Widnes based artist John Petch was born in Liverpool in 1948 and was educated at Bluecoat Grammar School, leaving in 1967 and going on to attend St Katharine’s Teacher Training College from 1967 to 1970. John taught in a number of schools in Merseyside and Powys, Wales, until retiring in 2011 He says “My work investigates the relationship between line and space. Challenging how the brain perceives and makes sense of the difference between what is understood and unfamiliar. I began painting in the mid-1960s, moving from Op Art to Geometrical Abstraction, being inspired by geometric imagery and pattern. My paintings invite the viewer to be drawn into a conversation from a simple statement of pattern to the relationship between art and mathematical special awareness. My style is Geometric to hard edge abstract, often with recognisable context. I have a fascination with perspective, line, space and colour interpreting the world around especially in the relationship of buildings to their setting and the energy they portray. I simplify by abstracting detail into related plains of colour.”
In 2016, John was commissioned by the band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark to produce artwork for the cover of their thirteenth Studio Album ‘The Punishment of Luxury’ with further covers and related work. In 2018/9 he completed a design for the windows of the phone box, in Meols, made famous through OMD’s second single release ‘Red Frame White Light’.
He is a member of dot-art (www.dot-art.co.uk), the art consultancy and promotions organisation, managed by Lucy Byrne, and which is at the forefront of many art initiatives in the Liverpool area. He has, along with a number of other resident artists who are offered commissions and opportunities to exhibit, all his work displayed and for sale, at the dot-Art Gallery.
John Petch’s exhibiton runs until 4th December 2o23
For more information
Call the INNSiDE by Meliá Liverpool hotel or
dot-art Gallery
INNSide by Meliá is at: 43 Old Hall Street, Liverpool L3 9PP – Tel: 0151 832 0960
dot-Art Gallery is at: 14 Queen Avenue, Castle Street, Liverpool L2 4TX – Tel: 0345 017 6660
www.dot-art.com