Art and culture

Brendan Neiland’s Streetscape

September 05, 2019

For his latest solo exhibition, contemporary British artist Brendan Neiland brings a vibrant splash of colour to BAR 45. As one of our original 45 Park Lane artists, we’re delighted to showcase his distinctive style.

City life

As a young boy I lived in the beautiful East Anglian countryside but when I moved to Birmingham I fell for city living, loving the industrial landscape and the buzz of busy places. Since then I’ve travelled extensively and it’s still the big cities that fascinate me the most. They have an innate ability to capture my imagination, feed my senses and inspire my best work.

Eye-catching concepts

I started out being intrigued by reflections in cars and buildings, and these themes have regularly appeared throughout my career. I also have a great passion for beautiful lettering, typography, street signs and advertising billboards. To spark ideas, I always take photos then when I get home I make sense of what appealed to me the moment I captured those shots.

Colorful artwork representing a woman's face on a mosaic

Close up shot on a Brendan Neilland's colorful artwork at 45 Park Lane Hotel

Interesting interpretations

I like to paint what I see from my own personal perspective. When you view one of my paintings you’re sharing my way of looking at things, I’m giving you sense of what I’m feeling and thinking. For example, when I created a piece called ‘Chatter’, I was thinking back to when I was in New York’s Times Square, amidst all the noise, movement and chatter in multiple languages. The broken up wording is designed to recreate that intense feeling.

Art outside galleries

As an artist, I adore art galleries but I think there’s something really special about what 45 Park Lane is doing. I love the fact that my work can be seen by people who wouldn’t necessarily visit an art gallery, yet still take an interest in art. I’m delighted at how my colourful artwork has transformed the hotel, it’s something I’m very proud of and I commend the hotel for its commitment to creativity.

Pioneering technique

I was one of the first artists to pioneer painting with a spray gun and it’s a technique that’s stayed with me. Personally, I don’t like to see brushstrokes in my artwork, so this method works perfectly for me.

It’s also a great way of achieving a really vibrant depth of colour, which stands out wherever it’s displayed.

See for yourself

When I visit places, I always walk around and take photos so I don’t miss anything. Once I’ve decided on an idea, I make full-scale sketches based on the photos then cut out sections to make stencils and spray paint directly onto traditional canvas. I always have a clear vision at the start of each piece but often my ideas evolve as I work on them. The images for Streetscape are particularly vibrant, this is something I’ve grown into late in my career but I’m now really passionate about. I hope you like it too.

We invite you to come and see Brendan Neiland’s Streetscape artwork in the lobby and BAR 45, which is on display until October 14. As one of our original 45 Park Lane artists his work is also permanently displayed in our 5th floor rooms.

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