Profile: Gareth Buxton

Biography

Gareth Buxton was born in Derbyshire in 1967 and until recently was unaware of his creative side. He discovered his latent artistic talents by chance, after trying evening classes in photograph, drawing and briefly watercolour painting. He then moved to painting landscapes in acrylic paints, preferring the spontaneity and looseness of this medium. A near fatal road accident late in 2004 was the catalyst for him to become a complete artist. In a short space of time he has developed and refined his talents.

His dramatic landscapes and seascapes are inspired by places, memories and emotions. He finds more beauty in a dark rainy sea than in a glorious sunset. Many of his paintings show a battle between darkness and light, and this interplay creates a mood of tension and drama in his work.

“ Elements like the wind, rain, dark skies, the moon and the light bursting through the clouds that stimulate me profoundly. Landscape painting for me goes beyond literal representation of the land: it's as much about representing me and my state of mind.”

He is particularly inspired by his local Peak District and the mountains and coast of Snowdonia, Gareth's paintings are never literal reproductions or copies of the landscape. The artist does not paint in situ and rejects the convention of painting in this traditional manner.

“All of my paintings are the result of time spent walking, absorbing the atmosphere, experiencing the surroundings and memorising elements of the landscape. I also love being out there, feeling a part of a bigger process, a tiny dot in a gigantic landscape at the total mercy of nature and its processes. I guess that's why I have chosen to mainly paint landscapes and seascapes and I hope people have empathy for those experiences when they see the finished painting”.

Exhibitions – 2008

  • Derbyshire Open Arts - Little Gallery, Belper, Derbyshire (June 2008)
  • Solo Exhibition - Derwent Gallery, Grindleford (Late August 2008)
  • Ingleby Gallery - Xmas Exhibition (Dec 2008)
  • Derby City Open - Dec 2008 (sculpture)

Exhibitions – 2007

  • Derby City Open - Derby Museum & Art Gallery, Derbyshire
  • Gareth Buxton Solo II - The Little Gallery, Belper (Oct)
  • Wirksworth Festival - Panel Selected Artist (Sept)
  • Altered Images - Blackfriars Arts Centre, Boston (Sept – Oct)
  • Autumn Exhibition - Needhams Gallery, Ely
  • Ovenden Exhibition - Artshed Gallery, Ware, Herts (Aug-Sept)
  • “Derbyshire Life and Countryside” Artist of the Year - Finalist, Gallery-S, Matlock (to Oct)
  • MOMA* ( Wales ) - Finalist :Tabernacle Competition (Aug)
  • Out of Control: Solo - Gallery-S, Matlock, Derbyshire (March)

* Museum of Modern Art

Exhibitions - 2006

  • The Landscape Metaphor: A World Inside - Three Cups Gallery, Ely
  • Liberte d'Expression - Barclays Global Headquarters ( Canary Wharf )and Candid Arts Trust, London
  • Open 18 Competition - The City Gallery, Leicester
  • Needhams Christmas Art Exhibition - Witchford, Cambridgeshire
  • Great Art Christmas Fair - Alexandra Palace , London
  • Anglian Contemporary Art Exhibition - Cressing Temple , Essex
  • Intro 2 - Needhams Restaurant, Witchford, Cambridgeshire
  • As Yet Untitled - Blackfriars Arts Centre, Boston , Lincolnshire

Exhibitions – 2005

  • Derby City Open - Derby Museum & Art Gallery, Derbyshire

 Currently Featured In The Following Galleries

  • Derwent Gallery : Main Road, Grindleford, Hope Valley, S32 2JN
  • The Little Gallery : 63-65 Bridge Street, Belper, Derbyshire, DE56 1AY
  • Gallery in the Square: The Old Chapel, Twyn Square, Usk, Monmouthshire, NP15 1BH
  • TheArtbay Gallery: The Old Bank Chambers, Christchurch Street, Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent
  • Ingleby Gallery: Ingleby, Nr Melbourne, Derbyshire, DE73 7HW

Sculptures and Abstract Paintings

In 2006 Gareth started showing his sculptures and Abstract Paintings in public exhibitions for the first time. This more personal work explores a variety of themes including his relationship with technology and the processes of life including ageing and decay. Using the metaphor of the body as a machine, he looks at the natural processes beyond our control. A recurring theme in this work is the artist's feelings of despair at a world that increasingly places value on "form" rather than "function" and this idea is developed in the Corpus Veneer series of semi-abstract paintings.

Contact Details

Email: gareth@garbleart.co.uk

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