PAU L T R A C E Y
Paintings
London born, now living in a village
effects of colour that dominate the
Emotion and association is brought to the
on the Hampshire / West Sussex
canvases. It is of no matter if the image
work by the spectator’s own feelings and
borders. Paul Tracey studied Fine Art at
is instantly recognisable or not, it is the
experience. Some for me, are personal and
Maidstone and Ravensbourne Colleges
quality of the poetry and the simple
emotional, others a simple delight in the
of Art. His first one man show was in
beauty which gives the work power.
objects themselves.
This year’s paintings are all about the small,
This year I have had commissions to paint
From the beginning of his career, his
often colourful objects that we find around
collections of vases, tin toys and gems.
work has been colourful and vibrant,
us. The series was sparked off in an idle
Having a painting of a small collection
with influences from both sides of the
moment when I noticed paint pots lined
adds a certain romance to the collection.
Atlantic from American abstract painters
up on a shelf in my studio, that set me off.
A photograph of a collection is a record of
such as Frank Stella to more European
Children’s building blocks, cakes, sweets and
it taken in an instant of time, a painting is
sensibilities such as Patrick Caulfield,
stone hearts followed, now I see all sorts of
put together over time and brings out the
with a bit of David Hockney thrown in.
likely subjects everywhere I look.
object’s own personalities.
of categorisation. Whether blatantly
As in all my work, it is colour and shape led,
These personal objects can tell a story with
figurative, or verging on abstraction it is
this is not idea based painting, no story, it is
as much emotion as a song.
the delight in the emotional and sensual
a focus on the detail of the world around us.
London at the Graffiti Gallery in 1982.
Much of his work is free from the limits
www.paultracey.net