Mike Clay

riginally from West Sussex, Mike has lived in the north east for 30 years since

he graduated from Sunderland Poltechnic in 1982. As a compulsive eavesdropper,

he tunes into private and not so private conversations (thanks to the mobile phone!)

which become the subjects of his paintings. All are on hardboard, and are made

from acrylic and poster colour paint, applied by brush and rag and removed with

sandpaper and Stanley knife blade - as he was trained as a printmaker

and sculptor he is not sure that this is the way to make paintings. He is fascinated by

the "crap side of life", things occurring in the next street, childrens perceptions of a

confusing adult world, and "just general sauciness really!".

The resulting paintings he makes based on these dramas are dynamic, sometimes dark,

but often tender or bizarre.