British automotive art is on a sharp upward trajectory at present with new names entering the congestion and gaining recognition for their talents. Brett Fraser, writing for the Daily Telegraph recently stated that: “British automotive art in particular is reinventing itself and the exciting result is a genre in which the car remains the inspiration behind a picture but isn’t the artist’s full focus; the “art process” has become as important, if not more so, than the subject matter.”
And Brett isn’t alone in his assessment of the current state of automotive talent at present as artists such Tim Layzell, Andrew Kitson, Andrew hill and Helen Taylor ply their trade, gaining recognition and appreciation from the more mainstream art establishment by making the background key to each piece, complimenting the car and adding to it.
But then we have those that tread a different path. Artists that concentrate on elements such as composition, value, lighting and form, using the minimum of colour and concentrating their work mainly in just black, white and grey. Indeed, in situations such as this, a splash of colour can be even more effective at drawing (sic) the eye.
The similarities between the two styles are clear in that both sets of artist are using their passion for all things automotive to create works of art instead of illustrations of cars, giving each piece of art an atmosphere and interaction that allows you to see every automobile at its finest.
So when the following artist was brought to my attention up on the top floor of MotorMartin Towers it made sense to create a virtual gallery in which to display some of their work. For me, the following two pieces perfectly capture the strengths of the artist involved as well as the extremes that their art encompasses. Upon closer inspection it’s the attention to detail and scale that stands out, particularly with the MINI and how the background, which at first appears relatively simple, perfectly compliment and add to the composition leaving you with the impression that one without the other would just not work.
George Cochrane, perhaps better known by his Twitter name of @GeorgeCochrane1 can be found at Geo3T where you can discover many more of his creations and I can certainly recommend that you click on the above link and immerse yourself in his unique world.
Where will you go?