Darren Riley Art at The Pilgrm
The Pilgrm is currently showcasing a selection of works by artist Darren Riley. These come in the form of bold recreations of iconic record sleeves, painted in acrylic on wood.
A keen artist as a child, Darren studied design after school. However, after failing his course he fell out of love with art and in love with music, and subsequently left drawing behind him. Some twenty years later he put his guitar down, picked up some brushes and started painting. He has never looked back.
“Being a musician, it was inevitable that I would focus on that artform when painting. Pop music and the fandom of it informs my art constantly, and is an eternal source of inspiration. The album cover is one of our most easily accessible artforms and even now in these digital times, new covers are being produced every single day. I struggle to think of another example of advertising and art combining so well.”
Darren’s process is one which he prefers to keep simple - a square of wood, acrylic paints, and a CD player playing the album that he’s painting. Drawn to recreating faces, almost all of his works involve portraits.
“It's a voyage of discovery that has introduced me to some marvellous music. It's also introduced me to some terrible music but that's all part of the fun.“
All pieces on show are available to buy - simply visit The Pilgrm and pick your favourite to take home with you. Private commissions should go directly to Darren.
