'Gargantuan Bloke'

Artist

Joseph Gilgun

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Growing up in north Lancashire, among the towns that time forgot, Joe did not have a stereotypical 
journey into the world of art. A short foray onto a fashion course strengthened his artistic instincts 
as a young man, but the distraction of a career in acting took Joe away from this route for many 
years, until eventually the stresses of said career pushed him back in. Success in the 
entertainment industry afforded the privilege of free time. Free time allowed introspection, which 
led to painting as a method of therapy and self-care. This evolved into a hobby and eventually 
became an obsession, or is it an addiction?

Joe is a self-taught artist. Working from his home studio in Manchester, he explores themes of 
identity, emotion, society, and the human experience. Drawing from his own personal history and 
mental health, as well as the shared experiences of the voiceless and invisible living on the streets, 
Joe continues to discover a haunting beauty in the darkest aspects of the human psyche. With a 
mixture of street, abstract and fine art influences, most of his work is created using a blend of 
acrylic, spray paint and charcoal. However, he doesn’t limit himself, sometimes it’s a case of using 
whatever’s at hand; a splash of tea, a mouthful of spit, on occasion he doesn’t even use a canvas. 
Art works have been painted on bed sheets due to the times he’s been too anxious to leave the 
house. Broken gates salvaged from wastelands next to filming locations have also found their way 
into the collection. 
Joe has made a conscious effort to find his own method and style through the trial and error of 
painting. Trying to find his voice before he starts looking, almost out of spite. Though he enjoys the 
history of art, classic and contemporary, he has far more interest in understanding his own voice 
before muddying the waters with everything that’s gone before. 
There are, however, influences that can’t be avoided. George Condo’s work fascinates him, he 
paints ‘ordinary people’, though Joe doesn’t believe anyone’s ordinary. He appreciates how Condo 
captures the chaos of it all. Francesco Goya: Joe is intrigued by ‘The Black Paintings’. Goya 
resented society, he kept this series in his house and thought no one would ever see. Similar to 
Joe’s work, he felt almost embarrassed about the art. It was only ever supposed to stay in the 
safety of his home. Sir Francis Bacon: with a fear of appearing arrogant, Joe doesn’t consider 
himself to be a fan of Bacon’s work. Though there are similarities in the themes of despair and the 
lack of romance about the world. Plus, he was terrified of his dad, much like Joe. Despite being the 
least favourite of his influences, he’s the artist Joe’s talks about most often, which bothers 
him. George Rowlett: Joe’s a big admirer of the impasto style and the amount of work that goes 
into completing each piece. Though not a huge fan of landscapes, watching George paint is 
enough to sway anyone. His self-portraits are mind blowing. Some of the great poets of the 
19th/20th century also provide inspiration, themes and direct quotes of greats such as Charles 
Bukowski and Rudyard Kipling can be found in more recent collections.  
Joe doesn’t fit any specific artistic mould or adhere to society’s expectations. He paints on instinct 
and lets others decide the deeper meaning behind his work. Through this process, the art provides 
a truthful glimpse into soul of Joe Gilgun. More honest than any social media post or interview 
could ever manage. 
Given the opportunity to comment on his process, Joe provided this quote: 
‘I don’t know what I’m doing’. 
Joseph Gilgun 2024

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