Roy McCarthy

ROY'S WORK IS ABOUT TRYING TO PAINT THE TINIEST MEMORY FROM WHEN HE WAS VERY YOUNG. HIS PAINTINGS REPRESENT SOMETHING TO HIM ABOUT HIS CHILDHOOD AND WHERE HE GREW UP.

HE TRIES TO CAPTURE THE FEELING OF AGED AND WORN-OUT OBJECTS; THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR YEARS WITHOUT ANYONE REALLY PAYING THEM ANY ATTENTION. OBJECTS SUCH AS OLD FACTORY MACHINERY AND STREET FURNITURE THAT IS REACHING THE END OF ITS USEFUL LIFE HOLD A PARTICULAR FASCINATION TO ROY.

HIS WORK USUALLY GOES THROUGH MANY INCARNATIONS BEFORE HE ARRIVES AT WHAT HE'S LOOKING FOR - MOST GET SCRATCHED OUT AND PAINTED OVER A FEW TIMES BEFORE THEY ARE FINISHED. USUALLY A LITTLE PIECE FROM EACH LAYER CREEPS THROUGH, ADDING TO THE TEXTURE AND THE FEELING THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS SOME HISTORY & SOUL.

ROY SAYS HE CREATES HIS TEXTURED, TACTILE AND DURABLE PAINTINGS USING HOUSEHOLD PAINT, TILE GROUT, HAMMERITE, CAR PAINTS, FLOOR VARNISH AND "ANYTHING ELSE I CAN GET MY HANDS ON". HE ALSO ACCEPTS COMMISSIONS AND HAS SOLD NUMEROUS PAINTINGS ON THIS BASIS.