James Blinkhorn
James Blinkhorn looks more like a rock star than an artist, but then his brand of art is incredibly upbeat and visually edgy, so it kinda makes sense. Plus he may be planning a career change at some point. A kind of role reversal compared to Bob Dylan, Ronnie Wood and Ringo Starr who’s journey/careers went in the opposite direction – from rock star to artist. But let’s hope it’s not any time soon though, as we love Blinkhorn’s art. So what is Blinkhorn’s art? Well it’s toweringly illustrative for starters. And visually imposing. Enough clues for you there? That’s right, contemporary urban landscapes first and foremost is Blinkhorn’s very graphic game. Graphic novel almost in some pictorial quarters, as there’s more than a hint of Gotham about certain cityscape elements which meet the eye.
Soaring skyscrapers rise up from sprawling metropolises which in turn reach out and punctuate indignantly hued and saturated skies above, containing more than an air of foreboding. Not that Blinkhorn’s trademark pieces aren’t inviting and don’t immediately draw you in with promises of rich textures and multi-layered cosmopolitanism. On the contrary as the very accomplished and much in-demand contemporary urban landscape exponent connects with the willing viewer at every pictorial twist and turn, as he vividly paints illuminating degrees of (predominately) New Yorkan skylines and aerial vistas with much gusto and an unparalleled enthusiasm for his subject matter. The gravity-defying angles are to die for, whilst the moods and tones veer between dark and light, brooding and sunny of panoramic disposition.
Blinkhorn was born and raised a world away from the Big Apple, yet in a memorable year for any proud Englishman; back in Manchester in the year 1966. He was also born unto an artistic family outfit, and at school his own fledgling gift was soon spotted by teachers and contemporaries. In fact Blinkhorn’s creative talent was so impressive that he was actually taken out of some of his more conventional lessons so he could focus on his art, at the bequest of the teaching staff no less. Observed to be something bordering on a child prodigy, it wasn’t long before both Blinkhorn’s teacher and the parents of fellow pupils were falling over themselves to get him to paint something for them, as commissions began to roll in. during his teenage years Blinkhorn also grabbed the runners up spot in a major art competition and when eventually asked - by not just his careers tutor but anyone else who cared to enquire – as to what he wanted to do with his life the response was as blunt as it was obvious. That he wished to be an artist of some description. As Blinkhorn himself puts it looking back on this time; “There was no choice".
On leaving school Blinkhorn elected to study art at Tameside College, before deciding to go solo and subsequently set up his own studio in Cheshire. Blinkhorn knew that he had to put himself out there from the outset and quickly generate interest in what he did and start making a name for himself and more importantly, his art. As a result he staged very successful one-man shows in the locality, which served as a great Launchpad and environ for his self-promotion, and it wasn’t long before Blinkhorn appeared on art lovers, collector and critic’s radars and consequently become recognised as a creative and versatile young talent.
In those early days Blinkhorn’s muses were perceived to be somewhat unconventional, typically everyday scenes which inspired him courtesy of anything from shapes and textures through to colour; and one such place he kept returning to which served as a prominent influence at this juncture was his local scrapyard. Especially so on a rainy day when he’d spent time conceiving ideas and concepts for a future composition in this most unlikely of inspired public arenas. Explaining what he saw in this surround that piqued his creative interest so, and Blinkhorn tells of his exploration of man’s incursion on the environment, built and otherwise, which naturally led him the observation of certain architecture and cityscapes, specifically. So as to immerse himself in urban landscapes of the very best order, Blinkhorn used this opportunity to travel widely to take in some of the world’s finest and most densely populated and architecturally diverse cities; including the likes of London, Glasgow, New York and many iconic European capitals as part of his odyssey. There he’d absorb the sights, sounds and unique atmospheres indicative of the individual thoroughfares before recreating them via an extensive range of media and art materials at his disposal back in his studio.
In recent years Blinkhorn has become best known for his stunning illustrative works crafted in pastels, of which he strove to put together what he considers the definitive range of pastels. You see, Blinkhorn’s images offer contrasts from the myriad greys of his sidewalks and skyscrapers with occasional ventures towards the bolder end of the spectrum. To achieve this distinctive look, Blinkhorn approached a bespoke pastel manufacturer and had them create over 50 different shades of grey; all individually manufactured and ranging from oyster to ash, from iron to dove, from sea washed pebbles to cloudy skies. Henceforth Blinkhorn was readily able to visually describe every nuance of concrete, smoke and sky to stunning effect and with minimal use of the more conventional range of colours, thus resulting in the overtly stylistic approach and presentation to his modern day pieces. Indeed, Blinkhorn’s enigmatic, powerful, ultra-stylish compositions stop us in our tracks, as they do everyone who witnesses them, and as testified by his countless exhibitions throughout the UK and Europe and across America to date. What’s more, Blinkhorn boasts many prestigious private and corporate collectors, with examples of his illustrative work on show in the boardrooms of such blue chip, globally recognised companies as BT and Siemens.
