biography
The genesis of an image is often quite complex, but gradually becomes refined over a number of sittings until a visual balance is achieved and only the essential elements of the composition remain. My work was largely figurative for a long period prior to moving into abstraction and the current semi-abstract works are influenced by the figurative tradition often having elements of classical composition. My influences are broadly ranged from abstract expressionist painters to the hot colours and graphic language of the punk LP covers that originally inspired me to go to Art College.
My most recent work has also drawn inspiration from aerial reconnaissance photographs taken by my father from his Spitfire during the war. I have used these black and white images as a starting point taking shapes and combining them with shots of bright colour from my own post-modernist reference points. I see this as a way of updating these haunting images for a new audience who otherwise wouldn’t know of their existence; in the process acknowledging the debt we all still have to people whose wartime work went unrecognized.
I was born in Chichester in the shadow of the South Downs and had an early interest in making pictures as a boy, which quickly developed into the desire to become an artist when I saw a powerful Picasso sculpture in France at the age of 12. At school I made posters for a punk band to promote local gigs taking my inspiration from the groundbreaking new visual styles at the time. I studied art at foundation level for two years at West Sussex College of Design, going on to complete a degree in Fine Art at Cardiff Art College. I have spent periods of my life living and exhibiting in both Barcelona and Holland and I currently live and have a studio in Hove in East Sussex. I exhibit at the Brighton Art Fair and selected galleries nationwide throughout the year.
Born 1963: Chichester, West Sussex.
1980-82: Foundation, West Sussex College of Design.
1982-85: BA (Hons) Fine Art, South Glamorgan IHE Cardiff.
Selected exhibitions:'
2012: Brighton Media Centre Gallery: Sussex Beacon 'Naked and Vulnerable' May 4 - 27
2011 Adam Chandler Ltd: Brighton Media Centre Gallery
2011 Pushing Print: The Margate Gallery
2011 Parallax Art Fair: La Galleria, Pall Mall, London
2011 Brighton Festival Artist's Open House
2011 Rock Trust: Traverse theatre, Edinburgh
2010 Brighton Art Fair: Corn Exchange, Brighton
2010 Inspires gallery: Oxford
2009 Art Liberating Lives: Mall Galleries, London
2009 Brighton Art Fair: Corn Exchange, Brighton
2009 The Fragile Landscape: Architects Gallery, London
2008 Art/CLIC: Bankside Gallery, London
2003 Kunstuitleen: Den Bosch (Netherlands)
1996 Alternative Arts: London (solo)
1996 Galerie Valke: Amersvoort Netherlands (solo)
1993 Delta Galerie: Nijmegen
1992 Galerie 111: Nijmegen (solo)
1991 Galeria Del Sol: Barcelona
1984 Stowells Trophy, Royal Academy, London