ARTISTS information

Stemming from Gina's early work as a Performance Artist, her interest has been and continues to be in space, atmosphere, time and memory. Parr's childhood environment, where she had neither control nor space as Gina's mother was an undiagnosed hoarder, deeply informed her Performance Art, Set Design TV career and subsequently her Painting and Photographic work; space and atmosphere are no longer just desirable commodities, she now feels it is necessary to create and recreate them, bouncing between clutter and clear. Parr's early performance work, “Not Enough Room to Swing a Cat in Here” at the Waterloo Gallery in 1980 explored the connection between possessions, confinement and absence of space. Subsequently, the series of photographs, “Horizon” has expanded this theme to create illusionary space from a cramped and chaotic environment in urban India and the Far East, and the Painting series, "River meets sea,” has been an exploration of the open space where two large bodies of fluid merge and has lead to the series “Spatial history”.


Considering the fine balance between chance and control has understandably also become increasingly important in Gina's work and this marks the tension between how much it is allowed to happen by chance, and the need to intervene and engineer the paint to control the developing relationship formed on the canvas. Whilst Gina's work is fundamentally abstract, the foundations are born out of figurative reference and autobiographical themes and draw on personal emotional passage and scenario.
In 2007 Gina returned to work full time as an Artist having originally graduated with a First Class Honours degree in Fine Art in 1980 and having practiced as a Performance Artist in London in the early 1980’s, going on to study Television Set Design at Chelsea College of Art and worked for the BBC as a Senior Production Designer, and later as a Freelance Production Designer across a number of channels. 
Gina Parr's work is in private collections in the United States, Canada, Norway, Germany, Switzerland, Eire, New Zealand and the UK. 

Anthony Frost, the son of Sir Terry Frost, was born in St Ives, Cornwall. Between 1970 and 1973 he studied at the Cardiff College of Art acheiving a BA (Hons) in Fine Art. Since then he has lectured on his subject at Falmouth School of Art, Canterbury School of Art, University of East London, Anglia University and served on the Devon County Advisory team at the Torquay Foundation Centre. He has been artist in residence at the Cyprus School of Art, Cyprus, Montmiral School of painting, Tarn, France and was Judge and Organiser at the Seven Celtic Artists Exhibition, Finnistere, France.
Anthony has been working in Cornwall since he graduated from Cardiff College of Art and lives deep within the West Penwith rural landscapes of Rosemergy, near Morvah on the Atlantic coast.  He is an active member of the well recognised artistic community of Penwith and exhibits regularly with the Newlyn Society of Artists.
Music has always been an important part of Frost's creativity and has been an inspiration for many years; more recently his personal artistic language has developed alongside the music he listens to in his studio.  He has always believed music to be the ultimate artform and says that he has been inspired far more strongly by musicians than by other artists.
Over the years Anthony's work has been exhibited at many of the major galleries in the UK and he has had solo exhibitions in London, Canterbury, Hull, Newlyn, Cambridge, Jersey and Gutersloh in Germany.

Simon was born in 1962 into a family of commercial printers. His artistic journey started out when an old 1850's printing press was discovered in the basement of an old stationery printers in Perth, Scotland. The press lay in pieces for many years but was finally moved to Exeter where Simon used it to help start the Double Elephant Print Workshop. 
He now uses this very same press to produce the stunning monoprints that he creates today. Based in Exeter he is now focussing on his own work and while also lecturing part time at the University of Plymouth and at Exeter College.

Simon's art education started in London, his degree however in Fine Art Printmaking was gained at Plymouth.

'what excites me is the not knowing - until one pulls back the paper from the block you never quite know how it will turn out. In my work I facilitate chance and actively encourage the unknown, the happy accident.' Simon's work is an intuitive response to the things that catch his eye. When seeing the finished article, one can see how the work has evolved on the paper. It is not restrained by anything tangible, leaving the viewer's imagination to explore its depths while taking in its form. His exploration of colour is exceptional - finding hues that can be stimulating but at the same time relaxing...tranquility without form.

Today Simon makes linocut relief monoprints on handmade Japanese paper. Each piece is unique, individually inspired and hand printed by Simon himself.

Heidi was brought up and educated in Germany but was first introduced to printing through her grandfather who produced many woodcuts and linocuts.
As a child she was fascinated with the various printing techniques and all the different tools that were used but today she works on her own prints in a very spontaneous way, using the etching plate as a drawing board, and then colouring every print by hand with many of the key details being added after they have been through the press.
Heidi's inspiration comes largely from travel, having come to Britain after travelling around Australia and South East Asia. She still makes regular trips overseas and enjoys meeting new people and experiencing different cultures.
Since completing her studies at Brighton and the Slade School of Fine Art, Heidi has received numerous awards and commissions for her work. Her monotypes, etchings and paintings can be found in public and private collections all over the world. 

Stephen Jacobson studied graphic design and illustration at Manchester and Liverpool Colleges of Art before moving to London to undertake a post-graduate course in painting at the Royal Academy Schools. Since graduating in 1973 he has continued to paint and exhibit nationally in various galleries and art fairs.
Although his work conspicuously lacks figures, Stephen has undertaken several family portrait commissions; but his main interest lies in translating the stillness to be found in landscapes and interiors that reflect the presence of humanity.
'Simple images capture my imagination, I paint the everyday scenes and objects that surround us but which we overlook or take for granted. Someone once said of my work that I “was looking for heaven on earth” and I suppose to a large extent they were right; you will see no decay or signs of ageing in my paintings, I am seeking a sense of order and an underlying essence of the things. I believe there is a joy to be found in the simplest juxtaposition of the elements that we find in the world. I am disinterested in the use of paint as a personal expression;I try to retain a sense of anonymity and remove any obstruction that may cloud the vision of the viewer.
Since moving to Portishead I have found a new and unexpected source of imagery. Prior to this I have always lived in the city but this semi rural coast has been a revelation, most notably the vastness of the skies. These have been a feature of my latest work and I have been incorporating them into my view of the world I am trying to represent.'