Julian Quaye
“90 percent of painting is half mental.” JQ
Julian is a popular Bristol mixed media artist and a jobbing sign writer and muralist. His works illustrate his love of ironic juxtaposition, and his interest in Victorian and Edwardian colours, with his series of human-form animal portraits.His recent work features anthropomorphic characters whose stories interweave into what one day will be a book and perhaps even a film.
Julian’s current works illustrate his love of ironic juxtaposition, and his interest in Victorian and Edwardian colours, with his series of human-form animal portraits. A typical example of his work is ‘The Aviator’: a penguin in early period pilot’s uniform at the North Pole. Or to put it another way, a bird that can’t fly dressed in flying kit and standing at the wrong end of the world.
Within three months of exhibiting for the first time he was picked up to be included in a contemporary urban auction alongside Damian Hirst and Banksy by Dreweatts in summer 2012.
Quaye is a commercial artist with over 25 years experience. He began as a graphic designer in the 80s, producing screen-printed designs for clothing. By the 90s he was specialising in custom freehand airbrushing; anything from motorcycles and crash helmets to murals and backdrops. Always keen to develop his skills further, he studied the arts of trompe l’oeil, marbling, graining, colour washing and traditional sign-writing. His mixed-media artwork, sign-painting and murals incorporate many of these techniques to unique and distinctive effect.
When asked about his influences in creating his animal series of paintings, Quaye cites the wit of surrealist Rene Magritte with the animal drawing styles of Beatrix Potter, Walt Disney and Warner Brothers, encapsulated in a portrait in the manner of American realist painter Edward Hopper but with a liberal dose of kitsch. Quite a recipe.
All the paintings form characters for the narrative for an illustrated book in the future. ‘It will be Steam Punk meets Beatrix Potter’ says Quaye.
Interviews
Blog links
Jan 20 - A murder mystery and we know who did it
Nov 19 - The Cult of the Illuminated Telling Box - meet the elephants
Nov 19 - Meet Winnie and his muse
Oct 18 - Fab 4 Feature - Carolyn 'Ginger' Grant
Nov 17 - Sneaky peak of Julian's work for The Totterdown Arts Trail
May 17 - The story behind Mr Snuggles
May 17 - How Julian created his first anthropomorphic figure
April 17 - Featured artist - Julian Quaye
March 16 - Strong Female Characters in the work of Julian Quaye
July 15 - The highly collectable Julian Quaye
July 15 - The amazing anthropomprphic world of Julian Quaye
PRESS
Dec 19 - Julian Quaye. The artist, the myth, the maverick VAMP magazine
Julian Quaye with Owl and Pussycat II and The Sad Demise of Mr Snuggles
Originals at Bocabar Finzels Reach
Northern Lights
Julian Quaye
50 cm x 70 cm
Mixed media
£1400
Bruce
Julian Quaye
51 x 76 cm
Mixed media
£1300
The Cult of the Illuminated Tellig Box
Julian Quaye
64 x 74 cm
Mixed media
£1400
Carolyn 'Ginger' Grant (Canvas print ltd edition of 7) £250
Jonas Mackay the Tattooed Caledonian Whaler
Julian Quaye
54 x 64 cm
Mixed media
£1400
Say 'Hello' to my little Friends
Julian Quaye
36 cm x 46 cm
Mixed media
£800
Sexy Selina
Julian Quaye
50 x 70 cm
Mixed media
£1300
Books