Those who are regular readers of the blog will’ve have seen us bigging up local artist Mike Forrest’s work before. He first caught our attention at Shopping Trolley October 2005 with his amazing swans, and again in spring 2006 at the last Shopping Trolley.
We were bowled over for him when we heard he’d been given the cafe walls at Quay Arts to display more of his work at the beginning of this year. The latest collection featured some incredible enamelled works, my favourite being the chimpanzee.
What is even more fascinating about his work, is that he uses no stencils or masks, it’s all done with an extremely steady hand.
Well, good things are continuing to happen for Mike, and this Friday at a private viewing, he’ll be unveilling his latest creation. An enamelled artwork to be sited on the corner of Columbine Road, near to the Esplanade in East Cowes. It was created as a joint commission supported by well known locals AJ Wells Vitreous Enamellers and Arts & Business. The partnership was a direct result of Island 2000’s ‘The ART of Business’ Business sponsorship day (also supported by Arts & Business).
Here’s the official low-down on Mike’s adventures so far …
Born on the Isle of Wight, artist, sculptor and designer Michael Forrest entered the art world in 1979. After studying at Sandown High School, he began his further education with a Foundation year at Kingston University. Choosing to focus on Graphic Design he graduated from Camberwell College Of Arts, London, with a 2:1 BA (Hons) Degree. Whilst studying there he explored the world of graphics and illustration and developed an understanding of a number of skills which enabled him to communicate his ideas.
During and since college, he has been a contributor to many art exhibitions, with both his sculptural and painting work. Recently he has been involved with a bi-annual exhibition entitled ‘Shopping Trolley’ at Quay Arts on the Isle Of Wight and had his first solo show in the Quay’s Cafe in November 2006. His latest work draws influence from his graphic design background.
The focus of Michael’s recent work involves imagery found in the natural world, birds in particular. The large scale of his work emphasises the impressive qualities of the creatures. Not only enhancing the natural beauty of the subjects, but also the powerful statement of natural design, mimicked with masks used throughout the ages as a sign of intimidation and warning. The emphasis on the face and head and the use of double imagery creates an unease, a sense of the unusual in the usual. The intimidation from the relentless stares creates an odd juxtaposition between the reality of the world as we know it and the presence of scale.
During his residency at AJ Wells, Michael has explored the qualities of vitreous enamel to create his commission for East Cowes. This process allows the layers of colour to be built up, while retaining the smooth finish of the surface so desired in his paintings. This too has allowed experimentation into the relief of the surface, working in texture to enhance the feel. This piece features a large scale local seabird in Michael’s customary bold graphic style in a way that also exploits the subtleties in finish that are possible with the medium.
This project is part of Island 2000 Trust’s ongoing work to promote artists’ work in the public realm.
