John Lightfoot
John's
paintings and sculpture carry a religious theme. The Jesuits who educated
him back in the 1940s left a lasting influence on his work. A mixture of
respect and loathing has driven a fascination with theology, especially
Catholicism, with it's combination of beautiful, bizarre and grotesque imagery,
making for interesting themes. Despite this, John is not himself a
Catholic.
Few artists are prepared or able to successfully tackle strong
subjects such as sex or religion without falling for clichéd statements, but
John pulls it off, perhaps by combining sex with religion! Despite this,
blasphemy is not the aim or indeed the result. Through religious
provocation, John's work generates intellectual stimulation. He makes
suggestions and observations from the Bible; The story of the serpent
tempting Eve can be conveyed using strong sexual imagery in a painting, for
instance, in a way that perhaps it cannot with the written word.
"Did the betrothed Mary submit willingly to the Holy Ghost? Was she a tart
or was she raped?"
John also looks at the Bible in a historical context. For instance, was Pontius Pilot given a raw deal? How is fear used as a tool for religious doctrine?
John is essentially a colourist, and it is his instinct for colour that leaves the strongest impression. He uses both subtlety and power to great effect whilst always mindful of colour and form. His paintings always please visually, whilst challenging the viewer with a sometimes awkward depictions of controversial themes from The Bible. The imagery is always subtle, and the meaning is often hidden, if not lost to the uninformed. A detailed knowledge of Catholicism is often required to fully interpret his work, however, non is needed to enjoy it. His uncompromising approach to both the subject and the aesthetic make for exciting and energetic paintings.
John is uncle to Katharine and James Lightfoot. He recently moved to Devon, where he's converted a large barn into a magnificent studio. Most of the work seen here however, was produced in his Soho studio in London.
tel: +44 (0)1837 840 430 email John