PETER TOWN

Peter Town is a born storyteller, gifted with an ability to translate both everyday quirks and deeper philosophical musing through his work. Often using strong lines, striking colours and symbolism in his pictures, Town has built a vibrant portfolio.

Born in Bethnal Green, he grew up in Liverpool and was later educated at Bath Academy of Art and the Royal College of Art. Taking advantage of his ability to communicate ideas visually, he went on to enjoy a successful career as a designer while he continued to paint and develop his artistic style through drawing, painting, photography, and printmaking.

While many of Town’s paintings use strong shapes and primary colours, such as the Stairscapes series, others are quieter and more contemplative, representing a more tranquil inner space.

His Abstracts series features works where the narrative is more ambiguous but ever-present. He sees landscapes, interior spaces and natural forms as abstract shapes and colours, transcribing these in his unique style onto paper and canvas.

My practice reflects my philosophy of exploration and adventure in the visual sphere. Unfettered by convention, I have forged my own path, putting down on paper or canvas the thoughts and emotions I experience. It is only possible to understand my work fully when the parts are all understood. There is a continual dialogue between the parts and the whole, and each viewing increases the understanding of my work.

My art relies on an intimate interaction with the viewer. I am not attempting to create pretty pictures, but works that are openly unfinished, allowing the viewer to enter a common mind space and see the work through their own understanding and interpretation.

The ambiguous world we live in creates an additional challenge, as traditional European ways of reading pictures are no longer the only way to interpret them. The visual world has exploded; a safe set of symbols and iconography are no longer available in the age of the emoji. I enjoy the reward when the viewer makes the connections that I have only hinted at in my work.