antony copus

Antony is a painter, musician, composer and beekeeper.  He studied at the Royal Academy of Music and, as a French Horn player, appeared regularly as a concerto soloist as well as playing with most of the country’s major orchestras (including the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic and Hallé).

His life-long interest in drawing and painting was inspired by his grandfather, Cecil Bailey, who was, along with David Bomberg, a founder member of the Borough Group.

“For me, painting is a way of connecting with music in the same way that I did as a child – free from inhibition and ‘rules’. Much of my work as a professional musician was constrained by a need to be ‘perfect’, or to follow the instruction of a conductor or written score. Painting allows me to respond to music with the same energy and freedom from inhibition that I had when I was young. 

Painting is musical – it is impossible to separate sound from line or colour.  I paint in a way that is very gestural (particularly in the early stages of a work) capturing a sense of spontaneity and performance. Layers are important to me – showing the history of a painting as it evolves over many sessions. I always start with an under-painting, and often even this earliest layer is left exposed. Poetry is also an important influence and I often include lines or words in my work. Ultimately creating art is inevitably to some extent autobiographical – a representation of a personal response.