Artist’s Statement

I have always found myself captivated by environments and people’s obsession with their surroundings. I am fascinated by both the urban landscapes we have built, and the natural world we have moved away from. I find myself drawn to the places where the conflict between these habitats takes place: the extremes of nature as well as the extremes of the city. I am also intrigued by the places where the grey areas and blurring points lie, like parks and gardens where nature is controlled and cultivated by people.

We are immersed in imagery and technology in today's world. We can lose ourselves in the internet and information designed to enrich our lives, yet we are further from nature than we have ever been. In this new ‘digital age’, where images come cheaply and easily to our fingers, paintings are a welcome return to the skill and commitment of artistic creation. They are a connection to the nature we have moved away from. Technology and photography play a key part in my process as I work from digital photos, sometimes drawn to low resolution or glitched images. I attempt to create paintings that are traditional, yet still have a relevant voice for contemporary themes of modern life. 

Time is also central to my work. I love the build up of lichen on rocks, rust on old metal and layers of paint flaking off old wood. Visual signs of the passage of time. I want my paintings to have a similar look. I build them up slowly over time, with layers of dry brushing, flicking and throwing paint. Mixing traditional and unorthodox methods. I find flicking and dripping paint creates more energy than a brush stroke can, I also like the removal of control. I can’t always know what the outcome of painting this manner will be, which I find adds a certain sense of drama. Despite working on my paintings for long periods, sometimes years, I want my work to depict specific moments in time. I want them to have energy, light and movement. This is why I cannot paint on location. Instead a sketch and take photos on location and then work on larger paintings in the studio, safe in the knowledge that the moment cannot change and escape me. My passion is to paint large, and in triptych, to mix up the traditional with the more contemporary and natural with the unnatural. Juxtaposing the city with the forest and technology. Seeing how these different things affect us on an emotional level.

 Simon James Gilpin