Michael Alford is a British figurative artist known for an expressive painting style that fuses classical technique with a modern sensibility. He lives and works in London.
Michael’s painting is diverse, reflecting his interest in a range of different subjects and ways of seeing. He paints contemporary cityscapes, street scenes, landscapes, figures and portraits.
He is also a muralist and war artist.
Michael’s first training came from his father, who taught him to draw in perspective from a young age. After a period in the Royal Marines, Michael read Spanish and Arabic at Durham University.
Later he studied art at the Slade School and the Chelsea School of Art.
Michael shows widely in number of London galleries and across the UK, as well as in Europe and the United States.
He sells his work internationally and has paintings in several private and public collections, including the National Army Museum.
His decorative murals feature in homes, restaurants, hotels, palaces and public spaces around the world.
Michael has won prizes including the Stanley Grimm Prize 2017 from the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, the Green and Stone Oil Painting Prize, the Agnes Reeve Memorial Prize for best painting of London, and the Prima Luce Mural prize.
He is a former council member of the Chelsea Arts Society.
In 2017 he appeared in SkyArts Landscape Artist of the Year.
He has been an official war artist for the British Military on three occasions.
In 2011 and 2013 he accompanied troops to Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
In 2016, a third commission took him to Iraq.
Artist Statement
"Painting for me is recapturing the experience of seeing, without being too literal-minded about what that experience is or means.
My work always starts with direct observation of the visible world. It can be broad and sweeping, as in landscapes or cityscapes, or very close and intimate, as in figures, nudes or interiors. I often go out looking for subjects and return to the studio with sketches or drawings. These I use as a starting point for a process that turns raw observation, impressions, into something more abstract and evocative".
"The process often involves cutting out visual distractions and transient effects so that the resulting image has more power. Time acts as an important filter for me and so does physical distance between the initial sketch and the painting. Both help me distil the memory and pick out the essential forms.
My overall aim is to communicate my experience of seeing, to convey - through the use of light and shadow and mood - some of the magic and mystery I feel when I look at the world". | Source: michaelalford.co.uk
Michael Alford è un artista figurativo Britannico noto per uno stile pittorico espressivo che fonde la tecnica classica con una sensibilità moderna.
Vive e lavora a Londra.
La pittura di Michael è diversa, riflettendo il suo interesse per una gamma di diversi soggetti e modi di vedere.
Dipinge paesaggi urbani contemporanei, scene di strada, paesaggi, figure e ritratti.
È anche un muralista e artista di guerra.
La prima formazione di Michael è arrivata da suo padre, che gli ha insegnato a disegnare in prospettiva sin dalla giovane età.
Dopo un periodo nei Royal Marines, Michael ha letto lo spagnolo e l'arabo all'Università di Durham. Successivamente ha studiato arte alla Slade School ed alla Chelsea School of Art. Michael espone ampiamente in numerose gallerie londinesi ed in tutto il Regno Unito, nonché in Europa e negli Stati Uniti.
Vende le sue opere a livello internazionale e ha dipinti in diverse collezioni private e pubbliche, tra cui il National Army Museum.
I suoi murales decorativi sono presenti in case, ristoranti, hotel, palazzi e spazi pubblici di tutto il mondo.
Michael ha vinto premi tra cui lo Stanley Grimm Prize 2017 del Royal Institute of Oil Painters, il Green and Stone Oil Painting Prize, l'Agnes Reeve Memorial Prize per il miglior dipinto di Londra ed il premio Prima Luce Mural.
È un ex membro del consiglio della Chelsea Arts Society.
Nel 2017 è apparso in SkyArts Landscape Artist of the Year.
È stato un artista di guerra ufficiale per l'esercito britannico in tre occasioni.
Nel 2011 e nel 2013 ha accompagnato le truppe nella provincia di Helmand, in Afghanistan.
Nel 2016 una terza commissione lo ha portato in Iraq. | Fonte: michaelalford.co.uk
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