Sean Durkin

When Sean Durkin's father infamously stole a LS Lowry painting in 1972, Durkin had no idea that he would one day himself become an acclaimed artist.  The stolen painting would come to have a profound effect on his life.  Born in North Yorkshire in 1963, Durkin can recall the incident to this day - "As a boy, I awoke in our terraced house, went downstairs and there in front of me on the mantel piece was a curious little painting depicting what looked to me like a big house, a church, and some 'matchstick' people scurrying around.  My father had stolen it from a public art gallery the previous evening. That image and the atmosphere it conveyed is what I find so beguiling and it stayed in my head for many years until finally, as a young man, I built up the courage to paint myself.  Atmosphere is something I constantly strive for in my own work, although I try not to over analyse what makes a painting work.  I also like to create a rough, textured surface which suites the grittiness of my subjects and helps to create a mood and emotional setting to a piece.  A finished work should have a narrative that is open to more than one interpretation which allows the viewer to wonder what the story is, and allow their own reading of it." As a whimsical nod to his father's exploits, viewers can find a matchstick robber and policeman in each of his paintings.