Christopher Hedley-Dent

Christopher Hedley-Dent was born in 1952 and is a modern figurative painter, printmaker and designer currently living in mid-Devon. He studied Fine Art at the City and Guilds of London Art School, where he specialised in painting and printmaking.

One man shows include: The Ebury Galleries, London (1994), The Plough Arts Centre, Torrington, Devon (1997), Bond-Pearse, Plymouth (1997), Rosemoor Gardens, Torrington (1998), The Alchemy Gallery, London (1999), The Plough Arts Centre, Torrington (2000).

He frequently works to commission, whether this is of a public or private nature. These range from portraiture and landscape to imaginative composition and abstract design. Public commissions include a portrait of Jonathan Leigh, former Headmaster of Blundell’s School, a picture for the Portobello Community History Project, London, CD cover designs for Hyperion records and the King Singers. He was artist in residence at the first Mind Sports Olympiad, Royal Festival Hall in 1997.

He has taught art for many years and since 2001 has worked in the Art Department at Blundell’s School. He is a poet and keen amateur jazz musician. He is currently preparing a suite of poems based on New York to be published by the Mulfran Press in 2011.

As a Painter I use a variety of media including oil, acrylic, watercolour and relief printmaking. I often work thematically. Past themes include the Circus, Arthurian legends and pieces inspired by my own poems. My current work is based on the local Dartmoor landscape and New York. I regard myself as a realist painter but one that uses the resources of 20th century visual language. Cubism is a particular inspiration to me as I am interested in depicting multiple viewpoints. My starting point is work made from observation in the form of studies. These are transformed into more imaginative and abstract pieces as in the current Footpath series. Drawing is a keystone of my practice.

Figure

A sample of pictures that explores the relationship of the figure to particular environments. I have tried to dramatise this with changes of scale and viewpoint and the use expressive colour contrast. The Games pictures combine different pattern elements to get across the spirit of the games depicted.

       

Footpath

This series tries to communicate the complex changing structure of the local Spreyton landscape as you walk through it. I use simultaneous viewpoints as a device to get across the sudden shifts in perspective and light conditions. Form is often fragmented in order to integrate it with the landscape and also to suggest movement. Birds and skulls are used as emblems of the life cycle. The pictures are unpremeditated and develop their own logic organically, mixing memory, imagination and observation.

         
 

New York

A new series based on recent trips to New York. I am particularly interested in contrasting the crystalline, pristine high rise architectural forms with the low rise, more grotty and human corners of the city. I have written a sequence of poems that explores this theme and these are informing the visual work.

           

Studies

A selection of paintings from observation that underpin the above studio based series.

     
       

Prints

The prints develop ideas started in paintings or are based on drawings made on the spot. Composition and dramatic contrast is a prime concern.
I enjoy the decisiveness of working with absolute black as well as the physical carving experience of making the blocks. Vinyl is a yielding material to use and allows delicate as well as bold mark making.

                 

Cornwall, Mawgan Porth

These paintings are an exploration of the environment at Mawgan Porth. They use different perspectives to investigate tide patterns and changing light conditions. I am currently doing a series based on the geology of Bedruthan Steps.

 

Spain, Andalusia

This is a series exploring the interiors of the Islamic palaces in Seville and the Alhambra and combining these with landscape elements from Andalusia. Calligraphic patterns are turning out to be an important constituent of the paintings.