Jon Pilkington (b.1990) is primarily an abstract painter without rejecting a striking natural tendency to a more figurative representation. In fact, Pilkington’s most recent body of work demonstrates a critical challenge to a continuous battle between abstract and figurative work. The artist bridges these two art styles creating a stimulating dialogue on canvases. His struggle renders a sharp quality edging to his artistry, since it is the solid labour that defines the prime line of differentiation between figuration and abstraction. Characteristic thick gestures and unrigorous strokes construct Pilkington’s painterly compositions described by him as sickly, awkward and dry.

Words: Yannis Kostarias

A rich combination of colours intertwines with his complex depictions creating an atmosphere of an efficiently calculated chaos. The visual impact of his colour combinations allures the viewer’s gaze suggesting a stimulating thinking around his colour theory; the artist’s involvement with colour is rather apparent as he seems to put a great emphasis on a polychromatic array underlying an enchanting interplay of colour mixing. Pilkington’s painting arrangements are not planned in advanced, but progressed without careful consideration allowing each work to get developed organically until his cohesive painting result is successfully affirmed.

The artist’s technique sports an integral architectural overtone of colourful underlayers that enclose the remaining surface of his canvases. His paintings are executed in fine array with manifold hues of elegant or bold colours, such as brick reds, earthy browns or less shining purples given by unsteady lines in rhythm. The artist is spirited and confident with his movements in each paintings through which the painterly arrangements examine a visual perspective of spontaneity, freedom and flexibility into a nicely interpolated space.

 Born in Liverpool, Pilkington is an English painter who lives and works in Copenhagen, Denmark. He studied Fine Arts at University of Lancashire and also completed his postgraduate studies in Fine Art at the Chelsea College of Art and Design in London. His work has been exhibited internationally in many countries, such as the United Kingdom, Denmark, Germany, Australia, United States, Italy and France.

 In his interview with Art Verge, Jon Pilkington shares his approach on art issues and provides some interesting insights about his daily life. Check it out!

http://www.jonpilkington.co.uk/