Since completing my degree in Fine Art Painting at the University of Brighton last year, I have moved my practice back to my home town of Manchester. At present, my work primarily explores how perceptual depth can be achieved within a two dimensional plane, without the deployment of typical illustrative techniques.
This spatial recession is achieved through the layering of discrete applications of translucent interference acrylic paint. While typical pigment has a one-dimensional interaction with light, absorbing a majority of the spectrum and reflecting the colour that you see, interference ‘pigment’ is considered to have a three-dimensional interaction. When light strikes this paint, it is refracted, reflected and scattered, resulting in a lustrous surface akin to blue Morpho butterflies (the colour of their wings also isn’t the result of pigmentation, but structural colouration). My fascination with the physics behind paint has often informed my practice, previously I worked in fluorescence as I wanted to know how it could absorb one form of light and emit another. Like my choice of material, the composition of my work comes from an inner sense of logic rather than emotive expression. I aspire to the philosophy of the British Constructionists and Groupe de Recherche d’Art Visuel and how they approached their work systematically and formulaically. I often begin my paintings by drawing a substructure of two superimposed grids. I then decide on a system of how to paint within the grid and then follow it through, regardless to how ‘well’ I perceive the painting is going. Where most artists can improve and adjust their paintings as they work on them, my practice develops between discrete iterations as I can only make decisions at the start of each piece. Working in iterations appeals to me I can clearly see the development of my practice. CV
Study: University of the Arts London (UAL) Foundation Diploma in Art & Design - Stockport College 2014-2015 BA Fine Art Painting - University of Brighton 2015-2018 Exhibitions: FS Legal Art Prize, 18th October 2019, Clark Art, Hale. Greater Manchester Art Prize, 6th June - 6th July 2019, Bolton Museum & Art Gallery, Bolton, Greater Manchester. BEEP Painting Biennial, 3rd August-1st September 2018, Elysium Gallery, Swansea, Wales. BFAP Degree show, 1st-10th June 2018, Grand Parade Campus, Brighton, Exhibitor. Facture, 23rd Feb - 3rd March 2018, 154-155 Edward Street, Brighton, Exhibitor. In-Between, 4th-20th Feb 2017, University Gallery, Brighton, Exhibitor and Curator Competitions: Winner of the FS Legal Art Prize 2019. Shortlisted for the Greater Manchester Art Prize 2019. Shortlisted for the 2018 BEEP Painting Biennial. Other: Led the Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign, raising £2000 for my BA Degree show. 2018. University of Brighton. Arts Management for Pioneers (second year faculty option). 2017. University of Brighton. (Included volunteering work for Brighton Festival’s For the Birds exhibition). Student Course Representative, 2016-2017, University of Brighton. Artist Assistant & Guide, 2014, Enlighten Manchester- Festival of Light Art. Art Instillation, 2012, Didsbury Arts Festival. |