Mike Janes   Contemporary Art for the home, garden and business

Mike Janes worked for 25 years as a builder. In his mid forties he obtained a BA (Hons) Fine Art in Context from the University of the West of England.

Drawing upon his years of experience as a manual worker, Mike works now mainly using building materials such as concrete, stone, wood, bitumen etc. He creates works both for interior and exterior from his studio located in a spectacular former quarry in Weston-super-Mare.

The Stare    bitumen

STATEMENT

My background in the building industry is the greatest influence on me as an artist.

I am directed by the challenge of creating vibration and movement in a static medium, and the work reflects the concept of manual work as a sub-conscious art-making. Through colour, texture and the use of traditional building materials, I explore some of these scientific and philosophical interpretations in an abstract form.

I believe in vision and process. I render ideas through the tactile embrace of materials such as concrete, bitumen, tarmac, render, plaster, paint, clay and stone. The materials speak for themselves and the works are resolved through a process of addition and subtraction. The result is often a transformed silhouette of a flat image into a three-dimensional statement.

The essence of my work is simplicity simplicity of line and curvilinear form, the simplicity of perceived fluid working motions.

Mike janes 08

bitumen detail

“The plaster, concrete and various mixed media paintings and sculptures exhibit strong elements of abstract expressionism and structured space. Colour, texture and a unique perspective contribute to a body of work that is skilfully executed in style and content.”

Agora Gallery New York

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