Alison Pullen

 These images are representative of the artist's work and may no longer be available. Please contact the gallery for further information.

Born in Rhu, Dumbartonshire, Alison Pullen is now a London based artist.

EDUCATION

1991-1993 MA Illustration, Royal College of Art, London

1987-1990 BA(Hons)Graphic Design, Norwich School of Art

1986-1987 Foundation Course, Kingston Polytechnic

STATEMENT

Alison Pullen always work ‘in situ’, starting and finishing the painting in the room itself. This gives the picture a strong sense of atmosphere and also forces her to take decisions quickly, trusting her instincts to make a complete and original image there and then.

'Initially I find a viewpoint in the room, whish I find interesting or challenging, and then look through hundreds of magazine pages. Viewing the subject, I find what is striking to me, for instance a strong light area, a deep shadowed recess or an interesting light effect on the floor. Considering the pages, I think of them in terms of light or dark or strong colour shapes. I try to match these shapes on the magazine page with elements in the room. Rather than looking for instant ready-made images of specific objects, such as a chair or a dark wall, I examine the pages in a totally abstract way. To assist this process, I may turn the page upside down or sideways, once I have selected two or more pages, I attach them seamlessly to a plank piece of paper.

Now I capture the scene and the painting’s base, working out the structure of the room within the pages. I paint the picture onto the magazine ‘in the mind’s eye’.

Then I start painting on top of the pages. I use acrylic to change certain colours or darken areas. I scratch the surface with a scalpel to create an intense white. I mould the objects, such as chairs, curtains, windows recesses, shutters, from what is available to me on the magazine pages. Some of the magazine may be wrong but have the right tone, so I leave them and blend in colours. I use thin pale paint and wash it over areas which are too intense. With these techniques, my interpretation of the space becomes realistic.

I try to leave unpainted as much of the original pages as I can. The paintings surface, seen from an angle, is matt where the paint is, shiny on the remaining areas. Finally, the images of the room is dominant, but coexists with the foundation; the photography of a totally different room beneath.'

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

2008 A total of fifteen commissions including four paintings commissioned for The Langham Hotel, London through ‘Project Art' agency.

Work commissioned of Christchurch Cathedral, the Divinity and Convocation Schools at the Bodleian Library and a large work of the outside of Worcester College, Oxford.

2007 Eight commissions including private homes in Padstow, Cornwall

2006 The CEO of SilentGliss commissioned a painting of the exterior of their new factory in Kent.

2005 Four paintings commissioned of a house on the beach in Grand Cayman and

four paintings commissioned of a Tuscany house (exterior and interior).

Commission in Polzeath, Cornwall.

2000-2001 National Trust's ‘Artist in Residence' at Osterley Park House ending in exhibition at the Jersey Galleries, Osterley.

2001 - The Royal Mail commissioned designs for five stamps.

2001 - Paul Stead, Head of Fitch Design, commissioned four large paintings of St Paul's Church, Petersham, for his Private Collection.

2000 - The Arts Trust, Jersey commissioned three paintings of the Opera House, St Helier, to be made into limited edition prints.

1999 – 2003 Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd commissioned six sets of illustrations to be installed on three of their cruise ships.

1998 The Ionian Bank, City of London, commissioned three large screens for their Trading Rooms.

Her Majesty The Queen commissioned two paintings of the Throne Room for The Royal Collection. Images reproduced by London Underground and displayed as two posters.

Limited edition prints produced of three paintings to sell in North America.

1993-1995 Mei-Ha Tsang Designs sold my textile designs in New York, Japan and France.

Buena Vista commissioned illustrations to be made into three films shown on Saturday morning children's national television.

1993 - Museum of London, Barbican Exhibition ‘Artist's London'. Three works acquired for archives and displayed on the internet.

Lecturer for Graphic Illustration Course at Blake's College for two years. Visiting lecturer at degree courses in Norwich, Camberwell, Maidstone and Highlands College, Jersey. Taught at various primary schools, museums and organised education events for the National Trust at various properties including two year long projects at Ashridge Estate; taught life drawing and painting on residential courses.

Illustration work undertaken for The Rialto Poetry Magazine, GQ Magazine, The Observer, The London Magazine, English National Ballet and Pavilion Magazine.

Editorials in Apollo Fine Arts Magazine, What's On, Time Out, Hot Tickets, House and Gardens, Elle Decoration, World of Interiors, Uptown magazine, the Evening Standard, The Week, The Sunday Times, and The Independent

Work held in collections in U.S.A., Singapore, France, United Arab Emirates. Commissions undertaken in Jersey, Ireland and all over Britain.

AWARDS

1999 Chelsea Arts Society Painting Prize - Voted as Member

1993 Arts Council Exhibition Award

Parallel Prize, RCA (£4000)

Exhibited in ‘The Illustrators’ at The Chris Beetles Gallery, St James’s

1992 Letraset/Faber Castell Award (£500)

1991 Prince’s Trust Travel Scholarship

ANNUAL EXHIBITIONS

January Art 2004, Islington, London

February Art on Paper Fair, Royal College of Art, London

April Glasgow Art Fair

Chelsea Art Fair, Chelsea Town Hall

May Country Living Fair, Islington, London

June Academie Refuse, Llewelyn Alexander Gallery, London

Affordable Art Fair, Bristol

Chelsea Arts Fair, Duke of York’s Headquarters

July Chelsea Arts Society Show, London

September Discerning Eye, Mall Galleries

October Dublin Art Fair

Edinburgh Art Fair

Affordable Art Fair, London

November Affordable Art Fair, New York

December Art Fair, Miami, USA

Alison Pullen has been commissioned to create work for many diverse organisations including The Royal Mail, Royal Caribbean Cruises, the London Underground and the Queen who commissioned two paintings of the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace which hang in the Royal Collection. In 2001 Alison Pullen was the National Trust 'Artist in Residence' at Osterley Park House