BIOGRAPHY

I am an Irish artist with a background in illustration. I now live full time in Houston Texas. These days I work in series and also individual paintings, drawings, and assemblage. My mediums are oil paint, acrylic, ink, pencil, collaged fabric, assembled wood/ various 3d objects and paper. I try to let ideas come to me and sometimes let the pieces speak to me through their creation using editing as part of the process. They are usually colorful and often try to illustrate the contrast of living in the sparsely populated Fermanagh countryside of my youth, and living in the city with a diverse population. I have lived in Ireland, England, Amsterdam and Los Angeles. I now call Houston, Texas home. Where I live with my wife and two daughters, two cats and a dog. These experiences and diverse populations have influenced my work. There are so many ways to represent population architecture and nature, that I am constantly going between mediums to describe these relationships.

ARTIST INSIGHTS

How are your background and life experiences connected to your art?

I have grown up in Rural Northern Ireland during the troubles where life was a contradiction between the beautiful countryside where I fished in rivers , played Irish football and rode around the countryside on bicycles with my friends. This was in stark contrast to the struggles between governance, a border, violence in many forms which bombarded the news daily and socio economic woes. I then went to University in England where the world started to open up to new possibilities and diversity in areas. I had caught the bug and from that point saved up and travelled a little around Europe, staying a little in Italy, Budapest, The Czech Republic, and ended up living in Amsterdam for 6 years. This part of my life was so much fun and taught me more about diversity as well as developing my palette for food great art and more great music. The differences between rural and city life created new growth within me. I took chances in my work here and there and I was always aware of tribalism, borders and efforts within various cities and countries to work as a whole for a better tomorrow. As well as preserving history and various engineering feats in places like Holland. It became clear to me that it didn't matter where I came from only what I could aspire to do or create. Everywhere I went things were slightly different but a similar. There was a pattern to a degree. All these things are deeply engrained and I always think of coexistence as the main reason for any success in any place. there is rhythm , color and an attempt to coexist and achieve balance everywhere. this tension between these factors always comes through in my art one way or another, and for me there are many things to explore in many materials and ways. So the journey continues with no rush to any particular destination. Stepping stones represented by bodies of work that are pictorial and 3d questions. All my experiences thus far have created this notion deep inside me, and have helped me decide a way that I want to create and view the world whilst celebrating my time being part of it.

Who are some of your biggest artistic influences?

Willem De kooning, Karl Appel, Picasso, Vincent van Goch, Paul Gauguin, Henri Matisse, Édouard Manet, Richard Diebenkorn, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Elizabeth Murray, Helen Frankenthaler, Joan Mitchell, Joan Miró to name but a few.

How have you developed your artist career?

I have developed my artistic career through trial and error. experimenting at all cost, perseverance, practice, trying various opportunities. Asking for advice and opinion to give another perspective. And trying to learn from my mistakes.

What does your artistic work intend to communicate to its audience?

My work intends to communicate the fact that we are all connected as a species and in our environment. It offers an escape for the viewer through sometimes colorful rhythmic forms, and environments. As well as a hint of nostalgia and a little bit of whimsy through recycled and found materials. These are put together in with various materials such as carved wood , found wood, paint, paper, leather resin turned into 2d / 3d through large and small sometimes colorful freestanding and wall sculptures.

Does your work comment on any current social or political issues?

My work is connected to environment equality. Whilst returning to being the gatekeepers of the only world we know. it does this by proving that different forms can coexist and connect in a space in time. Also that we are the architects of that possibility. we can be custodians celebrating coexistence with each other and other life forms we share the planet with. Or we can keep consuming and wasting at a rate that tips the balance drastically and destroys the very planet we share.

Do you have a particular story that stands out from your career as an artist?

I remember seeing The La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona and there was a section where you could see how Gaudí used strings and weights in a mirror to see how he could create some of his unusual forms in symmetrical way, amongst other reasons. It made me realize how important a mirror could be to check my own paintings at times. sometimes they didn't look right or I wasn't happy with it for some reason. when I used a mirror the reversed image sometimes revealed an imbalance that I could then rectify.

What is one thing you would like your audience to know about you?

Outside of art I am Manchester United fan.

Which current art world trends are you following?

Nft's , I am interested in the possibilities of large scale fabrications, Augmented reality in art and unorthodox shapes in the form of wall paintings and 2d/ 3d pieces.

Why have you chosen to sell your work in the 1515 Lincoln Gallery?

Because as soon as I met Susan and the staff I felt an immediate connection and sense of family. It is important for me to trust and feel comfortable with gallery owners. I absolutely feel this from Susan and her staff.

What do you believe makes 1515 Lincoln Gallery distinct from other galleries?

They are interested in creating a diverse gathering of creatives and sense of community that celebrates that diversity, and gives clients an exciting catalogue of work to choose from. They are fully focused on respectfully caring for their artists in order to get the best possible working relationship. Which in turn will get them the best work to share with clients.

ARTIST STATEMENT

A lot of the time the shapes or forms in my work are like characters trying to coexist in a space. In some series I am with the viewer looking in or out. In others I am creating environments that offer momentary escape for the viewer. I am interested in relationships between the objects I make, movement, environments, composition, connectivity and space. I use 2d materials and 3d sculpture to bring my ideas to life.

PETER HEALY’S AVAILABLE ART

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