INSPIRING ART
We talk to award-winning artist Bruce Atherton, commissioned by the Vatican among others, who is now taking part in a new online art portal called Runway Gallery
Bruce Atherton believes it takes guts to be an artist – to expose your thoughts creatively – and says there’s a little piece of his soul in every piece he makes. We ask him more about his work and inspiration…
Tell us about your background in art… At the age of three I would draw fanatically, encouraged by my parents, a midwife and a consultant surgeon. Having a non-arty family was a huge freedom – there were no expectations. I went to art school in the late 80s but it was all about super abstract expressionism whereas I was inspired by the Old Masters, so I left. By my mid-20s I was a successful art director in advertising who needed to find his inner Michaelangelo. I resigned and went to Italy to study advanced life painting. I also taught and undertook portrait commissions. Then a solo show I did at the Cannaviello gallery in Milan led to more international exhibitions.
You’ve received commissions from the Vatican. How did that come about?
I was recommended to the Vatican by an Italian health minister whose portrait I had painted. Painting for the Vatican was a huge honour and I completed 13 paintings of newly canonised saints and official portraits, plus I was able to enjoy tea with two popes.
What inspires you the most? Three things: beauty, the search for perfection, and truth. Whether that’s a person, a landscape or an idea.
How do people react to your work? Someone told me they’d experienced something like Stendhal syndrome where they were completely overwhelmed, but the most common reaction is
‘Wow, you’re going to be famous!’.
Any advice for people who want to buy contemporary art for their home? Choose a piece you love that’s true to your individual taste.