Mike Rowan – ‘Groundwork’
Exhibition 14 February – 8 March 2008
Born in Bradford 1943, Mike Rowan trained at the Bradford College of Arts and Crafts from 1958 to 1963 and subsequently in 1984 completed a BA in Fine Art at Leeds College of Art. He lives and works in Leeds.
First working as a designer of soft furnishings, screen printed materials, dress fabrics, curtains and carpet, Mike then worked as a labourer and later moved to running a groundwork gang. Throughout his career he continued to paint and draw and a short time ago made the move to practise art fulltime.
“My recent paintings follow on from my earlier pictures that were influenced by an abstract urban view of the world using industrial materials…the job did leak into my painting. I use many of the materials (and philosophy) that have sustained me whilst working in the building trade; bitumen, solar paints, sand, cement… fluid to sharp edge pure abstraction and stronger colours now dominate” MR