Charpennes, 2021

Paul Ward  

Artist Statement:

Manchester born, Lyon based, Paul has been making marks and slopping paint for fifteen years.

Having screen printed for five years, Paul decided to move country (fuck you Brexit) and finally 'go it alone' and produce art. 

Paul's work zeros in on bullies, using humour and disturbing imagery to express a poisonous dislike to unfairness and cruelty . His works are littered with semiotics, sometimes of state sponsored violence, batons, rubber bullets etc and often of animals. All of this righteous anger may become a little tiresome for the viewer, however, juvenile doodles and jokes are never far behind in Paul's work, an effort to reveal that he too is searching for answers. Or perhaps writing things like 'Boris Johnson is a cotton headed bag of donkey farts' on a piece of work just makes him smile after a long day.

Colour! Glorious colour is equally important as content in Paul's work, having never heard the term 'muted palette' whole spectrums bounce off the boards and smack you right in your third eye. However vivid, his use of colour is not random, but uses the concept of complementary colour to enhance a painting.

In closing, after making an effort to sound respectable and writing in the third person, even though Paul's fingers at this moment are punching every word into the computer, he would like to extend an invitation to enjoy his work.

Education:

Fine Art BA Hons- Leeds Art University

Awards & Distinctions:

My Mum once told me I was the most handsome little man in the entire world.

Exhibitions:

Royal Birmingham society of Artists Summer Exhibition, Birmingham -2019

Artistic Influences:

I have a wealth of influences so vast that it's difficult to distil into a few words. I love the ballsy work of Ralph Steadman, his attack on the world's villains is legendary and will always hold a special place in my heart. I adore the work of Euan Uglow, his beautiful renderings of the human form are of a standard of work that I hope to attain during my life. As I began my artistic life fascinated by portraiture, Jenny Saville is another big hitter in that respect. Her work reveals the preexisting beauty in forms that society may have labeled otherwise.

I could quite happily natter on about who inspires and influences me, but a discussion of so many talented people may be detrimental to my fragile artist's ego. Just know that among them are musicians, writers, biologists and kind people.