Maxwell Steele

John Maxwell-Steele was born in Birmingham in 1961.

He began exhibiting in 2004 and in 2007 exhibited at the Birmingham Museum and Art public gallery.
Since then he has continued to evolve his practice achieving recognition through solo and group shows,
including the Royal Academy and Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the year.

Steele makes work in a number of different ways, all of which are gradually evolving. The shifts that appear from one series to the next can be dramatic, but each new painting builds on those that have gone before in a subtle but constant progression. His characteristic form of atmospheric abstraction has aptly been described as 'unpainting', given that key compositional elements are generally produced, not by the application of paint, but through its removal by washing away the paint, and re-appliying. The play between the additive and subtractive process, the making and unmaking,
underlies this sophisticated body of work.

BA Fine Art UCE Birmingham 02.
MA Fine Art Falmouth College, Cornwall 05.
He studied Art and Design at Solihull College of Art from 1981 to 1985 and completed a post-graduate Fine Art degree at Birmingham University of Art, in 2002.

Selected mixed exhibitions

2003 to date
Seasonal mixed shows Stour Gallery, Shipston-on-Stour. Gallery 54, Herefordshire. Gallery One, Grayshott.
Edgar Modern Gallery, Bath.

2004 to date
London and International Art Fairs
Johnathan Poole Galley, Oxford. Sheridan Russull Gallery, London.
Brian Sinfield Gallery, Oxford.

Selected Open Exhibitions

New Horizons RBSA Birmingham 2004
Prize Exhibition RBSA Birmingham 2005
Open Media RBSA Birmingham 2006
The Mailbox Birmingham 2004
Custard Factory Birmingham 2007
West Midlands Open, Birmingham Museum
and Art Gallery 2007 & 2014
Birmingham Town Hall 2006
Royal Academy Summer Exhibitions.

Solo exhibitions

2004 St Pauls Gallery, Birmingham.
2005 City Gallery, Leicester.
2006 Surface Gallery, Nottingham.
2009 Within the domestic Gallery, Leamington Spa.
2016 Brian Sinfield Gallery, Oxford.
2017 Brian Sinfield Gallery, Oxford.
2018 Brian Sinfield Gallery, Oxford.
2019 Brian Sinfield Gallery, Oxford.


Residencies

2007/08 RBSA Artist in residence
Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the year.