Brightons Arty: Alison Krog

Raindrops on Roses

A Brough motorcycle, Battersea Power Station, the Sussex Downs… These are a few of artist Piers Ottey’s favourite things. And you can see them alongside nudes, cardinals and much else – all painted in his signature style – at a fabulous new show in the Zimmer Stewart Gallery, Arundel.
So the word of this week’s column is ‘polymath’, which according to Wikipedia is a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas. It’s apt because this artist’s interest in vintage motorcycles, buildings and the landscape goes far beyond the aesthetic. As well as perfectly capturing the power and dynamism of a Brough, Piers can also take one apart and rebuild it. He not only designed, but also built his studio, and he spends time ‘en plein air’ drawing and painting in situ.

Piers studied at Chelsea and now has studios in Sussex and London. Having studied under Euan Uglow, his works take their starting point from the traditional school of landscape painting. But then he adds and takes away from the composition, using diagonals to emphasise and draw the eye, and leaving mistakes and drafting marks in the finished paintings. All of this can be put down to mischief making, but it also sets his work apart from his contemporaries.
Piers is a true Renaissance Man. He does not paint to order, or what he thinks might sell. Instead he focuses on subjects he is passionate about, imbuing his work with a special quality that viewers respond to. Experience it for yourself from 31 October to 21 November.
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