10 Questions with Robert West
West has established a unique painting language that has been created through the combination of original and derived techniques, executing paintings that represent the now as he sees it. West works within abstraction and focuses on colour, energy, form, and technical expansion. His broad range of methodology forms bodies of work that are more dynamic and less linear than many other painters' work.
West lives and works just outside Hull, splitting his time between his job in construction and his painting practice. He was raised in a working-class family and has worked in the construction industry from a young age. His broad construction knowledge has brought fresh thinking into his painting practice, which has led him to his breakthroughs in developing new painting techniques. West has made a conscious effort to focus on setting up a base in the North of England, which will be expanded with his practice. References from outside his work are limited, and paintings are engaged and reacted to in the progress of their creation. West is currently expanding the Borderline painting series.
Recently the Borderline Series has started to gain recognition, being shown in several group shows in 2021/2022. The work has been short-listed for the Sunny Art Prize, London 2021, and long-listed for the Contemporary British Painting Prize 2021.
Robert West - Portrait
Borderline Painting Series | Project Description
The series is inconsistent to a point, but one can recognize that the works come from the same origin. The works are complex and saturated with an array of colours, lines, and forms. The series has, in my opinion, established a unique painting language that has been created through the combination of original and derived techniques. The paintings seem to me to look as much inward to themselves as they do outward. That is to say, the paintings are self-referencing.
The Borderline series aims to reflect the complexity that we find ourselves in. I believe this can only be done through other complex acts. I am looking at the dominant themes that consume us, and I aim to represent them within the series.
Robert West in Studio: August 2022 © Robert West
INTERVIEW
First of all, introduce yourself to our readers. How did you start getting involved with art? And when did you realize you wanted to be an artist?
My name is Robert West. I am a British contemporary artist and specialise in Contemporary Abstract Painting. Oil paints on polyester is my preferred medium. I work across all formats, from small to large, and I am currently expanding my signature painting series Borderline.
For me, being an Artist was not something that I aimed to be. I believe you are either creative or not, and creativity can lead you to achieve almost anything. I have concentrated my creativity on pushing to create a unique original painting language. When I started the Borderline series, I did not have an image of what I was going to create, but I knew it would come from myself and the processes I had learnt and would create in order to make the Borderline series.
You also work in construction. How does it influence your work as an artist? Do you find any point in common between your two practices?
Working in construction has given me a wide range of knowledge about how things work and are put together. My knowledge has been especially useful when building and designing my studios. My construction background, along with my artistic knowledge, has enabled me to create my own techniques and has consequently had a significant influence upon my work.
The best-built environments are carefully considered, planned, and executed according to a plan. This is the same for the foundation of my paintings. I spend a considerable amount of time making the stretchers and grounds to ensure that the starting point of all my paintings is the same. I ensure that they are robust and reliable.
Once the foundation of a painting is established, it is then that I rely upon my artistic judgement. I plan little and the painting evolves from my reaction to it, in its present state, until its conclusion, however long that may take.
Abstract Painting. No.111, Oil on Polyester, 60x60 cm, 2020 © Robert West
Abstract Painting. No.116, Oil on Polyester, 60x60 cm, 2020-2022 © Robert West
How would you define yourself as an artist? What differentiate you from the others?
I would define myself as a contemporary abstract painter that pushes the limitations of painting. This is always my goal. Even though this can lead to many mistakes and many lost paintings, it has also led to many breakthroughs.
In my opinion, I differ from other artists as I never paint one painting knowing I can paint it all. I am always experimenting, always pushing beyond, in every painting. This can lead to an uncomfortable painting experience, as well as destroying good art along the way. Many painters paint what they know, what is easier, and what is more enjoyable for them. I do not do that, and I believe that my series reflects this by being less linear and more experimental.
In your statement, you define your paintings as reflecting "the complexity that we find ourselves in." What does it mean to you? And how do you work on this idea?
