JULIE BENNETT

Alfie Moore - hope you can share this with your SOLD OUT audience

Don't miss the art exhibition by JULIE BENNETT at the SOLD OUT show Friday 16th Feb at Arlington Arts Centre

An exhibition of painted portraits of celebrated musicians and artists. Bennett’s bold, unapologetically confident works are tightly cropped, inviting the viewer to focus solely on the face and the physicality of paint. In contrast to the contrived perfection of digital imagery, Bennett wants to leave the viewer in no doubt that they are looking at a painting when they see her work.

One month today since my private view at Arlington Arts Centre of my solo exhibition ‘Julie Bennett - Iconic’.

Here is a large selection of photos taken by the fabulous Peter Robertshaw.

Thank you to all who attended and to those so far who have visited, we had a ball on the PV, free drinks, free badges, live music, and laughter!

The show is still on til 23rd April so plenty of time to get there. All the details and how to book are in here.
https://www.juliebennett.co.uk/iconic

Looking forward to tonight’s private view! has reached capacity for tonight and the guest list is now closed. However if you like a party you can RSVP to attend on another day, guests are invited to attend between 11am and 12pm on Saturday the 3rd February for Elderflower Hour, or of course anytime throughout the exhibition month.

I have two small new paintings on show and for sale at ’Relational Warmth’ a group exhibition at - ones a self portrait.

Show runs until 24 Feb open Tues - Sat 9am - 5pm

The show invites you on a journey into the profound connection between artists and the theme of warmth. The exhibition is curated by .art and and seeks to create an immersive experience embodying welcome, comfort, and fresh beginnings.

Venue: Emerald Frames & Gallery, Workshop 1, Blay’s House, Churchfield Road, Chalfont St Peter, SL9 9EW

Limited parking is available at the workshop. Alternative car parking is available at Church Lane car park (1st hour free) approx 200 yards from the workshop.

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I have two new paintings at ’Relational Warmth’ a group exhibition at - ones a self portrait.

Show runs until 24 Feb open Tues - Sat 9am - 5pm

Private View is sold out so can’t take any further RSVPs.

The show invites you on a journey into the profound connection between artists and the theme of warmth. The exhibition is curated by .art and and seeks to create an immersive experience embodying welcome, comfort, and fresh beginnings.

Venue: Emerald Frames & Gallery, Workshop 1, Blay’s House, Churchfield Road, Chalfont St Peter, SL9 9EW

Limited parking is available at the workshop. Alternative car parking is available at Church Lane car park (1st hour free) approx 200 yards from the workshop.

Julie Bennett - Iconic, a three-month solo exhibition in Newbury, Berkshire at

An exhibition of painted portraits of celebrated musicians and artists. Bennett’s bold, unapologetically confident works are tightly cropped, inviting the viewer to focus solely on the face and the physicality of paint.

Book your free tickets (link in my bio).

Time flys! Two weeks today since the private view at of my solo exhibition ‘Julie Bennett - Iconic’.

Here is my top 10 selection of photos taken by the fabulous - can you spot yourself? Thank you all for coming, we had a ball, free drinks, free badges, live music, and laughter!

The show is still on til 23rd April so plenty of time to get there. All the details and how to book are in here.

https://www.juliebennett.co.uk/iconic

This is my portrait of pop icon and one of my favourites

George in the 1980s was a torchbearer for many who had never seen a man looking so much like a beautiful woman and that a different life was possible. George never made his sexuality and appearance a statement though, it was always second to his music and personality. ‘Is it a boy or a girl’ was the newspaper headlines, yet George shook it off with a cup of tea! The world was dazzled by Boy George. He laid a pathway of visibility and possibility for the lgbtq+ community and later wrote a protest song opposing the Thatcher bill.

‘George’ was painted especially for an exhibition called ‘Music Makers’ at in 2019, a joint show with his brother and myself.

George
2019
Oil on canvas
100 x 100 cm

This painting is SOLD but currently on display at

George is also available as a limited edition print
£100 Unframed
Edition of 20

Archival pigment print on Hahnemuehle cotton-rich fibre-based paper signed by Julie Bennett
Dimensions 44.5 x 44.5 cm (printed area 30.5 x 30.5 cm same as LP cover)

Installation shot of my new solo show, ‘Iconic’ at

Frida and Patti proudly hang together.

