STEPHEN MILNER ART
Artist Statement
Born in Manchester, I studied at Manchester & Sheffield College of Art.
Runner-Up MAFA summer exhibition, followed by a 30 year career in sales & corporate management.
Five years ago I returned to my painting, and attended the One Year Mentoring Course at the Newlyn School of Art.
Encouraged to investigate the origins of my art, I began to reflect on my early life, time spent in hospitals, r
epeated surgery that left my leg scarred and muscle wasted.
I began to create some profound imagery of my feet, reflecting on that personal trauma,
an emotional response illustrating vulnerability & injustice, providing me with a story
and a release from that early childhood trauma.
My work is unsettling, with a sense of discomfort, the fraying of the cotton canvas,
reflecting the fragility of life and how easily it can be torn apart by a simple action or word given without thought.
Working largely in Acrylic, Ink & Pencil and often on raw unstretched canvas and my work taps into that sense of identity,
and finding joy from my own adversity.
Self
Biography
Stephen Milner
“Stephen Milner’s work is an investigation of the self. Excavating layers of family history, from relatives who worked in the Manchester cotton mills to his grandfather who fought on the Western Front, this knowledge has become a basis to explore his own story. Milner’s childhood was fraught with hospital visits. Suffering from a club foot and severe asthma, his work processes this bodily trauma. Feet, knees and ribs are elegantly drawn on distressed and dyed cotton canvas, often dissected to highlight a feeling of dislocation. Milner’s art and body have always been connected. His artistic journey began in the hospital beds of his childhood when he drew to pass the time. His work now comes full circle; painting his body is a form of acceptance, transforming it into a landscape of history and creativity.”
Kate Reeve-Edwards
Cultural Capital Arts
Roots
News
Following the success of our shows at Rogue Studios, Manchester & Mura Ma Gallery, Marple this year, working alongside Briony Jenkins & Mike Thorpe, we are currently working towards another exciting venture, details to follow later this year.
If you would like any further information about my work please email me at milnersn@icloud.com
