About Me
Excavating clay from the ground and modelling with it as well as drawing with a pencil and crayons are my first memory of making; I was about five years old. I have been making ever since.
I attended Reading University from 1976 to 1980 and on leaving with a First Class Honours I worked at the Greenwich Studios in London up until they closed in 1995. From there I moved to Bow Arts Studios on the Bow Road in the East End of London before leaving there in 2011 to my present location in rural Lincolnshire.
Interestingly, the idea of place or studio has always influenced the way the work is formed at a particular time; life experiences and happenings also filter into the work. The work that I made at Greenwich revolved around the use of bold abstraction probably influenced by painters who I worked in close proximity to. Looking back it is no coincidence that including pachyderms (elephants) as motifs in my work was developed at the same time as my twins were born. I was able to bring my life into my work more and more, done subconsciously albeit, but not exclusively so.
My present location and the specifics of another studio and particular environment has affected the new work in different ways. Landscape has crept into the nature and feel of the work and colour has become an intrinsic part of the structure of the pieces.
Drawing informs the work at every stage. I draw on a variety of scales. Some drawings precede making but often they are made at the same time as the sculptures so that a real relationship can develop between the processes; they inform each other.
It has been important for me to reinvent myself but without being overly conscious about it. For me the work itself asks questions and directs where to go next. Sometimes the direction is linear at other times from left field. This has left me with a body of work which demonstrates a creative versatility and continued commitment.
I have shown extensively throughout the United Kingdom, Europe and the US and my work is represented in many public and private collections. It has been reviewed extensively in both magazines and newspapers. You can see these if you look at my CV and bibliography under the 'Biography' header. I have uploaded examples of catalogue essays in the' Media' header also .
Many works are located in collections both public and private ( see CV ). This said some of the works are for sale . If you are interested in acquiring a piece whether a sculpture, drawing or painting then please get in touch through my e-mail address found under the 'Contact Me' header.
I have included one image of one piece of my very recent works. This was shown in The Royal Academy Summer Show in 2018. I have just finished a series of eleven pieces which I have some excellent images of. However, my instinct tells me not to publish these images on the web until the actual sculptures have been exhibited. ( I have included one other as a taster) If you want to see these then contact me and we can arrange something.
I am formulating this new website myself so I will continue to develop it and add new images of both my new work and my back catalogue. Please come back and revisit the site and watch for updates and additions.
Jim
