Paul Ramsay is an artist exploring radical painting strategies under the influence of such groups as FLUXUS and OULIPO, and artists working across boundaries, such as Cornelia Parker, Yoko Ono, Yves Klein and John Cage. His chosen focus is the use of water-based paint combined with salt, and he has been building a series of interrogative strategies, particularly those involving the reworking or recontextualizing of vernacular painting materials, to produce colourful, celebratory works —as fragile as the environment.
Paul has been continually developing his practice, drawing upon his experience at Plymouth University as a fine art lecturer for over twenty years, and, since 2019, as a full-time artist. Working with the challenges of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, he is currently taking advantage of new freedoms to make and show work via a number of outlets, including gallery spaces, social media and bookworks. His Instagram page 'Paul Ramsay Is Painting' currently documents his practice and is where he may be contacted.
*
selected exhibitions/projects:
2024: (upcoming -late April/early May) exhibiting several pieces as part of Sarah Bennett's 'Vitrine' project.
2023: exhibiting three 'fragment' paintings (November 5th - December 24th; January 2nd - January 21st 2024), at the Artizan Gallery in Torquay, UK, (English Riviera Winter Open Exhibition 2023/4).
2023: exhibited four paintings (July 15th - August 27th), at the Artizan Gallery in Torquay, UK, as part of their English Riviera Summer Open Exhibition 2023. Awarded the Innovative Practice Award by the Artizan Gallery for my painting 'Forget Me Not (Park Scatter)'.
2023: exhibited 'Two Drawings (Green Hills with Red)' in the Studio KIND Summer Open (22nd July - 12th August)
2023: 'The Leaves are full of Paintings': a talk about my work at St Thomas library, Exeter on Thursday 13th July
2023: 'The Leaves are full of Paintings': a show of my work at The Birdhouse in St Thomas, Exeter (April 14th-16th)
2022: exhibited several painting works including 'Magi' and 'Break', at the Artizan Gallery in Torquay, UK, as part of their English Riviera Summer Open Exhibition 2022
2022: exhibited 'Seasonal Study' at the Green Hill Arts Open 2022 in Moretonhampstead UK
2016: 'tingsWri tingFloa', dissolvable bookwork made for the Floating Library, Silver Lake, Minnesota, USA
2015: 'A Book Dipped Into two Lakes', bookwork made for the Floating Library, Silver Lake, Minnesota, USA
2013 – present: developed Alembic Books, a small imprint publishing bookworks by PR and others (13 titles published - see: www.alembicbooks.co.uk)
2012: 'An Embroidery of British Birdsong', sound art piece, premiered at Collider– exploring hybridity, Egenis, RAMM, Exeter
2009: 'Fragaria Prelude' – salt/fruit/paint painting exhibition, Scott Building Foyer, Plymouth University
2007: 'Mobile Dawn In An Old World Garden', sound art piece, premiered at the ANTI-PARALLEL genetic strands in contemporary art show, Egenis, University of Exeter
2007-11: 'Consemble', an online, international, self-assembling sound art project
2007: 'Works of Friction', (Group show with artist Steve Thorpe), Art Terracina Gallery, Exeter Quay, Exeter
2005: 'The Sound of the Field', online self-assembling sound art project for international Mail Art group Field Study
2004: released solo one album: 'Inlets' (on own Motile label)
1995-present: various interactive sound pieces in development of 'Parallel Music' (an indeterminate computer-based sound art/music compositional method)
1979 - 1989: Member of various bands including PGRS, The Poor Bachelors and The Omega Ensemble
1979: released one album: 'Photographs Of Sound' by PRGS (on band's own Riskydisc label)
*
career:
Artist (ongoing)
Lecturer in Fine Art at Plymouth University (1997 - 2019)
Worked in several part-time tutoring posts including Southampton Institute, University of North London, and Middlesex University (1991 - 1996)
First class Hons degree (BA) in Visual and Performing Arts; letter of commendation for thesis on the work of Yoko Ono (1990)
Arts Foundation Course, Southampton Institute (1986)
Assistant Recording Engineer, Essex Studios, London W1 (1979 - 1980)
