About Peter Corr

I have been actively involved in the world of art and indeed art education for most of my professional career; I believe passionately in the power of art to transform both ourselves, the way we think about the world and the environment in which we live. Although originally from the UK, I have spent many years living and working abroad and have enjoyed friendships with people from different backgrounds and cultures. Yet, truthfully, we all share the same hopes and dreams. I spent many years in Germany and Cyprus and most recently, I lived in the city of Doha in Qatar.

As a painter, I have always been fascinated by the movement towards abstract art and the progressive simplification of subject matter, form and colour. Indeed, most of my work occupies that transitional space between figuration and abstraction. The flat surface of the picture plane is something that I try to preserve whilst simultaneously employing pictorial devices that contribute to the sense of space and depth. You would be correct in assuming that there is always a tension between the traditional notion of illusionistic perspective and the representation of the canvas as a 'flat' object or 2 dimensional design.  I think this explains why in much of my work I don't attempt to describe a particular place or geographical location. I am more interested in the role played by experiences, events, feelings, the colours and the textures that form the visual backdrop to our lives. I often try to achieve contrasting sensations and impressions, feelings of time passing and notions of eternity. In particular, I am very interested in concepts associated with tranquillity, serenity and meditation. I am also intensely aware of the dominance of lens based imagery and the seductive power of the camera to capture extraordinary levels of visual detail and information. I am a keen photographer and I love working with the photographic image, but in my painting, I consciously try to avoid using the mechanical recording efficiency of the camera. 

Contrast is a key element in my work; saturated and restrained colour, deliberation and chance, spontaneous gesture, land and sky, heaven and earth, translucency, smooth and rough, quiet and loud, light and dark, thoughts, ideas and feelings...............I am attracted by the interplay of opposing values. 

I am also quite philosophical about what I do and, whist I am aware of the pitfalls of assigning too much weight and importance to ideas, I know - as most of us do - that the visible world is only the outer layer that confronts our eyes. When we begin to talk about seeing and perception, we quickly realise that what we imagine we see is only a small part of the story. We see in relation to ourselves, our past, and the events that shape us as individuals. If my paintings have an uncertain quality then I may have made some progress; nothing in our world stays the same, nothing is fixed. 

This is where the real magic and power of art resides, in the alchemy of materials, memory, awareness and feeling.  This is why painting is ultimately so rewarding. 

I hope you will find qualities in my painting that give you pleasure and enjoyment.