New Work

Joshua Hilton
4 July 2000 to 4 August 2000

Joshua Hilton is a South London resident and artist. Having studied and lived in the vibrant communities of Brixton and Streatham, he uses his local environment as his greatest source of inspiration.

Hilton’s work explores various themes: his journeys through his local community as an agoraphobic, and the distorting impact of his disability on daily life and reality. Unable to use public transport as a mode of travel, Hilton’s travels through his local community by foot have prompted him to study the local landscape and people in great detail. These observations have provided the rich imagery and ideas for his work. He recreates the daily physical landmarks and faces that offer him reassurance and tranquillity.

He incorporates his raw responses to the gritty urban environment he moves through into his work by illustrating recurring visual stimuli on canvas. For example, architectural landmarks frequently recur in Hilton’s paintings, as if to recreate the comfort he associates with them.

Agoraphobia provokes a heightened sensory awareness within Hilton. This enables him to explore and deconstruct his perceptions on canvas, for example, through the balance of colour and texture. He aims to use his medium to create new meanings for the eye and to challenge conventional perceptual dimensions.