Viv Owen West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Vivid, gestural oil paintings reveal a fascination with emotional states, with the help of unwitting accomplices captured from feature film and TV- their surfaces hint at depths of emotion below. Forever given pause, they comment on emotional entanglement with the artificial as a substitute – or perhaps immunisation against- the fluctuating feelings of everyday life.
“I pause video, take and edit digital photographs to make compositions. I paint freehand by observation using vibrant colours and textures to convey the twitching dazzle of the arrested TV screen. These self-sourced images hold a deep emotional resonance: a photo is the only way to hold that emotional split second still enough to paint it. I aim to intrigue and engage the viewer in equal measure.”
Born in Bury, Lancashire 1970. After a six-year career in graphic design, returned to education to specialise in painting at Stockport College Cheshire, BA at Bradford College Yorkshire and MA at Leeds Metropolitan University Yorkshire 1998 – 2000. Studio based painting practice creating oil paintings from film images. Daily Drawings - an observational drawing in ink each day- is now in the sixth year.
Recent exhibitions include 'Leeds Summer Group Show, Leeds Playhouse June 2022, A Splash of Colour', Bowery Visual Arts, Leeds, FLUX at The Design District, Greenwich Peninsula, London May 2022 and November 2021, FLUX at the Royal College of Art London December 2015
Instagram: vividlypainting tweet: @vividly Facebook: facebook.com/vivowenpainter
Artwork
Developments, oil on canvas, 2022, POA
A Splash of Colour, 2022
Hindsight, oil on canvas, 2022, POA
Shift, oil on canvas, 2014, POA
Muse and News paintings, oil on canvas, 2021
Studio Practice, oil on canvas, 2017
Hindsight, oil on canvas, 2022
Loop, video animation, 2015
Interview, oil on canvas, 2022
Interactive pencil portrait drawings using RePaper, Pencil, 2022
Headway - work in progress , oil on canvas, 2022
Reflect, oil on canvas, 2022
Response, oil on canvas, 2022
Test, oil on canvas, 2014
Projects and exhibitions
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FLUX Exhibition 202421/07/2024 — ongoing Latest group exhibition |
206 Marylebone Road, London | Details |
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FLUX 10! Piccadilly, London07/12/2023 — ongoing Delighted to be exhibiting with FLUX again! For the tenth edition celebration, held in the heart of London: 178 St James, Piccadilly (opposite the Royal Academy, next to Fortnum and Mason). The opening event is this evening. Tickets are sold out. Watch this space for photos. |
178 St James, Piccadilly, London | Details |
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'We Called Yesterday Today' - Cupola Gallery Christmas Show24/11/2022 — ongoing Delighted to be included in 'We Called Yesterday Today' - Cupola Contemporary Art Christmas show. And very happy that my painting 'Query' is in the publicity! Opening tomorrow evening from 7:30. |
Cupola Contemporary Art, Sheffield | Details |
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Familiar Strangers05/11/2022 — ongoing Come along to view paintings, prints, reproductions and a few of my Daily Drawings sketchbooks! Little Nomad Gallery, Keighley Arts Hub 5 November - 10 December 2022 "Vivid, gestural oil paintings display a fascination with facial expressions. Viv has the help of unwitting accomplices she ‘captures’ from feature films and TV to see... [Read more] |
Little Nomad, Keighley | Details |
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This Must Be The Place24/09/2022 — 08/10/2022 ‘This Must Be The Place’ is an exhibition of paintings by invited artists curated by artist Helen Thomas |
The Ridings Centre, Wakefield | Details |
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'Legacy' at The Crypt Gallery06/09/2022 — 11/09/2022 Crypt Gallery in London, 6-12 September 2022 ArtCan exhibition. Curated by Rebecca Tucker, Jill Desborough and Eves Eveson. "Congratulations to the artists selected and thanks to our wonderful sponsor Suna Interior Design who made this event happen for us!" |
Crypt Gallery, St Pancras Church, 165 Euston Road, London NW1 2BA, London | Details |
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Living With The Past15/07/2022 — ongoing Themed group show. From Cupola “We live between tomorrow and yesterday. The past is always with us acting as foundations for our future. Living with the Past is our exploration of these foundations whether they are cultural, personal, physical or even geological. We have gathered together artists that traverse the past.” Graham... [Read more] |
Cupola Contemporary Art, Sheffield | Details |
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FLUX at The Design District16/06/2022 — ongoing So delighted to be back with FLUX again for such an exciting event! 50 artists showcased - including me! Love my paintings on the cool grey concrete - the colours and highlights are even more vibrant and the multiple moods create a great feature wall! The Private View was overflowing with music, performance artists, and visitors old and new -... [Read more] |
Pop-up event Space, The Design District Greenwich Peninsula London, London | Details |
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I'm an Art Can Artist!20/05/2022 — ongoing ArtCan is an artist-led, non-profit arts organisation with members across Britain and internationally. ArtCan creates opportunities for artists through exhibitions and practice development as well as peer-to-peer connections, professional recognition and access to specialist knowledge and support. |
n/a | Details |
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Beginners Guide to Portraiture07/05/2022 A very enjoyable session at Bowery Visual Arts delivering a beginner's guide to drawing portraits. I gave a brief talk about my paintings and the processes behind their creation. Then we looked at Daily Drawings and the mark making techniques I use. We experimented with pens to create similar definition, patterns and textures and lighting... [Read more] |
Bowery Visual Arts, Leeds | Details |
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Interactive pencil portrait drawings using RePaper30/03/2022 — ongoing Working with the Creative Writing group at Bowery Visual Arts. Sitters found it fascinating to watch the drawing appear on screen as it developed, and their reaction to it became part of the drawing. Many thanks to the group for their good humour and openness to the process and to the hosts, Bowery Visual Arts. |
Bowery Visual Arts, Leeds | Details |
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'A Splash of Colour' - video tour19/03/2022 — ongoing Joint exhibition with fellow painter and Westgate Studios studio holder Helen Field |
Bowery Visual Arts, Leeds | Details |
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A Splash of Colour18/03/2022 — ongoing Joint exhibition: Helen Field and Viv Owen became acquainted several years ago as they work in adjoining studios at Westgate Studios in Wakefield. ‘Although we enjoy a similar space and conditions and light in our studios at first glance it would appear we have very different works, but what actually connects our work is a joy of using... [Read more] |
Bowery Visual Arts, 54 Otley Road, Headingley, Leeds LS6 2AL, Leeds | Details |
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FLUX at The Design District04/11/2021 — 27/11/2021 Group exhibition curated by Lisa Gray, Flux Exhibition and The FLUX Review |
The Design District Greenwich Peninsula, London | Details |
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Daily Drawings - Ten years of Daily Drawings01/01/2012 — ongoing Daily Drawings is now ten years old! Each day an observational drawing made in a 10 x 10 cm sketchbook, using black ink drawing pens only. Why Daily Drawings? The idea was to follow a discipline with the minimum of technical issues- a portable medium that could be used almost anywhere, then shared on social media. It isn’t much of a visual... [Read more] |
n/a | Details |