Phil Illingworth
Phil Illingworth’s painting practice is almost wholly experimental. Driven by concept rather than discrete process, his choice of materials and the quality and method of execution is always very carefully considered. Working across a variety of media and playing with scale and form he explores a broad spectrum of concerns. Much of Phil’s work is 3 dimensional which he says is “partly because I like working that way but mostly because painting in 3D has a lot of potential for me. Fundamentally it’s a matter of approach – this work is all about paint and painting. It’s also about a genuine love and respect I have for painting and its rich history.” He goes on to say “I choose my materials and processes very carefully; I hand stitch, for example, as an acknowledgement of and respect for the long tradition of the craft of painting. At the same time I play games. I’m also trying to push to the limit what a painting can be.”
Phil Illingworth has exhibited in the UK, the USA, China, and in Europe including the 53rd Venice Biennale. His works have been selected for the John Moores Painting Prize, the Marmite Prize IV, and the Jerwood Drawing Prize. In addition to private collections, works are in public collections in the UK and China and, in 2019, the collection of the Yale Center for British Art.