Christopher Orr

About

Christopher Orr is a painter, based in London, who was artist in residence at ArtSway in September and October of 2009. His paintings — usually very small in scale — are characterised by elements of Romantic art and the Sublime, and often feature intricately detailed figures within huge and ethereal landscapes. The figures, objects and animals that crop up in Orr's work are appropriated from an array of early to mid twentieth century books and manuals — with the artist deliberately playing with the placement and sizes of the figures in his work. Orr's recent body of work — exhibited at IBID Projects in London in the summer of 2009 — were paintings based on small black and white appropriated images, lacking in details that, as the artist comments, ‘…forced my own hand to be more apparent in the work' and leading to a much looser, fractured style of painting. For his most recent series of paintings, begun whilst in residence at ArtSway, Orr has included references to works by old masters, particularly French Rococo painters such as Jean-Honoré Fragonard and Jean-Antoine Watteau — whilst retaining elements of the more bombastic and romantic ideals of the German painter Caspar David Friedrich. Orr also saw his time at ArtSway as affording him the space — both mental and physical — to refresh his practice, to take himself out of his usual urban context, and to embark on a new body of work. This new work, which will be exhibited at ArtSway in April 2010, will be a mixture of old and new techniques and ideas. Christopher Orr's forthcoming exhibition at ArtSway will be accompanied by a book of new work, supported by the text+work programme at the Arts University College at Bournemouth. Exhibition Associated Events: Private View and Gallery Talk: Christopher Orr in Conversation with Peter Bonnell Saturday 24 April 2010 at 3pm Christopher Orr will discuss his new series of paintings on display in ArtSway's galleries, as well as his recent residency at the gallery, with ArtSway Curator Peter Bonnell. FREE: Booking Essential Book Launch Saturday 24 April 2010 at 4pm Join us at ArtSway for the official launch of a book featuring new work by Christopher Orr, with a critical essay by John Slyce. This book is supported by the text+work programme at The Arts University College at Bournemouth. FREE: All Welcome To book a place please contact Jack Lewis on 01590 682260 (ext.6) or email: jack.lewis@artsway.org.uk