Brian Speedie

Brian Speedie's work on stone has been mainly non-figurative, and the best of it (or at least the work that most satisfies him) shows a dialogue or tension between things, marks that happen and are allowed to do their own thing, and those that are quite deliberate and managed. It makes some kind of sense to him, visually, as a way of proceeding. He lives in Madrid for part of the year and the spirit of Goya, which still pervades the city, is a big influence. This explains a return to drawing and figuration in his recent etchings and aquatints and monotypes.

BIOGRAPHY

Brian Speedie's first degree was in Biochemistry, and he has a long-standing interest in the philosophy of science. While this has had an influence on his work, his reading in poetry and philosophy is perhaps more significant. In recent times he's been thinking most about the work of Wallace Stevens, John Ashberry, T.S. Elliot, and William James. When he's working, he usually has some source material loosely in mind, often fragments of poems that have affected him, exploring the emotional landscapes they evoke before rationality manages to nail them down. The poetry and music of Spain is a constant source of inspiration.