Julie Bennett - Iconic, A three-month solo exhibition in Newbury, Berkshire at

An exhibition of painted portraits of celebrated musicians and artists. Bennett’s bold, unapologetically confident works are tightly cropped, inviting the viewer to focus solely on the face and the physicality of paint.

Book your free tickets (link in my bio)

Patti
2019
Oil on canvas
110 x 110 cm

Frida Kahlo.
Limited edition print
Available in two sizes
40 x 40 cm and 70 x 70 cm

All are available at the exhibition.

Julie Bennett - Iconic, A three month solo exhibition in Newbury, Berkshire at

An exhibition of painted portraits of celebrated musicians and artists. Bennett’s bold, unapologetically confident works are tightly cropped, inviting the viewer to focus solely on the face and the physicality of paint.

Book your free tickets (link in my bio)

Olly Alexander: The Look You Gave
2023, Oil on canvas, 80 x 60 cm

This painting is available at

I love seeing my favourite singers waiting for their favourite singers and even more so when one of their favourite singers is also one of my favourite singers. Here is aged 14 years old, waiting for in 1976 at Victoria Station, London. One amazing photo

I have depicted Florence Welch’s passion for life and music through paint. During live performances, Welch resembles a flame, darting around the stage with flowing red hair and transparent gowns, setting alight all she touches. Her performance appears uncomplicated and intuitive, much like my brushstrokes. I have used fire-like colours to represent her hair, consistently leaning towards red in the palette and, by embracing the fluidity of paint and allowing it to drip in certain areas, the immediacy of the paint-handling is celebrating both the free-flowing nature of the medium and Welch’s persona.

Florence
2019
Oil on canvas
150 x 150 cm

This limited edition print is currently on show at Julie Bennett - Iconic, a 3-month solo exhibition in Newbury, Berkshire at

Book your free tickets

https://www.juliebennett.co.uk/iconic

I’m in a new group exhibition’Relational Warmth’

27th Jan - 24th Feb
Tues - Sat 9am - 5pm

Private View Friday 2nd Feb 6-8pm

“Relational Warmth” at Gallery invites you on a journey into the profound connection between artists and the theme of warmth. As we step into the new year, this exhibition, curated by .art and , seeks to create an immersive experience embodying welcome, comfort, and fresh beginnings.

Venue: Emerald Frames & Gallery, Workshop 1, Blay’s House, Churchfield Road, Chalfont St Peter, SL9 9EW

Limited parking is available at the workshop. Alternative car parking is available at Church Lane car park (1st hour free) approx 200 yards from the workshop.

‘I want people to know what it is they’re looking at. But at the same time, the closer they get to the painting, it’s like going back into childhood. And it’s like an abstract piece.. it becomes the landscape of the brush marks rather than just sort of an intellectual landscape.’
Jenny Saville

Saville is one of my favourite painters.

Jenny Saville
2021
Oil on aluminium
35.5 x 35.5 cm

This painting is available to view at Arlington Arts Centre

This is Francis Bacon, a painter who I admire. I painted him as part of a series of art icons who have influenced my practice. When you read about his life it is so outrageous, interesting, and shocking, no wonder his subject matter is described as brutal and unsettling.

Bacon opened my eyes to using paint in a different way than you see say on traditional Bacon applied his paint so dryly which is the absolute opposite of how I apply paint, but still the way he used has informed my practice. He showed that you can invent the way you apply paint. I am also interested in how he sculpts a face when dragging paint along the contour of the nose or jawline. He also leaves parts of the surface bare, with no paint applied at all, adding to how you read the painting.

When I start a painting I always make the first marks with paint, never pencil or charcoal. I want to lock in my initial energy for the work with paint, rather than a study or drawing.

Francis Bacon
2021
Oil on canvas
100 x 70 cm

This painting is on show at

Thanks for the two paged article Newbury Weekly News newburytoday for my painting exhibition at Arlington Arts Centre always lovely to see one’s name in print!

Julie Bennett - Iconic, a three-month solo exhibition.

