Back to Black: how one Manchester artist is bending the rules

It’s hard to believe Simon Attard was told not to use black at university. Darkness inhabits his pictures like treacle, bittersweet and strangely addictive.

At least, that’s how it is for Simon. Neither an act of retaliation, nor even a conscious choice, his use of black is simply a ‘feeling.’ Because of this, the talented young artist has unwittingly created a style of work that’s distinctively his own; brave, symbolic, revealing more with each glance.

We met Simon in his modern apartment near Angel Meadows, where he lives with Finnish partner Aino and gorgeous Bedlington whippet Alma. When he’s not painting, he works in his family’s textile business, and spends a lot of time perusing the works of old masters; as well as more recent prodigies like Francis Bacon, Stanley Spencer and Edvard Munch.

It’s a comfortable life, one that fits neatly in society. Yet it’s Simon’s fascination with those on the edges that characterise much of his paintings. The Pocket Oracle & Art of Prudence, for example, contains figures Simon frequently encounters on his walks round Angel Meadows with Alma. While the area is undoubtedly undergoing gentrification, a nearby shelter means that not everyone has the same luxuries. 

Typically for Simon’s work, the painting fuses contemporary society with historical references: the title is based on Balthasar Gracian’s seventeenth century advice tome - largely considered the world’s first self help book - while the composition is inspired by a Titian motif. Peer closely and you’ll even see Alma (perhaps his most frequent muse after Aino). 

Mythology is another common theme, as seen in The Death of Actaeon, while - owing to Simon’s love of enigma - mysterious modern-day crimes like that of Oscar Pistorius also make an appearance. Bladerunner depicts the Paralympian sprinter as a bronze statue, frozen as the case surrounding his murdered girlfriend swirls around him.  

In works such as this and Nude in a Black Armchair, Simon’s talent for figurative painting is clear: the shading, the play of light and dark, the composition are all indicative of someone who has perfected his technique over several years. But Cubist pieces like Seated Nude 1909 - inspired by Picasso - are expertly rendered too, demonstrating his aptitude for multiple genres.

While he’s been painting for near on two decades, Simon acquired his current style on moving to Manchester three years ago. Prior to this, and even after graduating from a BA Honours in Fine Art at the University of Falmouth, he had a disturbing habit of destroying his works after finishing them. 

“That didn’t always go down so well with my family,” he chuckles. “It was a confidence thing I suppose.”

Surprisingly, he was also a fan of colour. But the pull of black grew ever stronger and his works are now often compared to momento mori; the reflection of mortality, and the vanity of earthly life. 

Now, as Simon endearingly puts it, ‘the pictures speak to one another.’

So, what’s next?

He shrugs modestly. While interest in his work is growing - leading to exhibitions at the likes of Buy Art Fair - he remains refreshingly grounded, humbled even by the attention.

“Just carry on what I’m doing really. For now, I’ve found a style I enjoy and a new studio space in Salford. Although at the moment, I chip away on each piece for three to four months - it’s a long thought process - so that may have to change, who knows!”

Art in Manchester has boomed since the millennium, from the launch of the Buy Art Fair (now the largest of its kind outside London) to the explosion of innovative new galleries, an environment that cultivates entrepreneurship and popular events such as Art Battle.

Whatever happens, it’s clear that - for Simon and his cohorts, a new breed of artists challenging the status quo - Manchester is the place to be.

View more of Simon Attard’s artworks here.