British automotive art is on a sharp upward trajectory at present with new names deciding to enter the congestion and gain 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. Indeed, each artist highlighted concentrates on differing aspects of the car and it’s journey, whether that be through the clever use of nostalgia, ultra-realism or a more avant-garde approach to their work.
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 toward the central theme.
The similarities between most styles are clear in that the artists are using their passion for all things automotive to create works of art instead of illustrations of cars, creating aspects of dynamism and interaction that allows you to feel involved with the image, seeing every automobile and situation at its finest.
So when the following artist was brought to MotorMartin’s attention recently it made sense to create a virtual gallery in which to display some of their work. For me, the following 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 complements and adds to the composition leaving you with the impression that one without the other would just not work.
And it’s when you begin to immerse yourself into the automotive world of George that you start to fully appreciate the care and attention that emanates from every stroke of his pencil. For MotorMartin it’s the subject matter and humour that comes through in his work, particularly the black and white images of the older cars. Through his art George invites you to look closely at the cars of your youth or of your dreams once again and to question your own connections towards the subject matter. Indeed the opportunity to discuss specific works of art is accentuated ten fold with the instant comments and sharing that today’s and tomorrow’s social media has to offer.
But don’t just take my word for it, click on the links below and have a look for yourself, just don’t be surprised if some original Geo3T artwork is soon to be found up on your wall.
George Cochrane, perhaps better known by his Twitter name of @GeorgeCochrane1 can be found at Geo3T and by clicking here, where you can discover many more of his creations and I can certainly recommend that you click on the above links and immerse yourself in his unique world.
Where will you go?