Fine art and design

My abstract paintings draw inspiration from architecture and building design. As a structural engineer I am inevitably attracted to buildings and I happily allow them to spill into my fine art practice too. My latest obsession has been Brutalism.

Over the past few months I have been researching Brutalism. I get fascinated by the dominating mass of these buildings.

My recent trip to London was the perfect opportunity for visiting an iconic example of Brutalist architecture; the Barbican Centre.

A mixed use space, nowadays the Barbican houses a number of residential blocks, art exhibition spaces, cafes, public gardens, communal spaces and even a beautiful conservatory.

The juxtaposition of the heavy, beton brut construction with the soft natural pockets in the development really captivated me. Walking on a concrete bridge, surrounded by concrete walls, suddenly leads the visitor to communal spaces with trees, plants and fountains.

A few steps further, back in the concrete structure, the visitor is welcomed by a selection of art exhibitions, creative performance spaces, shops and cafes.

With brutalist architecture the emphasis lies with geometry, massing and volume. The structural function of the building elements is often obvious and the materiality of concrete becomes integral with the aesthetics of the building.

This co-existence of structure, material and function really excites me. My visit to the Barbican motivated me to make a series of pencil sketches and to delve deeper into my research on Brutalist Architecture.

My aim is to complete a series of abstract geometric paintings that capture the essence of the architectural movement and use features of specific buildings into my fine art compositions.

Following my London trip and visit to the Barbican, I progressed my review of the Brutalist Architecture Book “Atlas of Brutalist Architecture” by Phaidon Editors. I keep developing ideas on line work, massing and composition for my paintings. I will be writing further on my views on the book, inspiration drawn through Brutalism and my progress designing my next oil paintings in a following article.