An exhibition of painted portraits of celebrated musicians and artists. Bennett’s bold, unapologetically confident works are tightly cropped, inviting the viewer to focus solely on the face and the physicality of paint.

Show runs until 23 April 2024.

To read the article
https://www.newburytoday.co.uk/news/who-would-you-paint-exhibition-of-heroes-at-arlington-arts-9347574/

or book tickets the links
https://arlington-arts.com/julie-bennett-iconic/

Julie Bennett - Iconic, a three-month solo exhibition in Newbury, Berkshire at

An exhibition of painted portraits of celebrated musicians and artists. Bennett’s bold, unapologetically confident works are tightly cropped, inviting the viewer to focus solely on the face and the physicality of paint.

Book your free tickets.

https://www.juliebennett.co.uk/iconic

Alison Moyet was an important role model for me growing up, confident in her body image and having so much fun and being sexy as a big woman. I adored her music and went to see her live so many times 20+ at least. I met her a few times too, my favourite meeting was at London’s Town and Country Club, I was working at Peckham’s Reed Music record shop and one of the reps gave my guest list and after show passes. Alison came over to me at the party saying ‘I know you!’ I was flabbergasted and said ‘how?’ She said you’ve got a French & Saunders leather jacket and I love it! I’ve seen you in Camberwell and Camden! I was like but you are Alison Moyet how comes I didn’t see you!

Alison Moyet
2019
Oil on canvas
71 x 71 cm

This painting is available to purchase and is also available as a limited edition print from Arlington Arts Centre

https://www.juliebennett.co.uk/iconic

This is my newest work I created specifically for the Arlington Arts Centre ‘Iconic’ exhibition. After attending Madonna’s Celebration Tour, I selected this iconic look, showing her adorned with a distinctive headpiece. As the lights illuminated Madonna, they produced an almost ethereal and religious spectacle. Bold brushstrokes convey the dynamic energy of Madonna’s live stage performances while the purple ground adds a regal touch for the ‘Queen of Pop.’ The drips on the jewels that make up the crown symbolise that the longevity of success also brings a vulnerability in continually having to reinvent herself creatively to stay relevant.

Madonna: Nothing Really Matters
Oil on canvas
90 x 90 cm

This painting is currently on show at Julie Bennett - Iconic.

Thanks to Sean Walker for further reference to this painting.

A big thank you to everyone who came out last night to Arlington Arts Centre on a cold January night for my ‘Iconic’ private view. Was fab to have a live band, thank you guys and I produced two new badges to give out to the guests, which is always fun!

Here are a few snapshots before I get the official shots from Peter Robertshaw

I had a good time chatting to so many strangers about my work, as is a totally new area to me. So lovely to meet so many new faces and I am always grateful to my friends who came to support me. Your support means so much Miles Coote, Stephen Roberts, Annetta Slade, Nina Slade, Michael Restrick, Lu Willis, and Barbara Armstrong.

‘Iconic’ is running until 23rd April. I hope you can make it down. Book your free tickets.

https://www.juliebennett.co.uk/iconic

Julie Bennett - Iconic, a three-month solo exhibition in Newbury, Berkshire at Arlington Arts Centre

An exhibition of painted portraits of celebrated musicians and artists. Bennett’s bold, unapologetically confident works are tightly cropped, inviting the viewer to focus solely on the face and the physicality of paint.

Book your free tickets.

https://www.juliebennett.co.uk/iconic

Together! It felt so right to hang Courtney opposite Kurt in my ‘Iconic’ exhibition. They are both icons individually but also together the couple.

‘We were perfect together. We just had so much synchronicity and were soulmates, and we were awesome. We just were and we loved each other madly and we could finish each other’s sentences and he would talk and it would be like fairy dust was coming out of his mouth and he was just a beautiful soul.’
Courtney Love on Kurt Cobain on 17 May 2019.

Both paintings are available at ‘Julie Bennett - Iconic’, a 3-month solo exhibition in Newbury, Berkshire at

Book your free tickets.

https://www.juliebennett.co.uk/iconic

Join us tonight 6pm-8pm for the private view of JULIE BENNETT's Iconic - An exhibition of painted portraits of celebrated musicians and artists.

