Jonathan Pocock was born in 1967, and trained at St. Martins school of Art. On leaving college, Jonathan initially painted in a very fine and detailed style, reminiscent of the Dutch still lives of the 17th century. He achieved great success in this area, with regular one man shows at the Bruton Street Gallery and at Roy Miles.
Since then his work has developed into a far more contemporary fluid style, and in his most recent landscapes, brushes have given way to pallet knife, and detail has moved aside for a more direct response. The subject matter for these landscapes is generally close to his home, on the West Sussex-Hampshire border. This provides both the contrast of down land, with dramatic far-reaching views, and the chalk streams that run through their valleys.
Using his signature pallet knife, the paint can be applied in a fast and direct method allowing the images to be appreciated on many different levels. Close up the viewer can enjoy the variety of textural paint surfaces across the canvases at an almost abstract level. Yet from a distance the representational qualities of the paintings come into play.
Jonathan’s work is in many private collections and he shows regularly in London and New York. His work has recently been bought by the Palace of Westminster Collection for The House of Lords. He has been a gallery favourite for several years.