Multilayered Oil Paintings Visualize Motion and Time Passing in Busy Cities

Oil Paintings by Clive Head

Clive Head in his studio

Inspired by everyday moments, British artist Clive Head captures the often dizzying urban environment in his multi-perspective oil paintings. From hurried commuters on public transport to busy coffee shops, each painting features fractured layers that suggest movements through space and time.

Throughout Head’s lengthy career, his style has evolved from traditional realist works to that of his current large-scale, math-inspired compositions. Like a cross between multiple-exposure photography and Cubism, Head’s most recent paintings feature complex shapes and various vantage points to depict multi-dimensional scenes. He explains, “I reject modernist fragmentation and instead seek a seamless surface, so the viewer can move around a unified space.”

Although Head’s paintings depict moments from everyday life, the results are anything but ordinary. Viewers could spend hours studying every corner of Head’s canvases, finding new pieces of information each time. “I’m not trying to tell stories, but make a painting that generates all kinds of narratives,” he reveals. “When every part of the painting can be read in a multiplicity of ways, after all, there are always multiple images; the possibility for different meanings becomes infinite.”

You can see more from Head’s portfolio on his website.

British artist Clive Head captures the often dizzying urban environment in his multi-perspective oil paintings.

Oil Paintings by Clive Head

“Calder’s Ascension,” 2017

Oil Paintings by Clive Head

“Cygnes Gris,” 2018

Oil Paintings by Clive Head

“Pearly White,” 2018

Each painting features fractured layers that suggest movements through space and time.

Oil Paintings by Clive Head

“Wonder Woman,” 2018

Oil Paintings by Clive Head

“Lucifer Rising,” 2018

Oil Paintings by Clive Head

“The Cherry Train,” 2017

Oil Paintings by Clive Head

“Flee to Banbury X,” 2017

Oil Paintings by Clive Head

“L’Apres-midi d’une Femme,” 2017

Oil Paintings by Clive Head

“Blue Pole Dance, The English Way,” 2018

Oil Paintings by Clive Head

“The King is Dead, Long Live the King,” 2018

Clive Head: Website | Facebook | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to use photos by Clive Head.

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Emma Taggart

Emma Taggart is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met. Originally from Northern Ireland, she is an artist now based in Berlin. After graduating with a BA in Fashion and Textile Design in 2013, Emma decided to combine her love of art with her passion for writing. Emma has contributed to various art and culture publications, with an aim to promote and share the work of inspiring modern creatives. While she writes every day, she’s also devoted to her own creative outlet—Emma hand-draws illustrations and is currently learning 2D animation.
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