Bennett’s bold, unapologetically confident works are tightly cropped, inviting the viewer to focus solely on the face and the physicality of paint.

The exhibition includes original paintings and limited edition prints, all of which are for sale.

https://arlington-arts.com/julie-bennett-iconic/

Music plays a large part in my creative process. It has had a profound influence on my practice born out of a lifelong obsession that included working at a record shop in my teens and later as a graphic designer for music magazines. I painted ‘Courts’ whilst listening to the music of Hole. If you know me, you know I love Courtney Love.

Courts
2019
Oil on canvas
100 x 100 cm

This painting is available to purchase and is also available as a limited edition print at Julie Bennett - Iconic, a 3-month solo exhibition in Newbury, Berkshire at

Book your free tickets.

https://www.juliebennett.co.uk/iconic

‘I’m so happy ’cause today I found my friends, they’re in my head.’ Lithium by Nirvana.

Kurt Cobain has long been an inspiration to me. His lyrics, art and fashion are an influence on me and I love the all consuming release I feel when listening to Nirvana music.

Kurt Cobain is one of two new paintings I have made especially for my ‘Iconic’ exhibition

Book your free tickets and/or your private view tickets (it’s tomorrow!)
Friday 12 January 6-8pm.

https://arlington-arts.com/julie-bennett-iconic

Thanks for the fantastic online article newburytoday for my painting exhibition at Arlington Arts Centre

https://www.newburytoday.co.uk/news/who-would-you-paint-exhibition-of-heroes-at-arlington-arts-9347574/

Private view tomorrow! Book your free tickets and/or your private view tickets too, Friday 12 January 6-8pm.

Julie Bennett - Iconic, a three-month solo exhibition.

An exhibition of painted portraits of celebrated musicians and artists. Bennett’s bold, unapologetically confident works are tightly cropped, inviting the viewer to focus solely on the face and the physicality of paint.

https://arlington-arts.com/julie-bennett-iconic/

Installation shots for my new solo show, ‘Iconic’ at Arlington Arts Centre

We had a power cut midway through the installation but nothing was going to stop us! Hard work but plenty of laughs too. Thank you Jim and Dean.

Private view this Friday 6-8pm book your tickets now.

https://arlington-arts.com/julie-bennett-iconic

Julie Bennett - Iconic, a three-month solo exhibition in Newbury, Berkshire at Arlington Arts Centre

An exhibition of painted portraits of celebrated musicians and artists.

Bennett’s bold, unapologetically confident works are tightly cropped, inviting the viewer to focus solely on the face and the physicality of paint.

Book your free tickets and/or your private view tickets too, Friday 12 January 6-8pm.

https://arlington-arts.com/julie-bennett-iconic

I dedicate the opening of this exhibition to Debbie H***e who was an icon herself and actually wore the iconic cone bra top before Madonna!

I painted Jean Michel Basquiat as one of an ongoing series of art icons who have influenced my practice. I absolutely adore Basquiat’s use of colour and the crossover between mark-making and drawing; how he really uses paint, to draw, so much so you could forget they were paintings and read them as drawings. This inspires me because when I am creating a portrait, my initial mark making is to draw with paint, locking in all the initial energy into the piece at the early stages. Some of my early work using everyday surfaces such as a ping pong table was influenced by Basquiat’s use of the found surface, painting on fridge doors, advertising hoardings and transport signs.

Jean-Michel Basquiat
Limited edition print
£150

Available at Julie Bennett - Iconic Arlington Arts Centre

Print specification
Dimensions 45.(printed area 31.5 x 45 cm)
Archival pigment print on Hahnemuehle cotton-rich fibre-based paper

Reserve yours
https://www.juliebennett.co.uk/iconic

Thanks for the plug in your daily briefing today newburytoday for my painting exhibition at Arlington Arts Centre

Julie Bennett - Iconic, A three month solo exhibition.

An exhibition of painted portraits of celebrated musicians and artists. Bennett’s bold, unapologetically confident works are tightly cropped, inviting the viewer to focus solely on the face and the physicality of paint.

Book your free tickets and/or your private view tickets too, Friday 12 January 6-8pm.

https://arlington-arts.com/julie-bennett-iconic/