Christopher Bagnall

I am a painter who is concerned with the notion that a stranger is an abstract ideal. My work begins with a series of small sketches of strangers. I find that with drawing people I do not know, I can focus on the form and presence rather than their identity.
Through this process I have discovered, the sketches become about a very peripheral experience of observing the person whilst the identity of the individual remains largely unknown.
Upon return to my studio, these drawings become a catalyst for painting.
I found that through the process of transcribing these sketches into paint that I have to scrape and reapply paint repeatedly; forming several layers that overlap which creates further abstraction of the figure and its surroundings. The result is an image that has been informed by an observation and the act of drawing.

University of Lincoln - BA(hons) Fine Art. 2010 - 2013
Chelsea School of Art - MA Fine Art. 2014 - 2015