialogue between contrasting elements. When painting, I have often worked on MDF and wood, creating supports that are sometimes non-rectangular, thus incorporating an element of sculpture into my work. However, I recently returned to uzing more traditional materials, painting on canvas.
I offer a view of the world, painting what I consider to be secular icons. I often look to pose questions, querying the status quo of what we accept in society, drawing the viewer in and hoping to generate a conversation. My recent paintings use a degree of ambiguity to facilitate this.
At the root of my practice there is a desire to engage with this question: Can painting elicit a constructive discourse about the world we inhabit? My ambition is to show that it can.
Essays about my work can be found here.
Selected Exhibitions
2023, London Art Biennale 2023 – ICAC Art Critics Award Winner
2021, #Shape of the New, Virtual Exhibition
2017, This England and Other Edens, Martyrs’ Gallery, Lewes (solo)
2015, Capturing the Spectacle: Paintings of Modern Life, Hop Gallery, Lewes (solo)
2014, John Moores Painting Prize 2014, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
1995, Woodlands Art Gallery, London
1994, Angela Flowers Gallery, London (solo)
1991, Wolfson College, Oxford
1991, Bruton Street Gallery, London
1989, Sandra Higgins Gallery, London (solo)
1989, Camden Art Centre, London (solo)
1984, Camberwell Printmakers, Intaglio Printmaker, London
1983, Stowells Trophy, Royal Academy of Arts, London
Education
2000-2001, Diploma in Computing, The Open University
1984-85, Postgraduate Printmaking, Camberwell College of Art
1980-84, BA Fine Art Painting, Camberwell College of Art, London
1970-73, BSc Aeronautical Engineering, The City University London
Teaching
2000-05 BSc Software Engineering, The Open University
1991-94, BA Fine Art, Camberwell College (The London Institute)