Piers Bourke (1978) is a British and Irish contemporary multidisciplinary artist, with a career spanning more than two decades. His work is characterised by both globally recognized iconic symbols alongside a progressive print, collage and painting body of work
that illustrate his unique ability to develop proprietary processes using traditional techniques.
Bourke’s work is multi-faceted in structure and intention. His unique cultural perspectives and thorough understanding and use of artistic practices of style produces uncategorized artworks. He seamlessly fuses various cultural symbols into his pieces, depicting their historical uses within the constant emergence of change.
With a background in photography, Bourke had dedicated half his career to pursuing and producing innovations in digital media, in the form of three-dimensional works. These multi-media artworks are thought provoking and clever articulation of past and current societal topics. His iconic depictions of quintessential British imagery, including The Queen’s postage stamp and telephone boxes have catapulted Bourke to recognizable association with these symbols around the world. Capturing the essence of British heritage through his iconic collection, Bourke simultaneously developed an artistic practice that lent itself to the development of his Eastern Signals series and current collection.
The Eastern Signals series developed as a result of Bourke’s time living and setting up a studio in Singapore, and the convergence of cultural influences and lifestyles.
He stripped his subject matter back to capture the rapid movement of change that he witnessed. This collection brought Bourke back to the fundamentals of working predominately with paint on paper and then canvas. He initially created small abstract ink works on paper, before upscaling the technique and focusing on an aesthetic based loosely on Asian hand fans. Bourke developed a technique with which to paint the motif that mimicked the flow and function of the fan itself. Abandoning brushes for wooden blocks, he swept mineral pigments across the surface material, resulting in gestural marks with an agency and unpredictability unique to each movement of the artist. He infused a linear structure to the pieces through flashes of vibrant colour. The angular interventions on the paper form an important part of Bourke’s practice, as the first addition of layering which is now omnipresent in much of his work.
A hallmark of Bourke’s work emphasizes duality and movement. Taking the paper works created in Singapore as the basis of his practice, Bourke started to assemble installations that incorporated multiple layers.
Further pursuing the development and reintroducing of the three-dimensional into this practice, The Fan Series sees Bourke’s cutting technique evolve, allowing for a playful interaction with space. The rolled and sliced paper pieces deliberately reveal and
abstract the surface imagery beneath. The works are completed by his decision to allow the paper to break through the edge of the frame, no longer resigned to the plane of the canvas.
Bourke’s most recent works, are a move into near total abstraction. The process initially saw him working with paper, before moving on to canvas, with relentless aim of creating multi-layered paintings, challenging boundaries between sculpture and two-
dimensional art. In order to achieve the multi-layered appearance of the Fans, Bourke uses canvas for the materials durability, enabling him to manipulate, twist and weave the substance to ripple above the imagery below.
A sense of flow and continuation is apparent throughout this collection which are indicative of Bourke’s desire to embody the past integrating the shifts of change culturally and physically in life Bourke studied Fine Art at, Chelsea College of Art and the University of the West of England in Bristol.
He has exhibited globally in galleries with solo shows at Loughran Gallery, Air Contemporary, Rebecca Hossack Gallery, The Art Fellas in Singapore, and Art Taipei and One Art Taipei in Taiwan. His artwork resides in public spaces and private collections.
Background and studies
D.O.B. 18/8/78
University of the West of England Bristol – BA (Hons) Fine Art (1998-2001)
Chelsea College of Art and design (1997-1998)