Meet contemporary painter Michael Bishop

Q: Hi Michael, tell us about your practice and where your career began.

A: I’d always been encouraged to draw and paint. When I was a kid we lived in Exmouth on the Devon coast. If I ever complained of being bored, my Mum, who before having a family had been a commercial artist, would say ‘Draw a picture then!’

After leaving school I did a one year foundation course at Farnham Art College (Hatch Mill) and went on to a three year BA degree course at Brighton Polytechnic (now University) to study graphic design/illustration.

The college had some wonderful tutors at the time, the late 70s early 80s, including Roland Jarvis, a gifted life drawing tutor, Chris McEwan, master of graphic flights of fancy, the inimitable Raymond Briggs of ‘The Snowman’ fame and Harold Cohen who explained everything in historical context. Sketchbook drawing around the town instilled a useful lifetime habit and the whole experience was broad and inspiring.

On leaving college I moved to London and embarked on a freelance illustration career working for magazines, books and advertising. These were exciting times, sharing a basement studio in Museum Street with fellow illustrators including Alan Adler, Nicola Gregory, Ed Briant, Val Hill and Anni Axworthy.

Being pre-internet days a lot of time was spent touting our folios around to various magazines, publishers and agencies. We worked hard and also played hard! My illustration agent at that time was Folio and clients included The National Trust, Jonathan Cape, British Telecom and British Airways.

Q. You moved to New York in the early 90s, how did your time there shape your practice?

A: I moved to Manhattan, New York in 1990 with my then girlfriend, Pip Bishop, now my wife, who is also now a painter. I found the city had a vibrant theatrical quality, people seemed to be actors on a bustling stage against a background which was at certain places sparklingly modern, the skyscrapers etc., and others structurally anachronistic, with steam shooting out of the street and iron sheets covering potholes.

It was an inspirational time and I started moving away from illustration and painting more, although, ironically I did illustrate a quintessentially English book, ‘The Secret Garden’ by Frances Hodgson Burnett while I was there.

A painting I did of Bleecker St. NY was instrumental in getting the commission ‘Down Town to Soho’, part of the London Transport ‘Art on the Underground’ series, on my return to London in 1995.

Q: There is a mysterious and surreal energy to your paintings that feels wonderfully atmospheric. Is there a certain narrative that you want to convey in your landscapes?

A: The surreal/mysterious aspect is definitely a driving force. I do work in several styles, from looser to more detailed, but this dreamlike quality, I hope, is a constant thread running through everything. The emotional impact is foremost regardless of the style with which it is achieved. I really love Rene Magritte’s ‘Empire of Lights’ and David Inshaw’s ‘The Badminton Game’ for their surreal quality.

Q: Which artists do you admire?

A: My artistic tastes are pretty broad. Along with the aforementioned Inshaw and Magritte, I would add, among many others, the Itinerant painters such as Leviton and Repin as influences along with Michael Andrews, Edward Hopper, David Hockney and Japanese art in general. Also literature, music and film often spark painting ideas, such as with the ‘Le Domaine Perdu’ print K&M have just published.

Q: Like K&M, you are based on the Sussex coast, where we enjoy both the coastal views and the South Downs. Is this where you find inspiration?

A: Yes I’m very lucky to live on the Sussex coast directly overlooking the sea. The beach is like my front garden! It’s undoubtedly a huge inspiration having uninterrupted views of an ever changing sea and sky. The South Downs are nearby and in good weather I like to paint outside around places like Firle and Glynde and along the coast. The beautiful work of Eric Ravilious and William Nicholson really resonate in this respect, especially the latter’s ‘Snow in the Horseshoe.’

Q: We are thrilled to have published 6 of your artworks as special edition prints. What can you tell us about this collection?

A: I’m really thrilled too! I’ve admired the work of K&M for a long time. You started in Brighton about the time I was studying there, so I feel a connection. I was fortunate that Gyr King happened to see several of my paintings in the ‘Fairground’ exhibition at Glyndebourne in 2025 and took an interest in my work.

All the prints share, I hope, common themes of hope, aspiration, longing and most importantly as we’ve discussed a dreamlike sense of mystery. (There is undoubtedly a lyrical/narrative aspect which is sometimes unresolved. This probably comes from my illustration days, the need to get an idea across.) I want the viewer to be drawn into the scene and experience these emotions.

Q: People can currently see your painting ‘The Yellow Boat’ in Hastings Contemporary’s first open call exhibition ‘Odyssey’. How does your painting relate to the theme?

A: ‘The Yellow Boat’ is an ambiguous painting. It’s quite small and fairly realistically painted with the obvious symbolism of the vulnerable boat and the seemingly impenetrable cliffs with aeroplane vapour trails overhead. So the relation to the theme can be seen in a literal way but I imagine that people will make up their own differing stories when looking at it, which is fine. I’d rather it prompted discussion than attribute a polarised story to it.

Q: What have been some career highlights to date?

A: Showing in London for the first time was a highlight. It was at Francis Kyle in 1983. Later I exhibited with his gallery at the Lincoln Centre in New York. Seeing the tube poster ‘Downtown to Soho’ throughout the underground in 1996. My first one man show at Highgate Contemporary 2003.

More recently it’s been making connections and friendships with various galleries and building a good working relationship with them. These are Arundel Contemporary, Linley Belgravia, Silson Contemporary, Glyndebourne Opera House and Amanda Aldous Fine Art with whom I exhibited at The London Art Fair earlier this year.

Also the current exhibition Odyssey at Hastings contemporary that we mentioned, and last but not least having these prints produced by K&M – that really is a highlight!