Profile: Gareth Buxton

Biography

Gareth Buxton quite literally came crashing into the art world in 2004 after a near head-on collision with a large truck. The impact of this life-changing event finally pushed him to take the plunge and become an artist. He still carries a small photo of the mangled car in his wallet as a memento. Since then he has rapidly developed a reputation as a popular yet unconventional painter with a taste for mist, moonlight and stormy weather.

His dramatic landscapes and seascapes are inspired by places, memories and emotions. Many of his paintings show a battle between darkness and light. This interplay creates a mood of tension and drama in his work.

“ Elements like the wind, rain, dark skies, the moon and the light bursting through the clouds that stimulate me profoundly. Landscape painting for me goes beyond literal representation of the land: it's as much about representing me and my state of mind.”

Gareth's paintings are never literal reproductions or copies of the landscape. He takes great inspiration from his Peak District home and makes regular treks to Snowdonia for inspiration. He does not however work in situ and rejects the convention of painting in this traditional manner.

“All of my paintings are the result of time spent walking, absorbing the atmosphere, experiencing the surroundings and memorising elements of the landscape."

In being outdoors, particularly exposed to the elemental forces of storms, wind and rain he is responding to the landscape emotionally. Essentially he is following the Romantic tradition, suspending rationality and reason for a spiritual connection with nature.

"I love being out there, feeling part of a bigger process, a tiny dot in a gigantic landscape at the total mercy of nature. I guess that's why I have chosen to mainly paint landscapes and seascapes. I hope people have empathy for those experiences when they see the finished paintings.”

Gareth has been inspired and influenced by a range of artists, in particular; J. M. W. Turner, Caspar David Friedrich and James Abbott Whistler

Exhibitions - 2010

  • Moon Moor and Sea (Solo) – Tarpey Gallery Castle Donington (May)
  • Landscapes by Gareth Buxton (Solo) – Derwent Gallery (Grindleford) (June)
  • The Art of Caring, Art Fair – Maccelsfield (October)

Exhibitions - 2009

  • Four Seasons in One Day - Masham Gallery, Yorkshire
  • Derbyshire Open Arts - Little Gallery Belper,
  • Solo Exhibition - Ingleby Gallery, Ingleby
  • Group Exhibition – Gallerytop Gallery, Rowsley
  • Group Exhibition – Tarpey Gallery, Castle Donington

Exhibitions – 2008

  • Derbyshire Open Arts - Little Gallery, Belper, Derbyshire (June 2008)
  • Solo Exhibition - Derwent Gallery, Grindleford (Late August 2008)
  • Ingleby Gallery - Xmas Exhibition (Dec 2008)
  • Derby City Open - Dec 2008 (sculpture)

Exhibitions – 2007

  • Derby City Open - Derby Museum & Art Gallery, Derbyshire
  • Gareth Buxton Solo II - The Little Gallery, Belper (Oct)
  • Wirksworth Festival - Panel Selected Artist (Sept)
  • Altered Images - Blackfriars Arts Centre, Boston (Sept – Oct)
  • Autumn Exhibition - Needhams Gallery, Ely
  • Ovenden Exhibition - Artshed Gallery, Ware, Herts (Aug-Sept)
  • “Derbyshire Life and Countryside” Artist of the Year - Finalist, Gallery-S, Matlock (to Oct)
  • MOMA* ( Wales ) - Finalist :Tabernacle Competition (Aug)
  • Out of Control: Solo - Gallery-S, Matlock, Derbyshire (March)

* Museum of Modern Art

Exhibitions - 2006

  • The Landscape Metaphor: A World Inside - Three Cups Gallery, Ely
  • Liberte d'Expression - Barclays Global Headquarters ( Canary Wharf )and Candid Arts Trust, London
  • Open 18 Competition - The City Gallery, Leicester
  • Needhams Christmas Art Exhibition - Witchford, Cambridgeshire
  • Great Art Christmas Fair - Alexandra Palace , London
  • Anglian Contemporary Art Exhibition - Cressing Temple , Essex
  • Intro 2 - Needhams Restaurant, Witchford, Cambridgeshire
  • As Yet Untitled - Blackfriars Arts Centre, Boston , Lincolnshire

Exhibitions – 2005

  • Derby City Open - Derby Museum & Art Gallery, Derbyshire

 Currently Featured In The Following Galleries

  • Derwent Gallery : Main Road, Grindleford, Hope Valley, S32 2JN
  • The Little Gallery : 63-65 Bridge Street, Belper, Derbyshire, DE56 1AY
  • Gallery in the Square: The Old Chapel, Twyn Square, Usk, Monmouthshire, NP15 1BH
  • TheArtbay Gallery: The Old Bank Chambers, Christchurch Street, Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent
  • Ingleby Gallery: Ingleby, Nr Melbourne, Derbyshire, DE73 7HW

Sculptures and Abstract Paintings

In 2006 Gareth started showing his sculptures and Abstract Paintings in public exhibitions for the first time. This more personal work explores a variety of themes including his relationship with technology and the processes of life including ageing and decay. Using the metaphor of the body as a machine, he looks at the natural processes beyond our control. A recurring theme in this work is the artist's feelings of despair at a world that increasingly places value on "form" rather than "function" and this idea is developed in the Corpus Veneer series of semi-abstract paintings.

Contact Details

Email: gareth@garbleart.co.uk