This London based artist's graphic work influences his large layer upon layer paintings seen here.

Age?, Location?, Website? 38, London, www.philashcroft.com

Those works seem large. Do you mainly paint in that scale? What size are they all?

Anything from A4 up to 4 metres, but usually 1 - 2 metre canvases. I like switching between these extremes, keeps me on my toes. Creating dynamic imagery regardless of scale is my current concern.

Tools of the trade?

Mac, sketchbook, brushes, acrylics, magic tape, sponges and water

Influences?

Historically Willem De Kooning, Richard Diebenkorn, Philip Guston. Roger Hilton, Utagawa Hiroshige, Albert Irvin, Jack Kirby, Franz Kline, Robert Motherwell, Pierre Soulages, Matisse and Picasso. Currently painters Phillip Allen, Basil Beatie. Dexter Dalwood, Julian Schnabel, Christopher Wool, also James 'Dalek' Marshall and fellow Scrawl artists Will Barras and Mr Jago

Music right now?

LCD Soundsystem, Carl Craig, 4 Hero, British Sea Power, A Certain Ratio, Richard Hawley, Donny Hathaway, early Simple Minds and Tears For Fears albums...

Tell us about your work?

My practice primarily encompasses painting, site-specific large-scale wall paintings and graphic works exhibited in a range of spaces, commercial and public.

'Hinkley B' and 'Olkilouto' are paintings referencing ageing nuclear power stations that have either reached the end of their working lives, face decommissioning, or are to expand into new builds as the next generation of nuclear power stations. In 'Hinkley B' the force of an immense alien dark matter hangs menacingly over a man-made, once-utopian structure whilst 'Olkiluoto' depicts a faded, distant nuclear power station sits underneath the fragmented shards of an overhanging, mountainous, golden yellow ore.

Process?

Either paint on canvas, building up layer over and under layer of paint, or vectors and layers within illustrator if graphic works. I may work paintings up simply from thumbnail pencil sketches or from tightly composed illustrator files. Sometimes the illustrator file is the final work, sometimes it's a catalyst for my painting practice.

Baseball or Tennis?

Living nearer to Wimbledon I'd have to say tennis.

Day job?

Painter and graphic artist.

Ashcroft studied at St. Martin's College of Art and has exhibited internationally in group exhibitions and art fairs including 'Scope Basel', Basel, with Monika Bobinska, London (2008) and 'Out of the Box', New Art Gallery, Walsall as part of their Garman Ryan Collection. Solo exhibitions include 'Toxicity', Margaret Harvey Gallery, UH Galleries, St Albans (2006) and 'Nitro Deluxe', Deptford X, London (2001). Ashcroft was a Finalist in the Celeste Art Prize in 2007 and selected for Contemporary Art Society's ARTfutures in 2007, 2005 and 2004. Recent group shows include 'The Golden Record', Collective Gallery, Edinburgh (2008 ad touring 2009) and 'Wonder Island', Schwartz Gallery, London.

Ashcroft also exhibits as 'PhlAsh' in group shows with the Scrawl Collective, collaborating on live-painting projects in galleries and alternative spaces from street locations to shops. These have included 'Special Relationship', Scion, Los Angeles (2008), 'Elephant Technique', Village Underground (2006), 'All The People We Like Are Dead', London (2004), and 'Graffiti Meets Windows 1', Hank-Yu Department Store, Osaka (2002).

www.philashcroft.com {moscomment}