Paul is a self-taught artist who recently won the RK Harrison prize at the National Open Art Competition. He works from his own photography acquired whilst soaking up the culture and colour of city life. His energetic technique painting very rapidly with vigorous strokes of oil paint in vivid hues embodies the immediacy and spontaneity of his subject. Characterised by eccentric angles and ruthless cropping, his paintings reverberate with a seductive, cinematic urgency.
Paul`s subject matter is inspired in part by the work of photographer William Eggleston and his 'snap-shot aesthetic'. This influence brings a distinctive voyeuristic impression to the celebration of bar culture and modern leisure-time in Paul's work, reflecting, perhaps, the media's infatuation with the hidden camera and fly-on-the-wall scrutiny. "What interests me most," he asserts, "is conveying atmosphere and mood rather than individual people or locations. I want the viewer to feel immersed in my paintings, as though they are actually there, imagining their own characters and narratives."
