For the Love of Colour

British contemporary artist, Will, 43, came to Bloxham as an Art Scholar from Dulwich College Prep School joining his brother Ben. At the age of 18 he was accepted into the UK’s most prestigious art school, UCL Slade School of Fine Art (BA in 2002). He furthered his practice by achieving a scholarship to New York before returning to London where he chose to complete his studies at the Royal College of Art (MA 2007). Today he is a hugely successful global artist represented by Maddox Gallery with locations in London, Gstaad and Los Angeles. Will’s work is exhibited at all the major international art fairs and he receives commissions from around the world. He has just moved into a new art studio in an old boat propeller factory in Deptford, southeast London. He is married to Suzanne, and they have two children.

How was your love for art fostered?

When I showed an aptitude for painting, it was really encouraged by my family, and I feel very lucky to have had my father’s faith in my talent. This support from home gave me confidence that being an artist was a real career. It was my dream to make things that other people would love enough to want to hang on their walls.

Tell us about your time at school

Being at Bloxham was fantastic, I was very lucky. I was in an incredibly privileged environment: there were no barriers, and I had the support to think incredibly large and was supported with my career ambitions.

I took Art, English literature and Geography A Levels. Art was obviously the most useful, but it was the other opportunities which have been invaluable in my career. I did a lot of public speaking with the late Hugh Alexander (Staff 94-14) and acting with Mr Benn (Staff 90-10). That kind of creative side plays into an artistic career. Hugh was funny and engaging; he was brilliant with me and really focussed on my strengths. Another inspiring mentor was Ian Hatton (Staff 76-14) who gave me a huge amount of guidance. He taught me how to present myself and gave me experience in high-pressure interview situations.

Do you have a favourite memory from your time at Bloxham?

Looking back with nostalgia sometimes it’s just the simple everyday things like break times back in Raymond – burning toast and hanging out in the common rooms on the various different floors. Whether it was playing ping pong in the Third Form day room or higher up the school, coming back for a cup of tea or coffee.

Also, there was always something fantastic about the feeling of playing sport for the School -a kind of collective, almost tribal mentality when we were off with the team in a minibus for an away fixture. I most enjoyed hockey, I was probably best at that and played at university as well which is how I met my wife, and coincidentally how my parents met too!

Which part of your personality has been most helpful in your art career?

Drive and self-belief. It’s a competitive and daunting place at the beginning of an art career because you don’t have a platform: no one knows who you are. I was incredibly lucky to have the amazing encouragement and belief from my family and also from private collectors to help me through my early career. To have those supporters is incredibly humbling and I am eternally grateful to them.

How would you describe your style of art?

My formative influences are abstract artists, such as Halley, Rothko and Mondrian. I’ve always liked how colours sit next to each other, so in a very kind of basic way I’d describe myself as a colourist; I enjoy the manipulation of colour. My technique uses tape and scalpel blades to get the clean sharp lines and my paint is applied very smoothly with foam brushes to create an almost flawless surface. The process is incredibly controlled and my new studio space reflects this precise style. You wouldn’t necessarily recognise it as what you perceive an art studio to be with paint splattered everywhere.

Tell us about your latest exhibition

I have just finished my solo exhibition The World Elsewhere at the Maddox Gallery in London which was just off the back of another show with the same title that I did in Gstaad in February.

The exhibition explores utopian landscapes; hybrid locations of different places that I’ve visited or imagined. I think that because they are everywhere and nowhere, they are familiar to us all and they reflect places where we’ve all loved and laughed and played. That makes them inclusive: you are able to be within the picture and and explore them because they have that familiarity and are drenched in nostalgia.

What advice would you give to your past self when you were at Bloxham?

Find something you really love to do and pursue it. The tools that you’ve got from being somewhere like Bloxham, means that you’re already in a really good place to succeed – having a Bloxham education is a huge privilege.

What advice would you give to aspiring art scholars?

Try to paint every day and see as much art as you can. Meet and talk to as many people as possible in the art world. There’s only so much you can do from sitting in a studio. To create work you need to get out and enjoy experiences, It’s the same with any kind of field, immerse yourself in what you’re interested in. If you meet wonderful people, if you’re knowledgeable and inquisitive about your subject and if you make good work, success will follow.

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