Martin Stephen

Martin Stephen is an abstract expressionist painter and musician from Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom, working with a variety of medium including oil on canvas, gouache / acrylic on paper and board. Drawings, sketchbooks a foundation for surrealist ideas often used as the basis for larger paintings. The artist also works with digital composites, photo / video art and multi-media projection for live performance. With music, improvisational sessions may be recorded and post produced utilising effects and collage techniques.

I relate to the thoughts and processes found in the work of Joan Mitchell, Jackson Pollock, De Kooning, Arshile Gorky, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Alan Davie (who I met in the 1990’s) Hans Hoffman for push / pull theory. Inspiration from : Abstract expressionism (1943 - 70) Cobra group (1948 - 51) Expressionism (1905 - 20) Free - jazz (1950's / 1960's) German experimental scene / early progressive rock (1967 - 80's)

Music improvisation has played a key role in this artists life. Piano, drums extended to work with early synthesisers creating a catalogue of recorded work based on improvisation since 1998 working with traditional instruments, emulators, effects and production techniques.

Expressionist art an extension ...

BSc Hons (Nottingham University)


COMPUTER / ELECTRONICS (-2009)
5 years - Apprenticeship (Hawker Siddeley Dynamics) Hatfield, followed by three months secondment to each dept building skills.
Award : 2 weeks on Winston Churchill sail training schooner
HNC (engineering) distinctions (Letchworth)
2 years - Space, satellite development (Stevenage)
3 years - Honours degree, Nottingham University
5 years at a WP computer systems house (Senior Consultant) Manned company stand in Los Angeles Expo exhibition
5 years - Engineering Training Board (Senior Training Advisor) Industry standard qualifications achieved. Chosen for the Eli Goldratt JIT major board initiative
7 years - Legal & General (Senior Consultant) Exam based FPC 1,2,3 industry standard qualifications.
Sold and managed the R Griggs group GPPP (2nd largest in L & G history) Over 1000 employees advised, signed into the scheme.
3 years - The Thinc Group, Cambridge, London
2001 - romantic fiction short stories (self published as Breathe to the Limit of the Trance), 40 poems / lyrics
1990 - present day - Approx 40 music albums.
Extensive work with early sound modules, synthesisers, drums / drum programming MOTU digital performer, electro harmonic pedal effects.
Ses...

Exhibited, London, Cambridge UK.


Selected biography - ART / MUSIC (2009-2019)
Website created, January 2022 (new and retrospective work since 2010)
Working with Cubasis 3 on i - pad with Waves plug-ins.
Apple i - pad apps including Launchpad, synthesisers, keys and vocal apps.
Keys, guitar, vocal studios .. Deepmind, Model D, Neutron synths.
Three Tascam set up with HD559’s
Creative Reactions, Cambridge, 2019.
NEW ARTIST FAIR, BRICK LANE, LONDON, SEP 2019.
Art Out, Peterborough, 2019.
Chordal progressions / session notes '16
Working with Joe Mason (drums) Katie Black (saxophones)
Tascam 8 - track recordings
Return to Blue Barn, Ely (2016 sessions)
Collaborations with Chantal Leger (Menen, Belgium)
Catalogue (works on canvas (2014-16)
Catalogue (works on paper) 2013-16
Artwork design for front cover of published work The Transistor
Creative minds studio solo sessions - The art cave
Exhibited at Pint of Science / Creative Reactions 2016
(Finding earth like planets) Dr Amaury Triaud
Exhibited at Pint of Science / Creative Reactions 2015
(Dark matter, dark energy) Prof Carolyn Crawford
Music albums, catalogued, re-mastered from 1990 -
Cathedral series of photo collage gallery cards
Paintings: Myth : Fabric : Thought  & S...