JOE SIMPSON MUSICIAN PORTRAITS - Reuben · PDF fileJoe Simpson Musician Portraits ... Jamie...
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JOE SIMPSON MUSICIAN PORTRAITS
Joe Simpson Musician Portraits
‘Musician Portraits’ is a series of paintings of famous singers and musicians including Brandon Flowers of US rockers The Killers, Mark Ronson, Paloma Faith, Maxi Jazz, David Gray, Jamie Cullum and Ezra Koenig (Vampire Weekend) There are 22 paintings in the series, each piece Oil on Canvas, sized 60 x 60 cm. All of the featured musicians sat for the project.
With a confidence and ambition belying his tender years, Simpson approached his favourite musicians from a wide range of musical genres and nationalities to participate in the series. Once the subjects agreed to be included, Simpson met up with each artist to take original photographs to work from to create an original oil painting.
Over a year in the making, the project proved as much a challenge in making contact with the subjects and then persuading them to be a part of the series. The project has taken Simpson all over the country - from musician’s houses and studios - to backstage at arena concerts and festivals and as far afield as Las Vegas to meet Brandon Flowers.
Simpson’s portrait of Maxi Jazz from the series was shortlisted for the prestigious BP Portrait Award 2011. The painting has been exhibited at The National Portrait Gallery as part of the most popular show in the gallery’s history. Because the painting was committed to the BP Portrait Award’s touring exhibition, Simpson created a new, portrait, with Maxi’s permission, for the solo show.
Speaking on the idea behind the pieces, Simpson says: “I’ve tried to root each painting in a tradition of painted portraiture – each piece has a quiet, still and almost introspective feel to them. I’ve tried to capture the way that each person held themselves when I met them. Usually I didn’t give the musicians a great deal of direction, or plan how I wanted the piece to turn out. These paintings have a physicality to them that you don’t get with a photograph; the paint has a specific weight and application - you can see layers and brushmarks in the hair and skin tones.”
The ‘Musician Portraits’ will only be available to view at this exhibition for just over a week when we will then move them to The Royal Albert Hall in London for a three week exhibition.
Maxi Jazz (Faithless) Oil on Canvas
60 x 60 cm
Paloma Faith Oil on Canvas
60 x 60 cm
Matt Beringer (The National) Oil on Canvas
60 x 60 cm
Sam Beam (Iron & Wine) Oil on Canvas
60 x 60 cm
Jack Steadman (Bombay Bicycle Club) Oil on Canvas
60 x 60 cm
Fyfe Dangerfield (Guillemots) Oil on Canvas
60 x 60 cm
Lisa Hannigan Oil on Canvas
60 x 60 cm
Liam Frost Oil on Canvas
60 x 60 cm
Mark Ronson Oil on Canvas
60 x 60 cm
Dan Mangan Oil on Canvas
60 x 60 cm
David Grey Oil on Canvas
60 x 60 cm
Ezra Koenig (Vampire Weekend) Oil on Canvas
60 x 60 cm
Emma-Lee Moss (Emmy the Great) Oil on Canvas
60 x 60 cm
Jamie Cullum Oil on Canvas
60 x 60 cm
Newton Faulkner Oil on Canvas
60 x 60 cm
Scroobius Pip Oil on Canvas
60 x 60 cm
Justin Young (The Vaccines) Oil on Canvas
60 x 60 cm
Brandon Flowers (The Killers) Oil on Canvas
60 x 60 cm
Anna Calvi Oil on Canvas
60 x 60 cm
Damon Gough (Badly Drawn Boy) Oil on Canvas
60 x 60 cm
Patrick Wolf Oil on Canvas
60 x 60 cm
Jade Williams (Sunday Girl) Oil on Canvas
60 x 60 cm
Maxi Jazz (Faithless) No. 2 Oil on Canvas
60 x 60 cm
Price List
Title Medium Size (cm) Price
Maxi Jazz (Faithless) Oil on Canvas 60 x 60 £5,950
Paloma Faith Oil on Canvas 60 x 60 £SOLD
Matt Beringer (The National) Oil on Canvas 60 x 60 £5,950
Sam Beam (Iron and Wine) Oil on Canvas 60 x 60 £5,950
