Ross Cunningham

About Ross Cunningham

Ross Cunningham has worked in the creative industry for over twenty years. He studied architecture at Nottingham University from 1994-2000 and subsequently worked in commercial graphic design, establishing a London-based design agency in 2009. Ross has worked globally across a range of sectors, with a primarily role as creative director for various brand identity programmes. In 2015 Ross returned to live in his native Belfast and began his painting career in earnest. The influences of a rigorous approach, as well as the languages adopted through extensive immersion in the worlds of architecture and graphic design are clear in the artwork. Specific artists’ who have born influence are Richard Diebenkorn and Milton Avery. Of particular interest is Diebenkorn’s ability to make a painting look like a painting (brush marks, physical layering and evidence of trial and error) whilst still maintaining a feeling of architectural form and graphic simplicity. 
From around 2000 Ross has photographed extensively in a wide range of countries, both commercially and personally. Despite the variety of locations, there is a recurring interest in subject matter where everyday objects take on an iconic nature through heightening of colour and perspective. An early influence was found in viewing first-hand the colour work of William Eggleston - many of Eggleston’s prints were made using the ‘dye transfer process’, a process adapted heavily by Technicolor for the film industry but no longer available for commercial use. Deep saturated colours were achieved by burning a series of separate colour plates back onto the original negatives. Through advanced digital processes, Ross has developed a post-production workflow to replicate the physical technique of dye transfer, achieving larger colour gamut and tonal scale in the final printed image.