In the world, many things happen every second. Some capture our attention, some do not. When you add all these things up it is almost impossible to comprehend the "complexities in which we find ourselves". As an artist, I aim to represent aspects of these moments, a sense of the lived experience captured in time and place.
Throughout my work, the core idea seems not to change, and the approach to painting has always been fluid, reflective of a time when there seemed to be fewer constants in the world. It is difficult to explain how this idea may evolve in the future.
Abstract Painting. No.79, Oil and Enamel on Polyester, 195x130 cm, 2018 © Robert West
Where did you get your inspiration, both visually and conceptually? Is there any artist or movement you particularly look up to?
Early on, before I began the series, I looked at and found inspiration from a wide variety of painters, including Jackson Pollock, Pablo Picasso, Peter Doig, Gerhard Richter, Howard Hodgins, John Hoyland, Jenny Saville, and Adrian Ghenie.
Once I had started to develop works in the Borderline Series, the work starts to look back to itself for its ideas and direction as well outwards to the wider world.
Tell us more about your creative process. Colours and materials seem to strongly influence your work, although it comes out as abstract. What are the steps that lead you to the final work?
The start of the painting remains constant, and I have my stretcher after that inconsistency remains the constant. My painting processes and methodology differ by small to large margins from painting to painting. I react to the works, your judgement, and your processes move you along. This can either be closer or further away from a painting's completion.
Saturated, stacked colour seem to dominate much of my work, and having the ability to create this imagery takes time. Layering without degradation of colour is critical to representing the now - a reflection of the consumption of saturated visual imagery, a constant search for the unique visual plain amongst the sea of imagery, whether it be still, moving or immersive.
Abstract Painting. No.107, Oil on Polyester, 60x60 cm, 2020 © Robert West
Is there any other theme or technique you would like to experiment with?
I do not have one particular technique that I wish to experiment with. The draw for me is to develop my own techniques and combine them with traditional and derived methods. This is when my painting styles are formed. The work leads the work. Perhaps in the future, the work, theme, or core concept will evolve. For now, this is where we are, and this is what I choose to represent. It is difficult to do any other.
What about recent events? Did the global pandemic impact your work? And did you find any difference in your approach to art now compared to the pre-pandemic times?
It was a challenge to work over the global pandemic period. A lot of challenges stem from pressures on the construction industry and having to close my studio. I have recently set up a temporary studio where I am creating new work until such a time when I can build my purpose-built studio.
I think this experience has made me realise I have a limited number of painting days available to me, and so when works are nearing completion, I let work sit and take it in before reacting to it. This has led to more work being completed, and it has helped develop the series. In the end, I am sure the work will enable the production of itself.
Abstract Painting. No.110, Oil and Acrylic on Polyester, 60x60 cm, 2020 © Robert West
In the past couple of years, we have witnessed major changes in the art world, from the global pandemic to the surge of digital art and NFTs. Did you notice any change in people's approach towards art and your work in particular?
I think that although there has been a surge in the interest in NFTs, much has been from the investment side rather than on the artistic merit of the works. There has been a flood of very poor and pastiche work which has not done anything for the cause of creating original high-quality artwork. The NFTs, though, will remain a large part of the art scene now, and I am sure it will be put to good use by the handful of artists who can get the most out of the new technology which is evolving.
After the global pandemic, it was refreshing but strange to see physical work in a room full of like-minded people. I believe people seemed to appreciate the quality of the physical painting more than before, and they know not to take the experience for granted.
Finally, what are you working on now, and what are your plans for the future? Anything exciting you can tell us about?
I am just completing new works, some I have been in the making since 2020, including Abstract Painting. No.116. I have recently begun working with Rise Art in London a very reputable gallery and they have a good selection of my work available to buy.
Currently, I am creating new larger-scale paintings to complement works like Abstract Painting. No.80 and Abstract Painting. No.105 this is where I believe the series will really start to make further progress, beyond that, anything is a possibility.
