Artist Profile - Peter Horrocks
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Biography
Peter lives and works in Kington. He studied for his Art Foundation at Leicester College of Art. He then read Fine Art at Chelsea School of Art and gained a certificate in Art Teaching at London University Institute of Education. Peter then started a career teaching first at Brittons School in Essex and then as Head of Art and Design, Lady Hawkins' School, Kington.
Artist Statement
My work is characterised by a concern for abstraction, carefully constructed structures and a sensual handling of forms. Initial images are often drawn from landscape sources, but a variety of other concerns have influenced my work. These include natural forms, stones and rock formations and themes such as ‘Freedoms and Constraints’ and ‘Traces’. I like to work on a series of images at the same time and enjoy the way the works interact with each other - one work teaches me about the next. I usually work on a square format and the scale can be from as small as 150mm to up to1metre. Some works are presented in a triptych format where the interaction between the three pieces is a significant part of the work.
During the past few years I have been developing my use of drawing media in order to explore more fully the expressive qualities of mark making in my work. Not only do I use conventional graphite pencils, but also graphite powder, pure earth pigments and a variety of mark making tools, some to incise the paper or board to produce grooves into which pigment is rubbed, or blocks of graphite rubbed over to reveal a negative line.
Works entitled ‘Landmarks’ often use natural earth pigments from the place which inspired the work, as in the 2004/5 Tuscan series. I have also sourced a range of ochres from the Clearwell Caves in the Forest of Dean and they have inspired a series of works over the past few years. The series, inspired by my visit to Uluru, (Ayre’s Rock), respects the sacred site and Australian pigments were purchased from Sydney. I have also started using other additives to give a more textured feel to the soft board on which I work. Recent experimentation working on canvas develops this area of my work further.
Works on the theme of ‘Traces’ explores marks left behind in nature and their possible meaning. I am always more interested in small fragments of the landscape rather than the bigger picture.
Drawing for me is an act of discovery. The works themselves are marks I leave behind, and in that sense, are traces where I have been in the creative process.