Adrian
Sykes is a new artist to Curwen Gallery. We decided to get to know the man and
his works a little better.
 |
| Adrian Sykes in his studio in Bristol |
Curwen Gallery: You studied at Bath
College of Art- was it in the architecture of Bath that you first discovered an
interest in quirky, tumbledown buildings? How has your style changed since your
student days?
 |
Clifftop, oil on board,
90 x 45cm
£1495 |
Adrian Sykes: I was
beginning to cultivate an interest in painting buildings and the effects of
sunlight on them before my days in Bath. Having lived on the Wirral for most of
my early life I studied at the now closed down Withens Lane college of Art
where I did my foundation course.
There began a lifelong interest in the
works of Edward Hopper. Where I lived at the time really suited exploring this
approach with all the back to back houses and backyard scenes where the sharp
Northern light criss-crossed into these hidden worlds making great painting
material. When I moved to Bath to study I was instantly fascinated by the
architecture and in particular the tall buildings and narrow passageways that
held so much intrigue for me as a painter.
Curwen
Gallery: Do you take a lot of inspiration from your
surroundings and everyday life? How does your current environment, living in
Bristol, affect your work?
Adrian
Sykes: When I first moved back to the South West
after many years away, I revisited Bath and painted the surroundings in quite a
realistic way but then began to move from this approach after discovering a
more imaginative side to my work.
I
now find that living in the city informs me in more of an indirect way. As
Bristol is not the most visually inspiring of cities I have to retreat more
into my imagination and rely on my visual memory bank to create my paintings
which I find to be more stimulating than trying to recreate ‘actual’ scenes
from real life. I am often informed by my surroundings however and particularly
enjoy the landscapes and townscapes of France and Italy where I have travelled
extensively.
 |
Cliff Houses, oil on board, 37 x 18cm
£575 |
Bristol inspires me in a
circumlocutory way as the artists quarter I live in is constantly surprising
and inspiring and full of artists all bustling together to turn ideas into
reality and that is a very inspiring setting to work in.
Also my studio at
Jamaica Street Artists is a constant source of inspiration to me and my fellow
artists have often proved vital in shaping a difficult piece with their expert
critique. To be surrounded by people all in this same funny art-shaped boat as
me is very regarding and heartening and the type of people here are very
typically Bristol in their open mindedness and generosity.
Curwen
Gallery: You were a full time musician for many
years. Were you still making artwork during this time? Did you find that the
two creative practices informed each other?
Adrian
Sykes: There was a period after studying where I
concentrated solely on being a musician as I was seduced by the lifestyle of
travelling and playing. Laurie Lee’s “As I Walked Out…” was a huge influence on
me and the lure of busking was too hard to ignore. During this period I managed
both in a very bohemian way continuing to draw as a screever with pavement art
when funds were getting low with my flute by my side.
There is a strong link between the two as
they are both creative and intuitive pursuits and I often paint whilst
listening to music but have yet to master doing this the other way around! I am
sure on one level that there is a symbiotic relationship between the two but
they are also vastly different disciplines so it is hard to pinpoint exactly
where they meet.
I now play music regularly with a band in Bristol called
‘Sheelanagig’ where I play the flute and banjo and enjoy periods of intensive
touring and travelling. Managing the two careers as well as a young family can
be challenging at times but luckily I have an amazingly supportive wife
who encourages both my chosen paths in life as long as I am back in time to
change some nappies and give her a lie in….!
 |
Moon House, oil on board,
60 x 26cm
£895 |
Curwen Gallery: You travel
a lot- what places have influenced this current body of work?
Adrian
Sykes: This current body of work has been
influenced by an amalgamation of different European countries that have
infiltrated into my imagination as well as some quintessentially English
landscapes. I have not tried to replicate anywhere in particular and have
instead attempted to convey a ‘feeling’ and atmosphere more than a sense of
place.
The joys of aging is that the brain holds a bank of inspiring places
which appear often subconsciously in my work without my realising often
surprising me when someone recognises somewhere familiar. It adds another level
of interest to me when people identify somewhere specific.
Curwen
Gallery: Are you actively involved in the Bristol art scene? Do you find that your work
has much in common with your contemporaries working in Bristol?
