CHARLIE OSCAR PATTERSON / REVIEW PREVIEW No.6
He’s the Crown Prince of Colour, a budding jazz aficionado, enthusiastic gardener, dog lover, and an absolute gent. Charlie Oscar Patterson has been exploring the myriad joys of colour and geometry for some time now, but in the last year or so his experiments have taken off, into the next dimension…
'Open Sesame' by Charlie Oscar Patterson
Moving from two dimensions to three seems to have inspired ever more complex compositions and increasingly wild colour combinations. He often listens to jazz when he works, and some of his recent work definitely has a bebop vibe... He's swapped flat wood for canvas, and expanded his colour palette to include tropical hues, pop-tastic primaries and deeper, richer shades. This explosion of burgeoning creativity appears to have had a positive influence on the home front too. If you don’t believe us, scroll down and you’ll see a rather magnificent picture of Charlie. In a vest. Holding a courgette. Pleased as punch. He’s already a strong contender for Look Up's Pin Up of the Year, but we're getting ahead of ourselves... 2018. How was it for you Charlie? 
Mural by Charlie Oscar Patterson for Degree Art
REVIEW // 2018 + EARLY 2019
“Through 2018 I was really concentrating on refining the production of my 3D paintings. At the start of the year I had only just begun to stretch canvas over my pieces, breaking away from them being solid wood. It was great progress, bringing a new depth to the work and – on a more practical level – it helped to make them a lot lighter. The highlights from this was being picked up by The Contemporary Collective in London and Artual Gallery in Beirut.” 
'Another World' by Charlie Oscar Patterson
“Both showing these new 3D canvas pieces in several art fairs and group shows. I also got to work on some great mural projects through the year – including work for Honey and Smoke (a restaurant in central London), Little Dot Studios, Inside Store, Degree Art, and the Jealous Gallery rooftop. It's always fun working on murals as it's nice to get out the studio and do some large scale painting. I also helped my good friends Josh McKenna and Hattie Stewart paint their own murals – it's great to see the people who’s work you love doing well."
Charlie's mural installation at the Honey and Smoke restaurant, central London
"Another bonus was my vegetable patch, which did really well. It was my first year making some proper raised beds and with the hot weather everything shot up. We had an abundance of courgettes and chilli peppers...”
Medway Man Grows Veg – Charlie with one of his homegrown courgettes
“As for things I saw, Picasso 1932 – Love, Fame, Tragedy at Tate Modern was incredible. I've never seen so much of his work in one go and never really done that much research into his life. Also, the interactive Gustav Klimt show in Paris. All the walls, floors and ceilings at Atelier des Lumières were projection-mapped with a film of his work; it was just like being inside one of his paintings. As for natural beauty, in May I went to Northern Ireland and got to see the Giant's Causeway. It's absolutely mental... such perfectly formed geometric rock; well worth a visit."
Interactive Gustav Klimt exhibition at Atelier des Lumières, Paris (image courtesy of Culturespaces/E. Spiller)
PREVIEW // 2019
“A few things have happened already that I was looking forward to, including Objects For Music – a solo show launching a new series of work at the Adidas Originals store in East London. This was back in February, as part of a Creative Debuts collaboration, and I was really pleased with the show. I often listen to music when I paint; the titles of the paintings from this collection ”
Installation shot of Charlie's 'Objects for Music' show – Adidas Originals/Creative Debuts (image courtesy of Kevin Takagi)
“I just finished some new large 3D works that are now in Beirut, being shown by Artual Gallery. Coming up I’m planning a solo show with Protein Studios in London, which should be some time in the summer. Keep your eyes peeled as I’ll be announcing the date very soon.” 
'Tubular Bells Grand Piano' by Charlie Oscar Patterson
“I’ve just launched some editions with Look Up and I’m currently working on ideas for their group show – Awe Yes / The Joy of Print – which is part of this year’s E17 Art Trail. I’m excited about translating some of my bigger ideas into smaller prints, and getting involved in the Borough of Culture celebrations. Roll on the summer!”
Charlie's series of 'Coral' prints – now available from Look Up
To keep tabs on Charlie's vibrant creative practice, we highly recommend that you follow him on Instagram. To see our collection of exclusive prints by the man himself, click the link below. Thanks for the memories Charlie – and from everybody at Look Up, best of luck with this year's veg crop.
< >
Charlie Oscar Patterson on Look Up
Charlie's Murals – Look Up blog profile
Charlie Oscar Patterson on Instagram
charlieoscarpatterson.com