Opus Art, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom

Philip Gurrey Biography

Philip Gurrey seeks to visually explore certain facets of the human condition through the physicality of paint, working intently between image and oil paint's own unique visceral language. A common theme is identity, and through its inherent link to the subconscious, Gurrey feels compelled to reveal/ask questions surrounding our understanding of ourselves as people.

'It does not offer an escaper for the intellectual ailment. Rather, it is one of the symptoms of that ailment which reflects it throughout a man's whole thought. But for the first time it makes the mind get outside of itself and places it in opposition to others, not for it to get lost but to show it clearly the blind path that all have entered upon.' As Albert Camus suggests here, art does not solve, instead it gives us the ability to come face to face with the world and the ordered delirium that urges us to be receptive to everything. Through his work Gurrey hopes to invite the viewer to re-present reality whilst accusing it, emphasising what John Berger stated, ‘The relation between what we see and what we know is never settled’.

Philip Gurrey has exhibited widely, with shows in London, Glasgow, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, and his work has featured in Art Review, Art World and The Sunday Times’ Culture magazine.