Artist of the Month - Jim Hunter
Posted 17 August 2023
Our Artist of the Month for August is Dorset Visual Arts' Member Jim Hunter. He has an exhibition at Mowlem Theatre this month until Tuesday 29th August 2023. Further information can be found here.
Here's what he had to say about his practice and working in Dorset: My current exhibition is ‘Shapes of Blue’ at the Mowlem Theatre, Swanage, and is open through to 29th August. The paintings are all acrylic on canvas exploring the idea of abstraction and point to the commonalities between abstract painting and Jazz.
Drifting 2 - Jim Hunter
In my studio my works are concerned with the formal possibilities of painting so that the process of making the paintings adds to their meaning. I seek to make the surface of the canvas a site for improvisation that allows me to keep the imagery speculative and provisional. My recent ‘Shapes of Blue’ paintings draw upon my series of works exploring the idea of the ‘pier’ and of ‘looking at the sea’.
How does working/living in Dorset influence my artistic practice?
I often paint and draw in the landscape. This has been an habitual practice for me throughout my career, from my student days to now when I make extensive use of sketchbooks while walking and drawing in the surrounding landscape of my studio in the Isle of Purbeck. This particular landscape of cliffs and stone quarries is often the subject of my paintings. When working outdoors I like to use watercolour and ink in order to make rapid and immediate observations. Looking at landscapes, and the structures within these landscapes, acts as the prompt for me to develop abstract images which are not descriptive. They are meant to offer an expressive and decorative echo of my experience of that particular location.
You can find out more about Jim Hunter's work on his Dorset Visual Arts profile, his website, and his Instagram.