Works By Simon Claridge

The seminal graphic nature and frank disposition of Claridge’s signature work is what marks his out against far paler imitations that have gone before and will surely follow in lesser contemporary forms, and he strives to gratify us with an initially raw visual impact that Claridge envisages will inspire and coax memories and internalised fantasies even, which themselves then risk becoming embroiled in the one embodiment. Claridge talks of the human form being such a character-building thing to portray in whatever medium and materials, and that the eye never tires of seeing what it’s almost programmed to interact with and ultimately respond to. With regard to his application of paints, Claridge likes to construct a layered effect as he goes, not stopping until he’s created a single flat embellishment free from incidental visual drama. Perhaps most surprising of all to learn is that Claridge rarely knows what the finished composition will appear like from a seemingly uncoordinated outset of artistic proceedings. To paraphrase the artist himself, Claridge demands an aesthetic level to be present, and the introduction of a formal relationship between abstract shapes and the voids found within the predetermined field of the canvas boundary. However this needs to be balanced with the emotive content that Claridge wants the piece to convey.

Claridge had a pretty resolute idea of him growing up to be an artist from the year dot almost, as anyone who happened to enquire about his future plans would be met with the same reply throughout his formative years; “I want to be an artist”.Encouraged both at school and local college, Claridge enrolled on a Fine Art degree course at The University of Reading, graduating four years later in 2002. So as to fundamentally pay off student debts and counter the cost of living itself, Claridge managed to find employment in an art gallery in Windsor, which after a period of time he rose to the position of manager of, whilst all the time beatle-ing away in the background at evenings and weekends with his own compositions and honing his own bespoke style. During this period Claridge experienced limited successes showcasing his work at other local galleries and art fairs, yet the turning point in what’s turned out to be his dedicated professional art career came not long afterwards.

Concerned with the fact that things weren’t progressing quite as rapidly as he’d imagined in terms of his art being exposed to a broader demographic, Claridge did the unthinkable one weekend whilst managing alone in the gallery in which he was still in the employ of. Claridge decided to strip the window of all the current exhibits and replace with his own compositions; a heady mixture of over-enthusiasm and impatience forcing his hand. It wasn’t even lunchtime that day, before all his paintings had sold, and a mere week or so later Claridge had quit his job at the gallery and gone solo, buoyed by this unprecedented response to his unique work. Within a month he had signed a deal with leading fine art publishers, Washington Green to publicise and showcase his Claridge’s art through their extensive network of art dealers in the UK and the rest as they say, is history. Oh, and less than a year later Claridge made a triumphant return to that Windsor gallery where he’d started out, which what emerged as a sell-out solo exhibition.