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Artist Statement:
Every painting is a journey.
A journey that begins with no
clear conception of the end
result. From the first mark
on the blank canvas begins the
process of building an image
that ultimately will have a
distinctive character of its
own and contain within it a
historical record of the
process of creativity. The
journey does not stop there.
A new relationship begins
between the painting and those
who come to view it. Without
exhibition the painting
remains incomplete. A
statement that is, according
to the periodical Diario do
Sul a direct quote from the
artist.
Perhaps for Alfora the
journey is near completion.
Art, for him, started as a
hobby in mid life leading to
an honors degree in Fine Art
at Staffordshire University.
Further studies at
Wolverhampton and Manchester
Metropolitan University took
him to Master’s level. He
also taught at local colleges
and at Staffordshire
University. Exhibitions in
England included prestigious
locations such as Manchester
Academy, The Royal West of
England Academy, Royal
Festival Hall and The Barbican
in London as well as with The
Printmakers Council. The
introduction to art for Alfora
was the discovery of J M W
Turner in the Tate gallery,
London. ...
Further Information
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Artist Exhibitions:
ONE WORLD -
THREE DIMENSIONS
UM MUNDO –
TRÊS DIMENSÕES
Blank Canvas
Second Generation
At Igreja de S.
Vicente, Evora Portugal.
Featuring
António Couvinha, Chris
Alford (Alfora) and Peter de
Jong.
5 to 27
March 2011
...
Further Information
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Artist Galleries:
Coming Soon!
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Artist Reviews:
Coming Soon!
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Collections:
Coming Soon!
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Commissions:
Coming Soon!
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Chris Alford - Alfora Biography:
| Biographical information for Chris Alford - Alfora can be found below. The artist may choose what information to display. Sometimes the artist chooses not to display personal information to the general public. |
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Age
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61
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| Gender |
Male
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| Status |
Committed
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| Children |
1
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| Religion |
doubtful spiritualist |
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| Education |
Post Graduate Degree |
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| Hobbies / Interests |
history |
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| Favorite Artistic Medium |
Painting Acrylic
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| Favorite Arthistory Movement |
not provided
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| Favorite Visual Artist |
John Piper
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| Favorite Work of Art |
not provided
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| Biggest Artistic Inspiration |
The introduction to art for Alfora was the discovery of J M W Turner in the Tate gallery, in 1969. Influenced by the study of light, of which Turner was the master, the work of Alfora is complimented by a palette based on the colours used by Rembrandt, Delacroix and Bonnington. Brought into this, through studies based on derelict buildings and a continuing interest in architectural structures, is the depiction of line and structure of buildings within a field of colour. The breaking of the boundaries came with the discovery of the work of Raul Duffy and John Piper which, for Alfora, brought brighter colour through which the subject takes on a translucence allowing the viewer freedom of interpretation. The quintessence then is a personal style using colour, light and line to express the essence of place. This style, developed through subject matter in England and France, was further explored through travels in Portugal particularly the Alentejo and the Algarve. The move from semi-representational landscape to abstract symbolism was a natural one.
The majority of the paintings of Alfora have a historical content. The scenes of Portugal, from 1998 to 2002, are based on places of historical interest and often painted in an abstract style yet containing symbolic representation. The later work used this concept to symbolically represent ancient historical places in an abstract manner. From this developed the more abstract work of the last few years which forms the bulk of recent exhibitions |
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| Why Did You Become An Artist |
I got on the train and just kept going. |
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| Your Personal Biography |
Alfora returned to education in mid life starting with humble beginnings at an evening class for leisure painting. Not for him the prestige of The Royal College of Art, The Slade, Central or St Martins in London. His nearest top-notch art school, Bath Academy, turned him down but undaunted he worked his way through a foundation course at his local college in Trowbridge, Wiltshire. From there it was all the way up – an honors degree at Staffordshire University, an MA at Manchester Metropolitan University and post graduate studies at Wolverhampton University.
Attempts to survive by painting after college were fraught with problems. Finally Alfora turned to art dealing as an option. This got him into huge debts, with a bounced check from Sotheby’s being the straw that broke the camels back, and near bankruptcy orchestrated by the Nat West Bank.
Turning to teaching as a salvation Alfora taught Art and Design at North Midlands College, Leek College and Stoke on Trent College. Next was a short spell as assessor for Business Studies at Staffordshire University and lecturer in Communication studies at the same institution. Finally he turned to TEFL as a savior, which is how he came to end up in Portugal. The name of Alfora came by accident when the Lisbon Transport Authority misspelled his name (Alford) on his transport pass. On returning to painting this became a focal point of a new beginning
A professional career as an artist was cemented with the move to the Algarve, where he became a founder member of the artists group – Blank Canvas. The group included artists of different nationalities and organized exhibitions and events from 2001 to may of 2007 when it dissolved. Alfora now concentrates on painting and showing his work on the internet
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