Born in the northwest of England in a ‘cotton’ and ‘mining’ town – Leigh near Wigan. Leonard Green studied Foundation Art at Wigan School of Art then studied BA (Hons) Fine Art (Painting) at Manchester University followed by MA studies in Fine Art (Painting) also at Manchester. Amongst the exhibitions, Green was involved in during this time in the late 70s and 80s was a one-man show at the Turnpike Gallery in Leigh, Greater Manchester; a prestigious, contemporary art gallery. Green has exhibited widely across the UK including the Royal Academy.
In the course of his early development as an artist, Green became a semi-professional DJ at a time when Northern Soul music was the dominant form of music in the nightclubs of the Greater Manchester area – notably Leigh and Wigan. This music informed his paintings and in recent years, in particular, has provided the titles for the paintings.
Self-taught or art school?
Art School, BA (Hons) and MA Fine Art – Painting
If you could own one work of art what would it be?
Les Demoiselles d’Avignon by Picasso
How would you describe your style?
Abstract Expressionists mainly but with influences from a variety of other artists outside of the Abstract Expressionists – but none more than Frank Stella.
Can you tell us about your artistic process?
I start by ‘energising’ the blank canvas with washes or stains of colour energetically spread across it using big gestures at full stretch rather like the ‘Vitruvian man’ might start a painting! Often I begin using primary colours with an emphasis on one dominant colour. The music I play whilst painting is often (but not exclusively) Northern Soul music which is filled with energy and emotion. Then to develop the painting further I try to deal with my dilemma in painting between freedom and control (a Pollock kind of problem!). Forms and gestural marks begin to arrive and I try to have a dialogue with the work in an attempt to agree on how the work develops (we often disagree!!!) and hopefully ultimately arrive at the finished piece.
Is narrative important within your work?
Not primarily but the musical influences on my work have a strong narrative which is very important to me when titling my work.
Who are your favourite artists and why?
Picasso, deKooning, Pollock and Stella. Picasso’s move into abstraction created a structure/composition to his work and his sense of organisation and composition is very important to me. Equally, being out of control and inviting happy accidents to occur in the painting is undoubtedly a debt I owe to Pollock whilst the ‘juicy’ expressively painted gestures in my paintings are influenced by those of deKooning. Stella’s use of non-rectilinear structures to make paintings is also very important to me and I work on squares, oblongs, circular, and free-formed shapes in my paintings NOT just the traditional rectilinear format.
What or who inspires your art?
Modernity – a sense of being involved in making something of TODAY, something new and which excites me.
Where’s your studio and what’s it like?
I call it my micro studio – it is a tiny room, previously a bedroom but now functions very well as my studio
Do you have any studio rituals?
No
What are you working on currently?
I am currently working on a square and a circular painting as well as a range of ideas for irregular shaped structures.
Where can we buy your art?
You can buy directly from me on Showcasing Leonard Green Artist (www.leonardgreenartist.com) or from FLUX
