Lee Furlong - The Space Between Photography and Painting

Lee Furlong

Manchester, England, UK

Mediums: Photography

Style: Abstract, Impressionism, macro, Minimalist, traditional/classical – Whatever I’m feeling at the time

Favorite Quotes:
(1) I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that don’t work! (Thomas Edison)
(2) It’s easier to ask for forgiveness rather than permission (Anon)
(3) If you’re not making mistakes, then you’re not trying hard enough (Anon)

Favorite Books:
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, The 4 hour work week by Tim Ferris, Life of Pi by Yann Martel, E: A Novel by Matt Beaumont

Favorite Movies: Sightseers (A very dark comedy), Amelie, Scott Pilgrim vs the world, Inception

Although I try not constrain myself to any particular style, I keep being drawn back to abstract / impressionist style works.

When looking at other peoples works in these styles, I like the sense of having to invest part of myself, to provide my own interpretation that these styles require. Whilst (although sounding contradictory) enjoying letting them wash over me.

With my own works, my aim is to invite the viewer to inhabit another headspace, if only for a moment.

Start of the evening

Please tell us about your first experience creating.

Frustrating! I was ok at drawing at school, but that really stopped after I left. I’ve always enjoyed looking at art, but it’s only in the last 2 years or so that I’ve made any attempts to create my own. I had this grand idea for my first project. But it was only when I actually started to try and make it a reality that I quickly realized, that whilst you don’t have to be an expert in the technical side of photography, it certainly helps!!

If you have a job besides being an artist, can you tell us about it?

I could, but that may make you an accessory…

What are you trying to convey to viewers through your art?

A sense of ‘the other’. I want my pieces to take the viewer to a different place mentally

Tell us about your creative process.

Idea, experiment, frustration, experiment, frustration, experiment – GOT IT!

Fault Lines

What inspires you to create art?

A mood, a feeling, an escape, wanting to inhabit another headspace, shapes, sounds, meditation, to capture a sense of movement. And recently, 3d printing

Exhibitions

Only 1 so far. Open competition at Warrington Art Festival this year. Made it through the first couple of rounds and got my work ‘Start of the evening’ on the wall as one of the finalists, but sadly no further

Have you sold any of your artworks?

Not yet. Only recently set up my website via Artspan (approx 3month) and have just this week put some of my work on Fine Art America & Saatchi Online – via the great advice from this site

How do you promote your art on the internet?

As above, and have just started to do it through Twitter, and people like your good self

Influences

Rothko

Chagall – Especially his very underrated ‘Poet at half past 3’. The museum in Nice is excellent
Kandinsky

C R W Nevinson – Especially ‘Searchlights’ & ‘Bursting Shell’– a VERY underrated artist!

Francis Bacon – Especially his “Study after Veláquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X”. I love its raw, powerful, visceral feel.

Please recommend another artist you admire.

Shinichi Maruyama – a true photographic artist. His work is true poetry (see his ‘Nude’ series). In fact it was his work which convinced me to take the plunge finance wise into buying my first DSLR camera.

Tell us something interesting in your life

Deep blue I once had to force feed a crocodile back from ill health over a period of a few weeks. And as it was recovering it started to get so strong it quickly turned into a wrestling match each time! True it was a Caiman crocodile and only about 4 ft in length – but you have a go!
Either that or chasing a 6 ft Nile monitor lizard across a crowded car park in the centre of Manchester
As you may have guessed, I was working at an exotic pet shop at the time.

If you could live your life over again, would there be anything you would do differently?

To have actively sought a mentor guiding / showing me that there is more ways to earn a living/live your life than the very closed/narrow minded ‘you must get a trade’ mantra

What plans do you have for the future of your art?

Experiment, experiment, experiment

Do you have any good advice for emerging artists?

The world isn’t going to come to you. No matter how good you are.