Portfolio Fine Arts

CRIMINALLY TALENTED TONY BLACK

Portfolio Fine Art has recently launched its first collection with renowned crime author, award-winning journalist, and Edinburgh-based contemporary artist Tony Black.

The Roper

The Great Philanderer Boots on the ground

Tony’s ambition to paint was put on hold after his novels took the world by storm. Described as Irvine Welsh’s favourite British crime writer, Tony’s work has been shortlisted for The Guardian’s Not the Booker Prize, and has been nominated six times for the Crime Writers Association Dagger. However, his ventures with writing fiction showed him that there were limitations of the form, which led to his further pursuit of visual art. He now paints every day in his own unique and spontaneous style.

The “power, style and street swagger” Welsh uses to describe Tony’s central protagonist, Gus Dury, can be seen across his art. Using bold colours, thick lines, and abstract reappearing characters, Tony shows he is a storyteller both through visual and written work. His work artistically depicts stories from his time as a journalist, his personal views and experiences living in Scotland, his Australian heritage and his dark yet humorous anecdotes from his day-to-day life.

Each painting tells a story, with the use of characters in both his art and his novels. This allows his collection of art to follow its own unique narrative. Tony believes that in an internet age where the written word has been greatly weakened, only radical imagery now has the power to reveal the human spirit.

His audacious and daring style, influenced by Pop Art, German Expressionism and Fauvism, is derived from the art he enjoyed throughout his childhood.

In contrast to the inflexible approach of planning and writing gritty crime fiction, Tony Black’s art encompasses vibrancy, quirkiness and spontaneity.

Tony Black and Portfolio Fine Art are very excited to have just launched a collection of three limited edition box canvas prints and a plethora of his vivacious originals. A free print is available with the purchase of a set of prints. You can find all of these and more about Tony at www.portfoliofineart.com or by emailing sales@portfoliofineart.com.

Bob is the man who created the iconic Grange Hill flying sausage which appeared in the title credits of the much loved TV school drama.

Chrome Girl - I’m Clockwork

FROM GRANGE HILL TO THE FAIRGROUND

3$ Play

Portfolio Fine Art is really excited to introduce Bob Cosford’s first collection, which delivers instant impact with a three dimensional flash of fairground fantasy.

Rogue

Bob spent his teenage years in the dreary London suburbs of the 1960s, where his highlights were smoking in dingy alleys and playing street football. So when the fairground came to town, everything came into brilliant focus for Bob! Those days have been a lifelong inspiration and his home is now full of art which grabs the attention – shop signs, big American cars, visions of Vegas and Venice Beach, Rock ‘n’ Roll – all evocative of the magical teenage dream.

Bob is the man who created the iconic Grange Hill flying sausage which appeared in the title credits of the much loved TV school drama. Unbelievably, Bob never actually saw an episode of Grange Hill because the programme aired at 4.50pm, when he was either working or down the pub! Other work included Match of the Day, The Basil Brush Show and Top Gear.

Bob has since been nominated for a BAFTA, and tells us: “After studying for four years at Art School, I began my artistic endeavours as a freelance commercial illustrator and in the late 70s I created the animated artwork for the drama series ‘Pennies From Heaven’, Grange Hill and other BBC commissions. Later, I worked around Camden and Soho, winning awards as a creative director for film and television before returning to my creative roots in 2003 and showcasing a wide variety of work as images for print. These included elaborate photomontages with digitally hand drawn imaging, which developed into social and politically themed Outsider and Urban Art – with ironic references to celebrities and mainstream entertainment.”

Bob now walks his whippet Jaffa on Bournemouth beach where the fairground still comes to town - its sights, sounds and smells inspiring Bob’s art, which takes us back to those hot heady nights of our teens when we rode the dodgems, screamed on the ghost train and dreamed of a life full of adventure yet to come.

For more information on Bob’s work, visit www.portfoliofineart.co.uk or email sales@portfoliofineart.com