Artist Profile Carol Burns
Carol Burns, The City’s Ocean Roar 2024, Mixed media on board
(acrylic paint, graphite, oil pastel, ink, colored pencil and collage
including a mix of vintage paper and paper hand made by the artist),
31.9″ x 31.9″ (810 mm x 810 mm) (framed).
Artist Statement
I am interested in people (Every single individual on this planet is a multifaceted being comprising many different identities with no single one providing the ultimate key to unlocking their character) and I find our internal and external narratives captivating. After all, we dream in narrative, daydream in narrative, remember, anticipate, hope, despair, believe, doubt, plan, revise, criticise, construct, gossip, learn, and love by narrative. It enables us to share our internal world in a meaningful way and helps us make sense of the external world we inhabit. Finding a visual means of examining those narratives, and the abstract ideas contained within them, is endlessly fascinating to me and it’s those inner landscapes that I aim to capture within my work.
My paintings are not designed to be representational. I start with an idea or concept which I then explore through the layering of paint, intuitive mark making and collage. My process is a constant balancing act between control, instinct, reacting to the accidental and deliberately adding elements to provide contrast and interest. The end result is a work which is rich with history, color and pattern all of which combine to capture the essence of the initial idea. Each piece is intentionally left open to interpretation which means that it is only complete when the viewer applies their own experiences and narratives to it.
Artist Biography
Carol Burns is an award-winning artist based in Swindon, Wiltshire, known for her unconventional abstract works. Using vintage paper and a commitment to recycling, she explores themes of memory, transformation, dreams, and self, often seeking to capture a moment or feeling. Through abstract forms, Carol evokes personal and collective responses, blending bold experimentation with deep emotional resonance.
Her art has been widely exhibited, including at the Royal Cambrian Academy of Art, the Royal West of England Academy of Art, and The Mall Galleries in London. Carol has also been featured in Celebrating Women in Art, an international magazine that highlights influential female artists, and her work is included in the book 101 Contemporary Artists and More. A major milestone came when one of her pieces was selected for the Venice Biennale, further solidifying her international presence. Last year, Carol had work featured in 20 juried shows, a testament to her continued recognition and influence in the art world. As a member of the RWA Artist Network, Carol’s work continues to challenge and inspire both national and international audiences.