Bernie Clarkson

Central to my work is the representation of struggle within the human condition. By exploring the human figure in painting the balance of process and visual outcome allows a development of intimate yet ambiguous scenes to be depicted. In my recent work each piece appears as a private moment where friends reflect on their relationship capturing an odd stillness of non-place and unknown time. The story is in the things unsaid with a quiet discord entering into the dialogue of the paintings. As I explore a greater anonymity in the figures, looser paint marks offer an opportunity for the paint itself to reveal and conceal the detail of the compositions. These intimate vignettes seek to capture the slight turbulence of close human relationships.

Newcastle University, BA. MFA