John Lloyd
Degree: Fine Art
University: Bath Spa
Graduation Year: 2016
New Blood Art Commentary
John Lloyd’s work fizzes with flair and story. In oil and canvas, he creates portraits with striking clarity, each imbued with his own careful research and stylistic taste. Uniquely, he takes a lot inspiration from cinema – from compositional framing, to snippets of fashion from 1950’s classics. Under Lloyd’s eye, the sharp suits and exaggerated smoke from a black and white film can get reinterpreted into a new pictorial form. Retro objects meet candy-coloured backdrops, with each element carefully composed in the way auteur directors such as Wes Anderson prep each film frame. His portraits insightfully capture the character of his sitters, putting to use the power of symbol and collage.
Artist Statement
The boundaries of painting excite me. Using oils and a canvas together with more contemporary techniques, I aim to put my own perspective on something that's been done for centuries: portraiture. I am heavily inspired by the wonderfully bright and vivid colour palettes of Director Wes Anderson. This distinct and striking aesthetic can easily be recognised within my paintings. I am also visually inspired by the work of director, Jacques Demy. Demy uses a variety of candy-coloured pastel tones which I also emulate within my work.
With my first passion being portraits and holding an inquisition into human identity, I was originally inspired by artists such as Lucien Freud, Francis Bacon and David Hockney. Studying these innovative artists enabled me to develop a less traditional painting style within my own work. Most recently, I have also developed an admiration for still-life. I gravitate towards a variety of high-quality and luxury items. Using oil and mixed medium on canvas, I begin by photographing my subject. I then proceed to use Adobe Photoshop to digitally collage and sketch, using my photograph as a base layer and building my composition from there before proceeding to the painting. As the painting progresses, I weave in an essence of my sitter's personality which can be expressed in the form of colours or objects that best represent them.I aim for the viewer to find the symbolism in my work, whilst simultaneously forming their own narrative.
Group Exhibitions
(2021) RBA Rome Scholarship (semi-finalist), RBA, London
(2020) Visual Space’s Autumn exhibition, Visual Space’s, Online
(2020) Boomer Gallery, Boomer Gallery, London
(2019) Charity Event, Overlock Arts, London
(2016) Salt, Bargehouse, London
(2016) Degree Show, Bath Spa, Bath