Richard Peacock
Richard Peacock is a contemporary printmaker with a keen interest in sustainability. The use of readymade stencils in his work is a recurrent theme alongside his use of vibrant colour. Each screenprint combines elements of geometrical abstraction and pop art. The negative space made between the different elements in his compositions also contributes to their visual impact.
I often use pieces of packaging folded flat to form the basis of the images I work with. I like this element of recycling: using discarded cardboard to form the basis of a work of art seems appropriate in a throw-away world.
By using pieces of packaging as the basis of his shapes, leads to an interesting visual game of recognition. The viewer is aware that they are looking at something familiar but they can’t quite place what it is. Richard sees these prints as impure abstractions, pushed and pulled by memories, sometimes analogous to natural processes and open to associations with buildings or animals or journeys or music.
Each screen print is hand pulled so the “handmade” nature of the work is something Richard embraces. Unexpected colours are sometimes discovered as the result of two or more layers of ink. These imperfections spark curiosity, reminding the viewer of the human behind the artwork.
His woodcut prints also contain an element of recycling, as he likes to use weathered wood as the basis of this work. In particular, he liberates discarded builders cable drums from skips to form the basis of my circular woodcuts. Printing from these surfaces causes the paper to pick up scratches and scuffs, as well as the grain. Each screen print tells a story of what was and what could be.
