Brought up in Belfast, Warren King was given a thorough grounding in painting and drawing from an early age by his cousin Brian Audley, a lecturer in art at Queens University. Frequent trips to the Antrim coast set in motion a lifelong love of nature – references to the vibrant colours of rural Ireland and endlessly kinetic power of the sea can be found in many of the paintings he produces. As an abstract artist, King firmly believes in capturing the essence of energy, movement and spontaneity that nature, in its purest form, offers us all.
Self-taught or art school?
A bit of both! I was taught how to draw at a young age by a cousin, who was a lecturer at Queens University in Belfast. When I came to live in England in my teens, I went to art school but studied graphic design, which led to a soul-destroying career in computer graphics producing endless slide presentations for corporate clients. Four years ago I taught myself how to paint and am learning new things every day.
If you could own one work of art what would it be?
My favourite artist is the modern Italian master Nicola Samori. His 2020 painting, Ciclope – rendered on onyx – demonstrates amazing audacity as it is a portrait painting that has at least 70% of the face missing.
How would you describe your style?
I would say my work tries to balance both figurative and abstract elements. Photorealistic portrait painting does very little for me, but there’s a lot of really bad abstract art out there too. I push myself to paint portraits that don’t rely on the obvious indicators, such as two eyes, a nose and a mouth. I’m relying on snippets of figurative elements to get the viewer to see faces in the same way some people see Jesus in a burnt piece of toast.
Can you tell us about your artistic process?
I rarely use paintbrushes and when I do it’s at the beginning, to create a wash of colour for a portrait. I work mainly with small plastic paint guards to push, scrape and sculpt the paint until something catches my eye. I then home in on that section and begin to go backwards by wiping away areas with a wet sponge, so that underlying painted sections can come through. It’s a very hit and miss process, more to do with sculpting than painting. I love the idea of subtracting paint from canvas to achieve a finished piece.
Is narrative important within your work?
Yes, very much so, but I make no apology for saying that I only begin to apply a narrative to a painting when it is mostly finished – anything else and the joy of spontaneity would feel contrived and restrained for me. Of course, I do sometimes set out with a plan to keep a general theme going if I’m working on a series – I’m obsessed with the idea of faith and in particular, Christian martyrs who were willing to suffer extreme torture for what they believed in.
Who are your favourite artists and why?
I’m fairly traditional in that I most admire the old masters, such as Rembrandt, Caravaggio, Ribera. I love that rich blackness enveloping the characters that those painters conjured up. Out of the modern artists, Francis Bacon, despite, or because of his lack of technical ability. His portraits are imbued with a wonderful sense of the theatrically macabre. Marlena Dumas, for her effortless ability to produce a portrait oozing character and depth out of a few brush strokes and as I’ve mentioned, Nicola Samori, for his re-evaluation of portrait painting in the 21st century.
What or who inspires your art?
Since childhood, when I watched the 1941 film The Wolf Man, with Lon Chaney Jr as the werewolf, I’ve been obsessed with horror films. I think that interest in the macabre seeps through into many of my paintings. The thrill of being terrified is fascinating and I try to imagine that sensation whenever I seek inspiration for a painting. Also, 16th-century Italian artist Giuseppe Arcimboldo inspires me greatly – not so much for his paintings but the way in which he used his imagination to create characters out of objects such as fruit and vegetables.
Where’s your studio and what’s it like?
My studio is in Dukes Meadows, close to the river in London and it backs on to a playing field, so I try to take a break from my work by roaming in circles for half an hour.
Do you have any studio rituals?
As soon as I arrive I switch on my speaker and connect to iTunes – music is essential for me to concentrate properly. I then change into paint-splattered clothes and put the kettle on. Before I leave each evening I like to tidy up and make sure all my plastic scrapers and sponges are washed and cleaned.
What are you working on currently?
I enjoyed painting Night Roamer recently. The vivid colours against the stark black was a look I felt happy with, so I’ve been using that formula for more portraits, in the hope they can all complement one another and work as a series.
Where can we buy your art?
I rely upon Instagram mostly, encouraging people who like the work to message me directly. I’ve posted to many countries worldwide and use recorded delivery to send paintings promptly.
Follow @kingsweny to view more of his work.
