What is different about these new works? “I wanted to render the animals in their natural colours, majestic and proud. Each of these cats commands respect and strikes fear into all who face them. Shadow play presents the cats coming out of the darkness, stepping into the light. I played with the edges of the images, losing some to the darkness. It’s a ‘less is more’ vibe. I like the idea that if the cat moves slightly, it will disappear into the shadows. The black background is a nod to the carbon black of early cave paintings and the primitive darkness. I don’t have a concrete plan with any of my paintings. I love the freedom of my work; it’s the not knowing that excites me. The chase is better than the catch.
Has lockdown changed your way of working? My main thought upon going into lockdown was to get my head down and paint as much as I could. The usual family routine went out of the window! I’m also into every conspiracy theory going, but while I’ve listened to hours of internet theories, I’m still none the wiser. I’ve developed an addiction to houseplants, which has clearly now gotten out of control, having amassed 43 plants over the last few months. In the evenings, I have cycled around town; it has made me feel like an excited kid again. Lockdown has been a chance for people to do things they have never had time for previously. I believe it will teach us how to look after ourselves, learn what we can do without, and discover what’s important to us.
"Each of these cats commands respect and strikes fear into all who face them. They are all kings in their own right in the African plains and Indian and Amazonian rainforests." – Robert Oxley
Ripley Boxed Canvas with Hand Varnish | Edition of 295 Image Size 97cm x 97cm £695 Piper (opposite) Boxed Canvas with Hand Varnish | Edition of 295 Image Size 97cm x 97cm £695 We Three Kinds - Set of 3 £1,950
34 FINE ART COLLECTOR AUTUMN/WINTER 2020
FINE ART COLLECTOR AUTUMN/WINTER 2020 35
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