Luke Gilliam
Biography
From Luke Gilliam:
My earliest pieces involved drawing abstract shapes onto cardboard and then cutting the cardboard into strips and then collaging the strips on yet more pieces of cardboard with different colour formats.
As time progressed I began adding in abstract symbols using gouache and acrylic. Many of these early drawings later served as subjects to be painted direct onto canvas with variations and then the use of gluing small found objects usually made of metal onto these paintings. During my first four years of painting I gradually progressed to full sculpture paintings which would involve attaching nails and metal objects onto wooden panels and drilling into the panel to make room for string to be wound through and around the panel -- then the nails to form obscure stringed instruments. I found it very useful to start off with an odd shaped piece of wood as it could be glued into the finished piece at the end and then the whole piece would be painted with emulsion from the hardware store. These pieces were made exclusively with contact cement as it proved very robust. I would like to eventually return to this type of sculpture painting.
All of my work since 2012 involves extensive one- to four-day drawings onto coloured cardboard to achieve a full profile of a figure or figures. Then I use a variety of techniques including brushes and disused match boxes to apply the paint. The figure or figures come alive in a hybrid painting that usually blends impressionistic and expressionist -- and occasionally surrealist -- ways of rendering the figure into one cohesive 'fusion' oriented painting. I feel painting with only one technique becomes very tiresome so I am now devoted the practice that I call hybrid painting, which other people have done and discussed but which has never taken off as a mainstream art movement.
Luke Gilliam's work on Tumblr
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From 2014:
Luke Gilliam lives and works in Bath, United Kingdom.
Solo Exhibitions
SIMPLETON, ST JAMES WINE VAULTS, Bath 2008
Group Exhibitions
SENTINELS EXHIBITION, GALLERY ARCTURUS, Toronto Sep 2009
GROUP EXHIBITION, SMITH'S CAFE, Bath June 2009
COMMISSION, CAFE PARISIEN, Bath April 2009
GUEST CURATOR, BRITISH ART ACADEMY, Bath April 2009
GUEST CURATOR, BRITISH ART ACADEMY, Bath March 2009
GROUP EXHIBITION, BRITISH ART ACADEMY, Bath Feb 2009
GROUP EXHIBITION, BRITISH ART ACADEMY, Bath Jan 2009
MIXED MEDIA EXHIBITION, ST JAMES, Bath Nov 2008
BATH OPEN ART FAIR, Bath 2008
NUIT BLANCHE, Toronto 2007
ZENPHYREMOS, AUTRE COTE DU PONT, Lyon 2006
ANIMOTS, Lyon 2006
NEW DAY VOLUME I, Lyon 2006
MR J FOR ALEX BELLEGARDE, Distillery , Toronto 2003
QUINSIN NACHOFF LIVE VOL II, Distillery, Toronto 2003
QUINSIN NACHOFF LIVE VOL I Distillery, Toronto 2003
MUSIC THAT LIVE FOR PEOPLE, Toronto 1998
SONG FOR CAITLIN, Toronto 1998
DOGMA, Directed by Kevin Smith, Toronto 1998
EARLY HUNGER, Maze Gallery , Toronto 1994
Projects
Ottawa Off Jazz Festival, Ottawa, 2005
Collections
Lotus Commission, Bath UK
Cosmic Connection With The World, British Art Academy, Bath UK
Bibliography
"Discover the British Soul", Luke Gilliam Studios, 38p Softcover, (September 2009)