Keith N Foster (Member)

I am a Barbados born artist who has lived in England for many years. I was awarded a BA Honours Degree in Fine Arts by the University of Derby. I respond to environments where there is evidence of human activity that is to say where people have made an impact on their surroundings, i.e. changes made to the landscape, the creation of towns, villages, canals, harbours etc. I like the tension between manmade structures and the natural landscape. I am uncomfortable in a landscape where there is no obvious evidence of the footprint of man.

This striving for serenity yet avoiding virgin places may be due to my being the product of a much crowded island where people appreciate neighbourliness yet value their private space above all else. People are often not present in my work but evidence of their impact is paramount.

My aim is to make work that evokes a sense of stillness, serenity, peace and calm. In a world that at times appears to be in a state of frantic chaos I want the viewer to reduce speed, take time out, relax, be tranquil, and enjoy the work without the pressure of feeling that there is some hidden meaning that must be understood.