Luke Austin-Heywood

My practice explores the intersection of structural discipline and gestural autonomy. Grounded in a rigorous study of 20th-century Modernist texts and the formalist architecture of late-century graphic design, my work seeks to negotiate the space between the calculated "grid" and the visceral mark.

I view the canvas as a site of synthesis where the historical weight of Abstract Expressionism meets the rhythmic urgency of contemporary subculture. Having matured during the 1990s, my aesthetic sensibility was irrevocably shaped by the structural complexities of drum and bass and techno. I interpret the syncopation, speed, and repetitive loops of these sonic forms as a blueprint for visual composition. In my work, the "speed" of the track dictates the velocity of the stroke, turning the act of painting into a record of temporal frequency.

The resulting "calligraphy" is a proprietary language of movement—a graphology that maps the transition from intellectual theory to physical execution. By synthesizing the precision of Swiss design with the kinetic freedom of the New York School, I aim to create works that function as both a formalist inquiry and a rhythmic event. Each piece is a deliberate layering of history and immediacy, investi...

Education:
BTEC in General Art and Design 1992-94 - Falmouth College of Art
BA (HONS) in Fine Art 1994-97 2.1 grade - University of Plymouth Exeter site
POST GRADUATE DIPLOMA in Fine Art. 2004 - Falmouth College of Art

2023 Summer show at the Poly, Falmouth.
2023 Spring exhibition, at The Poly, Falmouth
2022 Gallery Citron, Truro.
2022 exhibited at Howdens(London) through OutsideIn gallery/charity Chichester.
2021-22 Mining exchange studios gallery.
2019 exhibited at Imagine Falmouth, at Falmouth art gallery Cornwall.
2017 exhibited at STUDIO 10.Cornwall.
2016 placement at Royal Cornwall Museum.
2012 -HYDRA- The Cornish studies library, Cornwall.