Statement
Andrew works with metaphor, symbolism and allegory. He draws a lot of his concepts from historical painting combined with his own experiences, as he adds invented myths and narratives to his images. Each painting is individualistic and seeks to communicate a message about its subject to the viewer. His practice plays with the traditional norms of landscape and figurative painting and uses it as a vessel to convey ideas and thoughts, both from direct observation and his own interpretation. Andrew wants to use his paintings in a conceptually abstract and philosophical way, to communicate different ideas through experimentation with composition and the subversion expectations.
His paintings have a direct and engaging concept yet paradoxically try to balance this with ambiguity and unease in order to allow a viewer to bring their own experience to the work. His intention is that in the audience’s search for meaning in the picture they will open doors into their own internal thoughts and personal visual library, this in turn, may provide some emotional experience for them as a result of seeing the work
Andrew is always looks to achieve a harmony between colour, composition and concept. Going so far as to making the shape and dimensions of the painting match its particular concept. instead of throwing ideas together his paintings use every part and detail of the image to relate and amplify the cryptic message or allegory he is communicating. In the early stages of a paintings development this means allowing certain symbols and metaphors associated with the central idea to be discovered and harmonised as the painting develops.
Much of Andrew's work is intended to be allegorical, as he creates scenarios and imagined landscapes that interact with each other, expressing an alternate narrative disguised within a set of imagined rules and aesthetic pictorial judgments. He observes very few physical objects or spaces to create his paintings but appropriates digital reproductions of historic painting and images offered by film and literature. His painting process both reflects and utilizes the media saturated world we live in today to make handmade, concentrated images that are ironically the material antithesis of the media that informed them.
Andrew's studio practice consists of using traditional academic oil painting methods with respect but also subverting and playing with them. Prioritising the harmony of the composition and colour with the associated themes and message of the painting. Andrew is very interested in the materiality of paint through its application to the surface and its fluidity, experimenting with various textures, layers and glazes as appropriate to achieve the maximum effects. His technique requires strong under drawing, the use of glazes, scumbles and altering fluidity through thick and thin layers as appropriate. Andrew is well versed in historic painting techniques and sees his own method as an appropriation of academic painting mixed with various other influences in brushwork and colour from both contemporary and historic painters.
Qualifications
2018 - 2019
-Masters in Creative Practice, Leeds Arts University
2012 - 2015
-Bachelors in Fine Art, Loughborough University
Awards and Bursaries
2022
-Supporting the Arts, winning artist, Bobby Forsythe, online exhibition and prize
2021
-New Emergence Art Prize, runner up, New Emergence Art
2020
-The New Emergence Art Unity Award, runner up, New Emergence Art
-New Emergence Art Prize, runner up, New Emergence Art
2019
-Art and Faith Bursary, runner up, Leeds Church Institute, Leeds
2015
-LSA Student Award, runner up, Leicester Society of Artists, Leicester
Exhibitions
2023
- Cornucopia, Cupola Gallery, Sheffield
- Blake, In partnership with Coles Gallery, Central Square, Leeds
- LSA Annual Exhibition, SOCK Gallery, Loughborough
- The Holy Art Virtual Show, The Holy Art Gallery, London
- Art at Roundhay Park, The English Art Company, Leeds
- Permanent work at Cupola Gallery, Sheffield
- Delphic, Cupola Gallery, Sheffield
- Permanent works at Coles Gallery, Leeds
2022
- Mixed Group Show, Coles Gallery, Leeds
- We Called Yesterday, Today, Cupola Galley, Sheffield
- D31 Autumn Exhibition, D31 Art Gallery, Doncaster
- The Landscape, Open Gallery, Halifax
- Buy Art Exhibition, Aire Place Studios, Leeds
- Supporting the Arts, Bobby Forsythe UK, online exhibition
- Living With the Past, Cupola Gallery, Sheffield
- Andrew Sales and Joshua Van leader: Painting Beyond Itself, Coles Gallery, Leeds
- Fern and Glade Instagram Exhibition, Fern and Glade, online exhibition
2021
- Permanent work on show at Cupola Gallery, Sheffield
- Permanent work on show at Cole’s Gallery, Leeds
- Permanent work on show at Giddy Arts, Saltaire
- Scion, Cupola Gallery, Sheffield
- Supporting the Arts, Bobby Forsythe UK, online exhibition
- Transcendence, Headrow House, Leeds
- Around The House Virtual Exhibition, Around the House Productions, online exhibition
- Pop Up Painting Mid-Winter Exhibition, Pop Up Painting, online exhibition
- Stay Connected Virtual Exhibition, online exhibition
-The Mask and Me, online exhibition
2020
-Touring Postcard Exhibition, Aire Place Studios, Leeds
-Artists of Meraki Feature, Artists of Meraki, online exhibition
-Uncanny Characters, The Bowery, Headingley, Leeds
-MA Final Show, Leeds Arts University, Leeds
-LSA annual Exhibition, New Walk Museum and Gallery, Leicester
-Permanent works on display at Coles Gallery, Leeds
-Permanent works on display at Giddy Arts, Saltaire
2019
-Andrew Sales: Scrutinise, Hyde Park Book Club, Headingley
-All The World is a Stage, Left Bank, Leeds
-LSA annual Exhibition, New Walk Museum and Gallery, Leicester
2017
-Kirkstall Art Trail, St Peter's Church, Headingley
-LSA annual Exhibition, New Walk Museum and Gallery, Leicester
2016
-Spring Exhibition, West End Gallery, Leicester
-What is the Future of Digital Art?, Tate Modern, London, digital exhibition
-LSA annual Exhibition, New Walk Museum and Gallery, Leicester
2015
-Loughborough Free Range Exhibitors, Brick Lane, London
-Loughborough Portrait Exhibition, Loughborough University Gallery, Loughborough
-Loughborough Fine Art Degree Show, Loughborough University Gallery, Loughborough
-LSA Annual Exhibition, New Walk Museum and Gallery, Leicester