JONATHAN HOOPER

Jonathan Hooper depicts the residential architecture of suburban Leeds, specifically the north-west areas including Headingley, Hyde Park, Burley, Kirkstall and Meanwood. His work captures everyday scenes, highlighting the beauty and individuality of built landscapes in his immediate surroundings. He uses limited colour palettes for each series, that are chosen to create an emotional atmosphere that mirrors the character of the subject rather than imitating its visual appearance.

He says: “I am not drawn to grand buildings, nor to scenes of urban decay: I want to show directly the beauty and individuality of the the built landscapes around us, the places where we live. Houses interest me above all because of their connection to the human: partly through the emotional associations of "home". But also the inherent human scale of the buildings; how their formal arrangement corresponds to the construction of a human face or body; how their outside surfaces reveal their histories and inner lives; and the way their layout is rooted deeply in our memory. I use colour to create an emotional atmosphere that mirrors the character of the subject rather than imitating its visual appearance.”