Martin V Cooke

As the old saying goes: "You can take the lad oot the North, but you can never take the North oot the lad." Although Martin has lived in Brighton for nearly 20 years, he is still a Northern boy at heart. 

Born and raised in the Lake District, he got tired of building dens and counting sheep, so after finishing his Fine Art degree at Hull University he decided to find adventure and seek his fortune further south. 

Martin uses a Pop Art aesthetic with a Fine Art approach - working predominately with charcoal and conte crayon, he creates arresting portraits usually including a cheeky wee bird in there somewhere. 

His most recent work has focused solely on the birds themselves, and in particular, Hummingbirds - trying to capture a sense of movement within a small space in vibrant acrylic paint.  

The inclusion of a feathered friend adds a sense of depth and gives a portrait a new focus. They come in all shapes, colours and sizes so are incredibly fun to draw and paint. Martin doesn't want or like to label his work too much, or apply any deep and potentially pretentious meanings - if the viewer sees something in the work and it means something to them, then that is fine. Instead he strives for something that is aesthetically pleasing and hope the viewer finds it equally so.

Martin has exhibited in galleries in Brighton, including the JAG Gallery, Art Republic and the White Rabbit gallery - but he has found his spiritual home with Art Schism, a collective of like minded artists which have inspired and motivated him to push and explore his Art even further.