Mixed media painting: 'The Great Wave'. Disconsolate teddy bear in small boat with a Hokusai-style wave bearing down on it.
The Great Wave

artist's (non) statement

I have had to write several artist's statements over the years. To be honest, I'm getting fed up with it.

If I could explain what I'm doing in words I probably wouldn't need to paint.

And as for why I paint...

Well, I guess it's because I just can't help myself.

I think artists write statements in the hope that it will make people like their work. But I'm not sure you can improve pictures by talking about them.

If people do enjoy my work, that's nice. It usually turns out that they have something in common with me. A certain warped sense of humour, for one thing.

And if you don't like my work, that's fine by me. There are a lot of things I don't like either. I try not to let them bother me.

Anyway, thanks for visiting. Why not take a look at the interview page? It's much more interesting than this one.


Brian Pike, North Yorkshire, July 2010

Mixed media painting: 'Monster Performs Hamlet'. Ref. 'Hamlet' Act v, Scene i ('the gravedigger scene'). Night scene, lit by crescent moon. A one-eyed green monster with two small horns and a single protruding tooth holds a skull in a contemplative fashion. Behind, on a hill, a small castle with a light in one window.
Monster Performs Hamlet

qualifications and appointments

Cambridge University
PhD in Philosophy
Research topic: human colour perception

Cambridge University
Tutor, Aesthetics

The Open University
Tutor, Philosophy of the Arts

are you still here?

I thought you were supposed to be going to the interview page.

Mixed media painting: 'What Houses do at Night'. Nocturne. Two houses apparently playing football with a small red car.
What Houses do at Night