Paul Critchley bio

Paul Critchley

Europe, 1960

Since leaving art college in 1982 Paul Critchley has exhibited internationally in more than 30 individual shows, 9 two-man shows, numerous art fairs and over 180 group shows. He left Britain in 1985 for adventure and inspiration - and to avoid falling into the circle of school-college-school, he has since lived in West Berlin, France, Italy, Holland, Spain, the USA and even in Moscow and Vladikavkaz in Russia, painting throughout. For more than half his life he has lived amongst people whose language is not his own - this self imposed isolation could be a reason why his paintings have a certain quirkiness - but painting, like music, does not need a translator. His surroundings have always inspired his work whether the dark, brooding Soviet atmosphere in his Russian series; the Hitchcock like unease of interiors with subtle lighting, muted colours and distorted perspectives; the fascination with the mediterranean light which etches the eyes with its brightness or the mountain landscapes where he now lives.

Paul Critchley’s paintings of interiors and exteriors have evolved to include themes of windows and doors which open and close: triptychs and diptychs with which the viewer interacts. Some of his sculptural paintings invade the space before them by either folding into or wrapping around corners, others maybe painted on the floor or ceiling as well as the wall, or in separate pieces. Our eyes see everything but we only look at what attracts our attention so with his separate piece paintings he brings our attention to just those points needed to convey the purpose of the painting. For more than fifteen years Paul has been creating paintings for an installation which is formed from the contents of a house; sofas, toilet, bed, windows etc. Individual pieces which when seen together form one whole composition: one composition comprised of separate pieces; the space between them is the wall, and as with any house the contents change over time. Click to see a video of the installation.