- What’s your artistic background?
I’ve always been painting, drawing or model making, something creative. I remember as a child being driven down to the South of France, I spent the journey looking out the window and drawing the scenery, my brother spent his time with his head in a book, he’s a writer now, and I’m a painter.
I went to a very Dickensian boarding school and the Art Department was always a means of escape, I used to spend every available moment there to escape the oppressive regime. I’ll get to that in a moment though.
I was asked why I paint the other day, what’s my story? And it really came down to that boarding school. When I say oppressive, well that only really scratches the surface. The bullying and abuse were rife. Physical, mental, sexual, we had it all, though I managed to avoid most of it (I was always quite well built so obviously there was always easier prey than me). I had an altercation with a prefect in my first two weeks of being there and came off better than him (my limited Judo yellow belt coming into play) so as with most bullies once you make a stand they’ll go elsewhere and find out the easier weakest opposition. For the verbal abuse I used humour to deflect most of it, you just have to be quicker and wittier than your adversaries, although inevitably any wise crack would result in some sort of beating or another, and not necessarily when you expected it.
Anyway, it was essential learning in working out people, but also having that self-proclaimed exile in the art room meant we painted till the cows came home, and then some more. Practice as they say makes perfect. What is amazing is that in adversity at least you make friends that stand the test of time.
- What’s integral to the work of an artist?
Belief that you are making a difference in some way or another. Those dark days in the dark ages of school made you make a stand for yourself and others, to observe your surroundings and try and do the right thing and make a change. It’s still something that I believe in, I can’t stand to see bullying. I never used to think that my experience has affected me much, but after some interesting analysis I’ve come to the conclusion that it probably has. But there’s probably a whole book to be written on that.
On a technical side Colour Theory is the backbone of what I do, it’s an invisible puzzle that needs solving every time, I see so much work that could be elevated to another level if the basics were adhered to.
- What role does the artist have in society?
I think you have to make a commentary on the difficulties society face. It gives a voice to those who might not feel heard. I spent most of the pandemic painting the anxiety, the helplessness and fear that the unknown that was blanketing the world.
- What art do you most identify with?
Art that has something to say, even if that message is ugly. I like the idea of standing up for the underdog.
- What themes do you pursue?
I explore 2 different yet overlapping themes within my work. The figurative pieces that explore the human condition and geometric abstraction that look into the biological, mechanical and molecular build-up of the body and how it makes us react.
- What’s your favourite artwork?
That is an impossible question, there are so many pieces that resonate in so many different ways, from Turner to Picasso I find myself dissecting and analysing all number of works on a daily basis. On a personal side I generally love the piece I’m working on but once it is finished (or abandoned as De Vinci said) it is consigned to history and the process begins again. The mission… to make the next piece even better!
- Describe a real-life situation that inspired you?
As I mentioned previously the whole Covid thing produced a rich body of work, the fear of the unknown, the injustice of seeing loved ones die alone, the misinformation. It all works as a catalyst to fire the imagination.
- What jobs have you done other than being an artist?
All sorts, the list would bore you to tears, but the one proper grown up job that almost became a career was as a Conceptual Copywriter in the advertising industry. I would only do it when the money ran out, but I’ve never really suited the corporate world, too much of a maverick.
- Why art?
Because I am good at it and not good at much else.
- What is an artistic outlook on life?
Freedom. Freedom to explore what can’t be seen, to start the day with a blank canvas and develop something amazing that has come from nothing.
- What memorable responses have you had to your work?
A critic once said that I ‘Out Hockneyed Hockney on the colour front.’ And a commenter said that ‘The power of dreams is back,’ but the most amazing response I’ve had is to move someone to tears while looking at a piece. While I think music achieves this regularly having an artwork do this is a rarity.
I’ve seen people with severe depression suddenly come alive seeing my work, almost like they bloomed in front of me, it was spectacular to watch, and if you can do that or inspire something in others, then that’s magical.
- What food, drink, song inspires you?
I was fortunate enough to grow up in many different countries and so experience many different cultures, food was always an integral part of these communities and was a great way to involve yourself with the culture. I still love to cook and cobble together something for social gatherings. Like my painting I get stressed in the pursuit of culinary perfection. What is great about cooking is the instant gratification you get from people, with a painting it is very much a slow burn, excuse the pun.
The Disco Science series is all about music, what is it that gets us up dancing without a care in the world, waving our hands in the air like we don’t care. Watching people dancing without the music is fascinating
- Is the artistic life lonely? What do you do to counteract it?
Very lonely, I spend most of my day staring at a canvas in my studio and the rest of the time thinking about the canvas waiting for me up in my studio. I can go weeks without seeing people, so when we do have a get-together it tends to be a bit raucous.
- What do you dislike about the art world?
The gatekeepers, the thought that to be successful you need gallery representation. It is often (always) not what you know but who you know. I have a very good core of collectors that support me, but I still hanker after the kudos of gallery representation, even though they take 50% of your earnings.
- What do you dislike about your work?
Difficult question, some days everything! Many people see painting as a relaxing pastime, I don’t, I see the imperfections, the tiny anomalies, the things I wish I’d done differently and that frustrates me, sometimes I have an idea in my minds eye and I can’t quite realise that vision, but generally that works itself out for the better.
- What do you like about your work?
I like that at the time I finish it, it’s pretty cool, and I couldn’t care less about what anybody else thinks.
The fact that my interpretation of something can resonate so profoundly with others. Seeing people stare at a work and getting lost in their own thoughts is strangely satisfying.
Working out the composition, the colours, the message, it is like an intricate puzzle and when you figure it out and it just works is an incredible feeling, you have that moment when you go ‘Yeah, that’s cool, that’s bang on.’
- Should art be funded?
Probably, but it is difficult. There are so many people wanting to do it that the impact of funding is soon diluted. What I think is needed is more funding for the impact art can have on everyday lives, it is well documented how art can have a positive effect on mental health and the benefits it can bring to numerous areas of society.
- What role does arts funding have?
It allows artists to have the freedom to take risks, try the unknown and hopefully contribute and connect to society.
- What is your dream project?
My dream project is the one I’m doing now, living life as an artist, if I can keep that going then I’d be quite happy.
- Name three artists you’d like to be compared to.
I’m often compared to Bacon, Picasso and Kandinski (amongst others (Saatchi Art has just shown a piece of mine under the Hilma of Klint banner)) and I’m Ok with that, there are worse artists to be compared to. People like to put labels on things, it helps them understand, but with further investigation you realise that they only have a passing resemblance to those artists.
- Favourite or most inspirational place ?
Well to be a bit pretentious I’d like to say something idiotic like ‘my mind’, I spend most of my time there daydreaming ((everything starts from my imagination) about what I’m doing or what I’m doing next. But I get inspiration from everywhere, I’m quite happy trapesing round a supermarket looking at the colours, the people, I find it all fascinating. I like to wander the galleries in London, great for inspiration and motivation, but they always come across as such unfriendly, intimidating and pretentious places, the best ones are totally opposite to that, and funnily enough those appear to be the ones that are hriving.
- What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
Believe in yourself. Others will spend a lot of energy trying to belittle you instead of spending that energy working on themselves.
- Professionally, what’s your goal?
Just to live comfortably, I just have exceptionally expensive taste so that takes a bit of doing though.
- Future plans?
In the short term I think I’ll go for a coffee and do some people watching and sketching. In the long term I’d like to work for a few months in different counties, go globe trotting that way, exhibiting as I go along.