Keir S Williamson. BA (hons) Fine Art.

ARTIST STATEMENT

The contemporary painter Keir Williamson was born in 1945 and educated in Leicester. At school he developed an interest in drawing, but early post war secondary modern education in an industrial city made it seem less and less likely for him to achieve a career in the creative world.

As a teenager he was given a camera which opened a new door for him to develop a wider interest in the creative arts. Keir progressed through photography and drawing at evening classes until he enrolled on a foundation course at Leicester Southfields College under the tuition of Rob Pountney. The ambiguity between abstract and representation in his work can be traced back to his studies under Rob Pountney, in particular the method of drawing from the model and the dialogue with colour. This led to a fine arts degree at Coventry University. Throughout there has been a continuity, both in his own development and in respect to the out side influences of other artists whose work has helped to form him. After gaining his degree he turned to painting and settled in St.Ives Cornwall.

The move to Cornwall was one of the most beautiful experiences of my life, the dramatic coastal landscape of West Penwith offers such a broad and diverse source of imagery, that it has influenced my perception of painting. I am inspired by the natural world; earth, sky and water. I work to break down representation and producing pictorial painterly abstraction, creating a sum greater than its parts and to develop a growing awareness of the possibilities of colour. It begins with an idea based on strong observation. Once the composition has been decided upon, the reality to a point is not so necessary. I am free to create light and atmosphere with tone, colour and brushwork.

Keir Williamson