Grant Searl

Grant was born in Southport in 1962. Educated at Preston Polytechnic (alongside Britain’s star animator Nick Parks), he harboured an interest in all things bizarre and unconventional and this influenced his artwork from the beginning.

In spite of his technical expertise and strong grasp of form and colour, Grant is largely a self taught artist. His inventive and distinctive oil paintings and acrylics on canvas owe a stylistic debt to Magritte, Dali and a range of other surrealist artists whom he admires. As well as the sheer aesthetic attraction, what appeals to him is the element of subversion which is present in their work. He is also fascinated by the quirkier side of Victoriana; the idea of a folly, for example – a seemingly functional building – which is actually produced for no apparent purpose other than its own aesthetic worth.

Combining pop culture with surrealism, Grant's work is rich in content which means that you can stand contemplating the composition, hidden meanings and familiar visual references in every painting; they are always intriguing.