Graham Crowley has had a long and distinguished career as a painter and teacher, won the John Moores Painting Prize in 2023 and holds strong views on what he believes painting is and should be. In this episode, he talks about his lack of cultural beginnings, his experience of conceptualism at art school and how it strengthened his belief in painting, the influence of the French painter Fernand Leger, his views on illustration, why he painted landscapes in the 1990s, how he’s attracted by luminosity in paintings, why he dislikes being called an artist, and about his prize-winning work Light Industry.

Graham Crowley talking with Bob Chaundy

So and Sew

Light Industry

Top photo of Graham courtesy of Bill Jackson

All other images are © Graham Crowley

You can see more of Graham’s work on his website

Music: Ibiza by MBB | https://soundcloud.com/mbbofficial