Jez Prior

Jez Prior

Profile
Jez was born in Hillingdon, London on March 23 1955. After his natural parents divorced, he was moved, with his younger brother to Preston, Lancashire at age eight.
He spent his formative years in the north, and moved back to London age 20, where he currently resides a studio near Regents Park. Jez impressed early showing promise at the tender age of nine. His grandfather, who was also an artist rewarded his talent by giving him his first set of oils and lessons in landscape painting. By twelve he was commissioned by friends, family and neighbors to paint local views. This extended to commissions when on family holidays where
paintings would be shipped back when finished.
If we look further into the artistic history of this family we discover his great grandfather was also well known portrait painter. It seems Jez was destined to carry on the family
tradition.
It was when Jez went to Art school in 1971 to study for art and design he began his immersion in popular culture, psychedelic, underground and progressive pop music.
In 1975 he returned to Art school to begin his degree studies. He was encouraged and excited by the Avant Garde of Performance Art and Multimedia. This was at the very
beginnings of conceptual Art when painting began to be discouraged by tutors and when it became possible to use electronic sound, video and installation. Inspired and
enthused by this new movement he became seduced by the lure of sound and music in performance art fused with slide projection and photography.
He made extensive use of the college experimental sound studios and became fascinated by the technology and art of recording sound. He did very little painting at
college, but became skilled at the recording and manipulating of sounds. This led to a career in music recording and production encompassing roles as a guitarist in post
punk and new romantic bands, recording engineer and music producer. Latterly passing on his vast skills, experience and knowledge as a lecturer in a major London
recording school.
In 2006 he began to paint seriously again.
“When I paint, it totally consumes me. I knew if I was to start painting I would have to abandon my livelihood in the music business. This seemed implausible a the time. I now
have a great work/life balance teaching and have most of my time to paint.”

Education
1971-1973 The Harris School of Art Foundation in Art & Design
Preston, Lancs
1974 -1975 Barking Technical College Foundation in Fine Art (painting)
Barking
1975-1978 The Hornsey School of Art Degree in Fine Art
Alexander Palace Studios, London

Statement
Painting is wordless ethereal and hard to pin down, it is many things to many people. When I paint it must have purpose, provoke feeling and be more than mere decoration
Sometimes the reactions to my work are not consciously felt which makes my painting seem more difficult to define. I paint what I feel and that happens to be colour and circular
shapes. My work is not image focused. It relates to the circular and karmic nature of life.
The art movement Suprematism was not particularly on my mind when I made these works but after reflection I see a connection in my use of circles and triangles from my
earlier work from art school in the 70's. At that time I explored Suprematism in performance and sculptural pieces.
Now I seek to create an object that may be conceived as itself, with no allusions to any reality or state of mind other than that the viewer may impose on it. In this way my work
is an extension of Suprematism. I have given myself the freedom to become organic rather that strictly geometric. To explore a series of colour loops or circular shapes in an
intuitive and spontaneous manner.

I begin to work. I make no preparatory drawings. Sometimes I meditate, other times a spark of inspiration offers a colour or a shape and I have no idea of the finished outcome. I just go with
the flow. The loop offers me a framework to work within.