John Wilkinson

I have been practising as a full time artist for 5 years, working from a studio located in an old factory in Sheffield’s industrial hinterland. Using elements drawn from both industry and nature my work often references the forgotten histories of the industrial working class to bring life and meaning to the landscapes. My works range from representational through to semi-abstract and I seek to create worlds for the mind to wander through. I work in acrylics, which I apply with a palette knife. Working the paint as it dries, I often add organic and manufactured materials to the paint, enhancing the textural effects achieved from my way of working the paint. I describe my process as stirring coloured mud. 

Exhibiting is a significant part of my process. My exhibitions are themed, and my intent is to create installations formed of discrete, standalone, pieces. As a result I work in series, seldom happy with one response to subjects that are rich in complexity. My aim in doing this is partly narrative, the For Those In Peril..  exhibition told the story of merchant sailors on the Arctic Convoy runs of WW2, for example. Moree recent shows have explored both my experiences of the world (A Sense of Ancient Stories (2018); Biosphere renewal (Succession (2021), and our relationship with objects (Material (2020). Previous exhibitions have explored our tendency to continually tear down and rebuild our world (We are not in the least afraid of ruins - Sheffield, Northwich, Congleton - 2013-14); and art as a response to neo-liberalism (Voices From The Wilderness - Sheffield 2015 - Joint with John Ledger); (Fighting For Crumbs - Sheffield, Liverpool - 2016 - a group show). I also completed a 50 day residency at Sheffield’s Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet during 2016, leading to an exhibition of works that explored what it was like to live and work at the site during the late 19th Century.