By Joseph Gilgun
Located in Nottingham, GB
Original, Acrylic Paints on Cotton Patchwork
Joe Gilgun is an English actor and producer based in Manchester, best known for his character Vinnie O'Neill in the series Brassic, which he also co-created, and for his character Woody in the film This Is England (2006) and its subsequent spin-off series, he has also played roles in Hollyoaks, Coronation street and E4s Misfits.
Joe is a self-taught artist. Working from his home studio in Manchester, he explores themes of identity, emotion, society, and the human experience. Drawing from his own personal history and mental health, as well as the shared experiences of the voiceless and invisible living on the streets, Joe continues to discover a haunting beauty in the darkest aspects of the human psyche. With a mixture of street, abstract and fine art influences, most of his work is created using a blend of acrylic, spray paint and charcoal. However, he doesn’t limit himself, sometimes it’s a case of using whatever’s at hand; a splash of tea, a mouthful of spit, on occasion he doesn’t even use a canvas. Art works have been painted on bed sheets due to the times he’s been too anxious to leave the house. Broken gates salvaged from wastelands next to filming locations have also found their way into the collection.
Joe has made a conscious effort to find his own method and style through the trial and error of painting. Trying to find his voice before he starts looking, almost out of spite. Though he enjoys the history of art, classic and contemporary, he has far more interest in understanding his own voice before muddying the waters with everything that’s gone before.
There are, however, influences that can’t be avoided. George Condo’s work fascinates him, he paints ‘ordinary people’, though Joe doesn’t believe anyone’s ordinary. He appreciates how Condo captures the chaos of it all. Francesco Goya: Joe is intrigued by ‘The Black Paintings’. Goya resented society, he kept this series in his house and thought no one would ever see. Similar to Joe’s work, he felt almost embarrassed about the art. It was only ever supposed to stay in the safety of his home. Sir Francis Bacon: with a fear of appearing arrogant, Joe doesn’t consider himself to be a fan of Bacon’s work. Though there are similarities in the themes of despair and the lack of romance about the world. Plus, he was terrified of his dad, much like Joe. Despite being the least favourite of his influences, he’s the artist Joe’s talks about most often, which bothers him. George Rowlett: Joe’s a big admirer of the impasto style and the amount of work that goes into completing each piece. Though not a huge fan of landscapes, watching George paint...
Category
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
