Keith Grafton

My work takes an exploratory view of how environments impact our lives to the extent to which we are no longer aware. Particular subject matters and themes that interest me are :- people, cities, beaches and commodities as in brands. I like to explore the interplay between emotions, like love, hope and desire, while looking at how fashion, publicity, money and the material world influence the way we live and feel. The intention is to take the viewer on a contemporary journey that is emotionally powerful, uplifting, but sometimes provocative.

These themes are combined to express the intensity and contrast of passions and emotions, often suppressed or repressed in today’s multi-dimensional modern world. This is achieved through the use of photography, image manipulation, mixed media and poetry. Arranging them into new conceptually layered pieces that explore high contrasts, sharp defining colours and a touch of surrealism.

My projects often consist of a series of works, grouped around specific themes using a variety of processes and materials. My current strands of work revolve around: photomontages, photographic based abstractions and collages. This involves taking my own raw photography through a series of artistic processes,...

Keith was born in Germany in 1955 with British and Dutch parents, grew up in the UK, and with a degree in Maths and Chemistry spent 30+ years working in Information Technology as a systems architect for a number major technology companies, and investment banks in London. During this time he used photography and poetry as a way to escape from the monotony of daily life and the soulless corporate environment.

From being a self-taught photographer he became a professional artist relatively late in life after being trained in modern photography and imagine manipulation and mixed media painting at Central Saint Martins University of the Arts, London.

His works are influenced by artists like Kandinsky, Rothko, Hooper, Rauschenberg, Dalí, Miró and Baldessari. His intention is to engage the eye of the viewer while creating a sense of curiosity and expectation so they can remember and experience past and present sensations, such as what it is to be deeply in love and be captivated by their emotions and feelings of being and feeling alive.

Keith lives with his partner Maite Baron in London and works at the Baron Grafton Arthouse, their studio and by-appointment-only gallery where they showcase their collections to Trade members and private collectors. Their work can be found in numerous private residences in the UK and abroad.