.... is an artist who has been working with drawing, painting and public art projects since the early nineties.
He has wide interests and admires the 'old model' renaissance 'artist/engineer'. Hence he has been challenged by a pretty diverse set of commissions and won an unusual range of national awards and prizes.
Materials use includes oil paint, such as for the recent Tate gallery museum collaboration, stone and steel for the 25 ton sundial installed on the moorland of Cannock Chase, and digitally manipulated photography for Surestart. 2004 see's his exterior mobile library commision wending its message around Staffordshire moorlands
He uses drawing in all of his output, from documenting the recent Staffordshire 'Time Team' dig, to the prize winning drawing residency in support of the National Drawing day campaign.
Encouraging the expressive, contemporary approach to the observed nude....
'Modern economics means artists, or even colleges can rarely afford full time models, indeed I believe the work is often weaker if they do! Much more useful to learn to 'work with what you've got', look quickly, and not expect to rival historical painters who were often obsessively trained without question. The life room shouldn't be a museum or reenactment society…'
After working at Bruntingthorpe, Ian was intrigued to develop the work further. He saw a tie between the naked human figure, and his childhood interest in aircraft.
'The symbolism of these flying machines is confused - the apparent beauty of such a single minded killing machine as the Spitfire preserved in Stoke-on-Trent, or the old world majesty of Cosford's carpet bombing Lincoln, is often seen, but the original purpose missed.'
He approached the RAF Museum with a view to being their first 'artist in residence', and in turn to West Midlands Arts to help fund it. After agreement between both parties, he begins the the 7 month placement in May 2002 (updates available here).
Gabrial Gregory, Evening Sentinel