Soaring skyscrapers rise up from sprawling metropolises which in turn reach out and punctuate indignantly hued and saturated skies above, containing more than an air of foreboding. Not that Blinkhorn’s trademark pieces aren’t inviting and don’t immediately draw you in with promises of rich textures and multi-layered cosmopolitanism. On the contrary as the very accomplished and much in-demand contemporary urban landscape exponent connects with the willing viewer at every pictorial twist and turn, as he vividly paints illuminating degrees of (predominately) New Yorkan skylines and aerial vistas with much gusto and an unparalleled enthusiasm for his subject matter. The gravity-defying angles are to die for, whilst the moods and tones veer between dark and light, brooding and sunny of panoramic disposition.
Blinkhorn was born and raised a world away from the Big Apple, yet in a memorable year for any proud Englishman; back in Manchester in the year 1966. He was also born unto an artistic family outfit, and at school his own fledgling gift was soon spotted by teachers and contemporaries. In fact Blinkhorn’s creative talent was so impressive that he was actually taken out of some of his more conventional lessons so he could focus on his art, at the bequest of the teaching staff no less. Observed to be something bordering on a child prodigy, it wasn’t long before both Blinkhorn’s teacher and the parents of fellow pupils were falling over themselves to get him to paint something for them, as commissions began to roll in. during his teenage years Blinkhorn also grabbed the runners up spot in a major art competition and when eventually asked - by not just his careers tutor but anyone else who cared to enquire – as to what he wanted to do with his life the response was as blunt as it was obvious. That he wished to be an artist of some description. As Blinkhorn himself puts it looking back on this time; “There was no choice".
On leaving school Blinkhorn elected to study art at Tameside College, before deciding to go solo and subsequently set up his own studio in Cheshire. Blinkhorn knew that he had to put himself out there from the outset and quickly generate interest in what he did and start making a name for himself and more importantly, his art. As a result he staged very successful one-man shows in the locality, which served as a great Launchpad and environ for his self-promotion, and it wasn’t long before Blinkhorn appeared on art lovers, collector and critic’s radars and consequently become recognised as a creative and versatile young talent.
In those early days Blinkhorn’s muses were perceived to be somewhat unconventional, typically everyday scenes which inspired him courtesy of anything from shapes and textures through to colour; and one such place he kept returning to which served as a prominent influence at this juncture was his local scrapyard. Especially so on a rainy day when he’d spent time conceiving ideas and concepts for a future composition in this most unlikely of inspired public arenas. Explaining what he saw in this surround that piqued his creative interest so, and Blinkhorn tells of his exploration of man’s incursion on the environment, built and otherwise, which naturally led him the observation of certain architecture and cityscapes, specifically. So as to immerse himself in urban landscapes of the very best order, Blinkhorn used this opportunity to travel widely to take in some of the world’s finest and most densely populated and architecturally diverse cities; including the likes of London, Glasgow, New York and many iconic European capitals as part of his odyssey. There he’d absorb the sights, sounds and unique atmospheres indicative of the individual thoroughfares before recreating them via an extensive range of media and art materials at his disposal back in his studio.
In recent years Blinkhorn has become best known for his stunning illustrative works crafted in pastels, of which he strove to put together what he considers the definitive range of pastels. You see, Blinkhorn’s images offer contrasts from the myriad greys of his sidewalks and skyscrapers with occasional ventures towards the bolder end of the spectrum. To achieve this distinctive look, Blinkhorn approached a bespoke pastel manufacturer and had them create over 50 different shades of grey; all individually manufactured and ranging from oyster to ash, from iron to dove, from sea washed pebbles to cloudy skies. Henceforth Blinkhorn was readily able to visually describe every nuance of concrete, smoke and sky to stunning effect and with minimal use of the more conventional range of colours, thus resulting in the overtly stylistic approach and presentation to his modern day pieces. Indeed, Blinkhorn’s enigmatic, powerful, ultra-stylish compositions stop us in our tracks, as they do everyone who witnesses them, and as testified by his countless exhibitions throughout the UK and Europe and across America to date. What’s more, Blinkhorn boasts many prestigious private and corporate collectors, with examples of his illustrative work on show in the boardrooms of such blue chip, globally recognised companies as BT and Siemens.