Charlie Oscar Patterson's artwork is rooted in his fascination with colour and minimal forms. With a background in Graphic Design; studying at Chelsea College of Art & Design, his work is informed by a structured, gridded approach. Charlie works on small-scale relief paintings and large-scale murals.
1) Which art movement do you consider most influential on your practice?
I have been most influenced by minimalism in art and music but I tend to find more inspiration is processes than aesthetic, how things are made and the background behind them.
2) Where do you go and when to make your best art?
I physically make my pieces in the studio or outside but when coming up with new ideas I always sit in a spot with the least distractions and listen to very particular music. This usually happens at different times, sometimes late at night, or on a train journey works well but I need to get in a very particular headspace
3) How do you describe your 'creative process'?
My creative process is an emotional response to music that I translate into tangible forms.
4) Which artist, living or deceased, is the greatest inspiration to you?
I think it would be very difficult to say that one artist has been the greatest inspiration as many have inspired me for different reasons and at different periods of time. One of my favourite artists is Howard Hodgkins, his use of colour and process behind the paintings really inspires me even though our works are completely different. I like a lot of abstract colour field painters; Helen Frankenthaler, Morris Louis, Kenneth Noland, Albert Irvin, Stanley Whitney, all completely different styles but incredible uses of colour. And more geometric abstract painters like Frank Stella, Josef Albers and Bridget Riley.
5) If you weren't an artist, what would you do?
When I was young I spent a lot of time making things with my Grandad in his shed so I have always enjoyed making things by hand. I studied Graphic Design and worked for a few agencies before committing to making my art full time so I would still be doing that but I would also like to do more physical things like carpentry, pottery, shoemaking, glass blowing, any handcraft.
6) What do you listen to for inspiration?
I listen to several genres of music, usually, it is something quite ambient and relaxing or compositions by minimal composers like Terry Riley, Mike Oldfield, Steve Reich and Philip Glass, but also a lot of jazz for when I feel a bit more upbeat and lively.
7) If you could own one artwork, and money was no object, which piece would you acquire?
It would have to be any Howard Hodgkin piece, I wouldn’t be fussy, but as I mentioned before any of the artists that inspire me I would love to own any of their works.
8) If your dream museum or collection owner came calling, which would it be?
I would probably go for MoMA or the Tate Modern, Frank Stella had a retrospective at MoMA when he was just 33, wouldn’t that be nice!
9) What is your key piece of advice for artists embarking on a fine art or creative degree today?
Meet as many people as you can, you never know how they might be able to help you one day
10) What is your favourite book of all time (fiction or non-fiction)?
I am currently reading Wassily Kandinsky's - Point and Line to Plane and Josef Albers’ - Interaction of colour which is both fantastic reads.
11) If you could hang or place your artwork in one non-traditional art setting, where would that be?
I would love to paint something huge, like an enormous skyscraper or even a structure like the international space station, something a bit different that you can’t take in in one go.
12) What was the biggest lesson your university course or time studying taught you?
Being in control of your time and what you do with it, no one is going to do things for you so really mastering your own productivity and balance between your work and your personal life.
13) And finally, if we were to fast forward 10 years, where would we find you?
I would hope on some sort of farm like setting where I have a studio and enough land to have chickens and maybe some other small animals to go with my three dogs.
