Artwork:
Paul Bisson. On the Pier. Hand coloured etching, 278/350. No date.
A quiet view of a pier on an unpopulated beach conveys isolation—an atmosphere well suited to the concentrated, methodical work of boat repairing. Tools, timber and a winched vessel are arranged with careful clarity, their stillness suggesting both industry and pause. This hand-coloured etching is rendered in a delicate, low-key range of neutrals—soft beiges and muted greys—set against the fresh blue of the open sky. The restrained palette creates a subtle balance of warm and cool tones, and everything within the composition feels measured and in harmony, unified by light, space and calm.
Artist:
Paul Bisson is a painter and printmaker whose work is distinguished by its meticulous draughtsmanship and an instinct for finding poetry in overlooked places. Working across oils, watercolours, drawings and etchings, he has consistently explored landscape alongside studies of the built environment and the human figure. From early oil paintings of Spanish landscapes and nudes to his acclaimed London series depicting derelict shop fronts and scenes of urban decay, Bisson has demonstrated a fascination with surfaces, structures and the quiet narratives embedded in everyday settings. He has developed a disciplined, highly detailed style that found further expression in etching from the mid-1970s onward, particularly in finely wrought landscape prints.
Born in Guernsey in 1938 and educated at Elizabeth College, Guernsey, and Shebbear College, Devon, Bisson studied at St. Martin’s School of Art (1955–1958) and the Royal Academy Schools (1959–1961). After completing his studies, he worked and exhibited in Spain before returning to London in the early 1970s, where his series of drawings and watercolours of urban decay brought him significant recognition.
In 1976 he became involved in etching at Morley College, and in 1980 moved to Sussex, establishing a studio large enough to manage the full process of plate-making and printing for numerous limited-edition commissions. His work has been exhibited widely in the UK, Europe, Japan, the US, Australia and at the Basel and New York Art Fairs. Bisson’s prints and paintings are held in private and corporate collections worldwide, including the Stedelijk Museum and the Bibliothèque Nationale. He has held one-man shows in the UK, notably at the Coach House Gallery in 1993, 1995 and 1998, and now lives and works in Guernsey.
Deep Dive:
More on etching – materials and techniques.
A brief history of St. Martin’s School of Art.
Article on Morley College and Landscape Artist of the Year: Morley Printmaking Tutor Stars on Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year.
Foundation:
The Canadian Art Preservation Foundation posts short biographies and information on artists and artwork from its collection in a not-so-subtle attempt to capture your attention and interest in our mission, but we also just want to keep this artwork in view. We are excited about the art we collect and want to share it with you.
CAPF is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the artwork of Canada’s superstar artists for future generations to examine, study and exhibit – the ones you know and the ones you might not know so well. We accept artwork, journals, notes, letters, exhibition catalogues and anything else that might comprise a visual and/or intellectual “portrait” (ahem, please pardon the pun) of a particular artist.
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