Adrian
Sykes: I am part of a wonderful collective of
artists based at Jamaica Street Artists Studios in Stokes Croft, Bristol. This
is a thriving community of painters, sculptors, illustrators and makers and has
continued over the last two decades to produce some of the best artists working
today.
Banksy really gave this area its’ reputation and we often have groups of
street art fans photographing the walls. Abigail Reed, Dan Ablitt, Anthony
Garrett are among my contemporaries and we all support each other through
critique and friendship. It is a unique atmosphere of generosity without the
competitive edge often found in these sorts of collectives!
Curwen
Gallery: Much of your work reminds us of a jolly
version of Pieter Bruegal-in that you capture elements of the everyday in a
very surreal and stylised manner. Who are your main artistic inspirations and
how do they effect the work that you produce?
Adrian
Sykes: I love Bruegal’s work and I do cite him as
being a major influence upon me. Hopper as I mentioned before has been a huge
influence alongside Dali, Magritte, Hockney, Stanley Spencer, Shaun Tan, Max
Beckman, I could go on! The works of contemporary Yorkshire watercolourist
Simon Palmer who has consistently produced some magnificent paintings full of
mystery and detail has also hugely impressed me.
 |
Path, oil on board, 90 x 45cm
£1495 |
Curwen Gallery: Your work
is quite playful but can also be quite dark (albeit in a fairy-tale manner)-
how do you feel about these two contrasting elements coexisting in your work?Is
this a reflection of your own character?
Adrian
Sykes: I think everyone has both these sides to
their character and as an artist I am generally drawn to the more introspective
side of life but not necessarily dwelling on the dark side. I suppose I’m
aiming to get a balance between the two.
Curwen
Gallery: Your current work is quite dreamlike with
almost myth like narratives being suggested by some of the motifs that you
regularly use (such as the winding bridge, the lone house etc.) Do you think
these motifs mean something specific to you, unconsciously or consciously?
Adrian
Sykes: Perhaps unconsciously yes I think they do
mean something to me although I am mostly drawn to how they are working within
the composition. Symbolically, ‘the Ladder’ for example which features quite
regularly in my works, can be seen as an archetypal connection between the land
of matter below with the domain of spirit above and the winding path can be
seen as representing our own pathway through life, but any further meaning I
will leave to the psychiatrists! I think images work upon us all in different
ways and there is no one way to define how certain symbols will affect our
subconscious.
Curwen
Gallery: In your artist statement you say that your
work visits “the land of the imagination where I transport the viewer into a
world of darkly humorous and quirky characters.”
 |
Garden House, oil on board, 37 x 18cm
£575 |
Adrian Sykes: I am very
much drawn to a sense of intrigue in any work of art, from a door slightly ajar
or a curtain blowing through an open window to a mysterious lone figure walking
through the woods. I like the play of suggested narrative without being too
heavy handed with the meaning as I like to leave things open to interpretation.
Often by exaggerating the ‘impossibility’ or ‘quirkiness’ of a dwelling or
passageway it draws attention to its significance in our lives where it might
normally get overshadowed by routine, such as, returning home to loved ones
etc. By making some of these elements in my work humorous I think it also
serves this purpose of drawing our attention to these important everyday
activities in our lives. As John Lennon said, ‘life is what happens whilst you
are making plans’.
Curwen
Gallery: Are your subjects taken partly from the real world? Are some of
your landscapes based on real landscapes in the world or are they completely
from your imagination?
Adrian
Sykes: This particular set of work are all from my
imagination. I have tried to capture a sense of memory and perhaps tap into
some childhood recollections. With the elongated houses and trees for instance,
I have concentrated on scale, hoping to put the viewer in a position that they
might have felt as a child when the world is full of wonder and intrigue and
where the scale of life is quite literally ‘awe inspiring’.
 |
Sailing Home, oil on board,
37 x 18cm
£575 |
Curwen Gallery: You say you want to
try to capture “the essence of places” in your work. Are these recent works
inspired by real places? If so where?
Adrian
Sykes: I think the ‘essence of place’ in these
works is all about trying to capture a feeling that has been lost or forgotten
with also the added feeling of a sense of hopefulness and peace.
Adrian Sykes is showing his new work at
Curwen Gallery from 2- 30th April 2015.
Contact the gallery for all sales
enquiries.
Click here for the exhibition website
