Stuart Semple:
I think one of the first artists I saw in real life was Van Gogh. And I saw Van Gogh's Sunflowers when I was seven or eight and it was at the end of this room and it was just… I don't know, I mean, I can still remember it. It's burnt in there. It was just amazing.
Initially, yes, someone like Van Gogh got me interested in the idea of art, but I've looked at so many artists and musicians and film directors and it all kind of blurs into one kind of melting pot. I think it's really important to find somewhere to capture your ideas as early on as you can, because ideas are so fleeting, they come and go and if you don't grab them, it's gone. Any one of them could be the start of something really interesting.
This is my sort of inspiration board. I always have music on in the studio and every now and then, I'll hear a phrase or a lyric and I'll think, 'Wow, there's a load of imagery in there', or whatever and I'll get it down on here. Sometimes, the words are very visual, like in this one from the Doors, Riders On The Storm - it's so apocalyptic and it's a visual thing anyway. I mean, you'd think of a million pictures, just when you hear it.
Happy is a painting that came from a track by Talking Heads called Heaven, which is a place where nothing ever happens. I started to realise, loads of things that I loved growing up were disappearing. It's a scene which is homage to them and all these things that I loved that are now gone.
Moon River - that came from Kid Koala remix of Moon River. The lyrics in that song are so visual. Normally, my paintings go on a million and one tangents before they get to the end, but the Moon River one is just like the lyrics. I mean, each element in that painting is actually straight from a lyric. It's probably the most literal I've done. In this one, the rainbow's end is actually a sort of rundown amusement arcade from the '80s.
You know, they talk about these two huckleberry friends going across this river to see the world together, it's like this great… It's just really beautiful.
Video summary
We join Stuart Semple at his studio where he explains how seeing Van Gogh's Sunflowers at a young age initially got him interested in art.
He also talks about how he takes inspiration from the visual lyrics in music that he listens to while in the studio - in particular, The Doors, Talking Heads and Kid Koala.
From a series of BBC Teach clips exploring the artwork of six UK-based leading artists.
Teacher Notes
This clip could be used to inspire students to produce their collage or other artwork using their favourite music and/ or lyrics as an inspiration.
These clips will be relevant for teaching Art and Design at GCSE/KS4 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and National 4/5 or Higher in Scotland.
The topics discussed will support OCR, Edexcel, AQA, WJEC GCSE in England and Wales, CCEA GCSE in Northern Ireland and SQA National 4/5 and Higher in Scotland.
Contemporary British artist Stuart Semple. video
Contemporary British painter Stuart Semple introduces his artwork and talks about how music has been a big influence on it.
Stuart Semple - from idea to art. video
Stuart Semple creates a piece of art inspired by a boy on a motorbike that he has seen recently.
Experimenting with paint and charcoal. video
Artist Stuart Semple demonstrates how he likes to experiment with his favourite materials - paint and charcoal - to produce unique and inventive artwork.
