Artodyssey: Paul Emsley

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Paul Emsley

Paul Emsley

''All that I can experience of the universe with any degree of certainty is matter, for me it is the visible and tangible end of space. This is probably why I gain such satisfaction from the experience of drawing or painting the human figure, flowers in a vase or an animal. All forms are made up of different configurations and densities. Light and shade pass over each in the same way. By emphasizing a brooding or settled half-light I try to give a sense of mystery to my images.

I often draw and paint animals because I am interested in their forms, textures and surfaces. When drawing an animal I am sometimes struck by a particular part such as a tuft of hair, an eye or an area of skin. There is a kind of horror at it's strange beauty and I am often startled by it's resemblance to parts of our own bodies.

I see animals as walking landscapes. I try to emphasize veins, bones, folds and muscles. They are interesting shapes within the overall form but they also have something very poignant to say.

Our own fate is linked to that of the animals, what we do to them may determine our own future. The unanswerable questions about our existence may come closest to being disclosed within our relationship to them.''

Born 1947. Glasgow.

Grew up in South Africa.

Represented in most public collections in South Africa.

Taught drawing and painting, University of Stellenbosch, Dept. of Creative Arts from 1983 to1995.

1996 Moved to England.

Represented by the Redfern Gallery

Awards
1987 Merit Award: Standard Bank National Drawing Competition
1991 Merit Award: Drawing Competition, South African Association of Arts
2000 Bovis-Architects Journal Special Award, Royal Academy Summer Exhibition
2001 Commended, RWA 1st Painting Open
3rd Prize, Singer & Friedlander, Sunday Times Watercolour Competition
2002 1st Prize, Singer & Friedlander, Sunday Times Watercolour Competition
2003 3rd Prize, Singer & Friedlander, Sunday Times Watercolour Competition
2004 UWE Drawing Prize. RWA Autumn Exhibtion
2005 Silver Award for Works on Paper. British Interior Design Association. Art London
2007 BP Portrait Award. First Prize
2008 UWE. Drawing Prize. RWA Autumn Exhibition