Steve Capper, who trained at Manchester College of Art, is an artist who sits firmly in the tradition of northern school expressionism, but whose bold and contemporary use of colour, and willingness to experiment with texture, places him at the forefront of those who are taking the visual motifs of northern art in a new direction.  In this he is following in the footsteps of William Ralph Turner (1920-2013) who borrowed from the pioneering visions of Vlaminck and Soutine, to distance himself from a purely realist representation of the industrial north and its surrounding landscape.

In the case of this artist, the influences are less obvious. Picasso and Braque are a given, but he perhaps has most in common with the “abstract figuration” of Bernard Buffet.  Capper, who lives on the edge of the Pennines, focuses on the shapes and patterns formed by the clouds, hills and fields surrounding him and emphasises the simplicity of form with the bold and occasionally surreal use of primary colours. He has taught and exhibited extensively nationwide, most notably at Gallery Oldham and Saddleworth Museum, and his work is held in numerous private collections.

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Ascot Studios, Bee Mill,  Ribchester, PR3 3XJ