Jack Steadman (Bombay Bicycle Club) Oil on Canvas 60 x 60 £5,950
Fyfe Dangerfield (Guillemots) Oil on Canvas 60 x 60 £5,950
Lisa Hannigan Oil on Canvas 60 x 60 £5,950
Liam Frost Oil on Canvas 60 x 60 £5,950
Mark Ronson Oil on Canvas 60 x 60 £5,950
Dan Mangan Oil on Canvas 60 x60 £5,950
David Gray Oil on Canvas 60 x 60 £5,950
Emma-Lee Moss (Emmy the Great) Oil on Canvas 60 x 60 £5,950
Jamie Cullum Oil on Canvas 60 x 60 £5,950
Newton Faulkner Oil on Canvas 60 x 60 £5,950
Scroobius Pip Oil on Canvas 60 x 60 £5,950
Justin Young Oil on Canvas 60 x 60 £5,950
Brandon Flowers Oil on Canvas 60 x 60 £SOLD
Anna Calvi Oil on Canvas 60 x 60 £5,950
Damon Gough (Badly Drawn Boy) Oil on Canvas 60 x 60 £5,950
Patrick Wolf Oil on Canvas 60 x 60 £5,950
Jade Williams (Sunday Girl) Oil on Canvas 60 x 60 £5,950
Maxi Jazz (Faithless) No. 2 Oil on Canvas 60 x 60 £SOLD
Biography
Joe Simpson is a figurative painter currently living and working in London. His paintings have been shown both
nationally and internationally, including prestigious venues such as Urbis, Manchester City Art Gallery, Cornerhouse and
The House of Commons. Joe works primarily in oil paint to create realistic images that utilise the conventions of
cinematography to present ‘staged’, fictitious scenes where time has been stopped and extended. These frozen moments
are deliberately ambiguous, inviting the viewer to inject their own emotions, motivations and narrative context into the
scene, thereby avoiding limiting interpretation.
Joe has completed several large scale commissions for prestigious clients, including a series of paintings for P&O,
Standard Chartered and the Professional Football Association. His work is owned by notable collectors and celebrities.
His largest exhibition ‘Almost There’ received funding from the Arts Council England and corporate sponsorship from
Audio Technica.
Exhibition History 2012 Everything Is Electrified, Camden Town Unlimited, London
2011 BP Portrait Award 2011, The National Portrait Gallery, London
Beck's Art and Music Label Competition, Shoreditch, London
2010 New York, New York, Azura Superliner
2009 Joe Simpson, Cornerhouse, Manchester
Almost There, Candid Arts Trust, London
2008 Accenture Corporate Art Loan, Accenture London Office
ArtMap Manchester, City Tower, Manchester
Follow the Lights, Lowry Hotel, Manchester
Waterside Open Art, Waterside Art Centre, Sale, Trafford
2007 Bankley Open 2007, Bankley Studios, Levenshulme
The Grieve + Samaritans Art Prize, House of Commons, London. Jurors: Anthony McNerney and Camilla D'Arcy-Irvine
Blank Media, Zion Arts Centre, Manchester
Capricious (Degree Show), University of Leeds
Liberté d´Expression, Light Gallery, London. Curator: Sharmina Karim
Nationwide Mercury Music Art Prize 2007, The Hospital Gallery, London. Juror: Sir Peter Blake. Director: Dan Ford
2006 Liberté d´Expression Competition, Candid Arts Trust, London. Curator: Sharmina Karim
Gallery Redbill, Shotton
Colourblind, Eleanor Winter's Gallery, Toronto
2005 Nationwide Mercury Music 'Art and Music 2005', The Air Gallery, London. Juror: Sir Peter Blake. Director: Dan Ford
*One By One, North, Leeds
2004 Channel 4 Self Portrait Competition 2004, National Tour (including Manchester City Art Gallery)
Bansang Hospital Appeal Charity Exhibition, University of Leeds
Gascoigne Gallery Painting Prize 2004, Gascoigne Gallery, Harrogate
Reuben Colley Fine Arts 50 & 52 St Mary's Row, Moseley, Birmingham. B13 8JG
Tel : 0121 449 3744
Email : [email protected]
Opening Times
Monday - Open by appointment only Tuesday - 10am until 6pm
Wednesday - 10am until 6pm Thursday - Closed
Friday - 10am until 6pm Saturday - 10am until 6pm Sunday - 11am until 4pm