Austin Manchester - Oil Paintings and Prints

AUSTIN MANCHESTER IS A FINE ARTIST CURRENTLY LIVING IN the south of France and South Carolina. HIS OIL PAINTINGS HAVE BEEN EXHIBITED IN AMERICA AND EUROPE. THIS SITE IS AN INTRODUCTION TO HIS WORK.

Austin Manchester is known internationally for his serene and mystical paintings. Often attaining his inspiration from nature, his paintings capture the magnitude and glory of life with their mysteries and nuances. His colorful paintings range in size, and can touch on the abstract, impressionistic, and surrealistic.

Manchester begins his process by mixing oils with raw pigments and can capture his tremendous color resonance with his glazing and scrumble painting techniques. This, along with the pentimenti and textures create movement and life to his paintings. Manchester began this approach to his canvases in the early nineties. He decided to dedicate his life to painting when he experienced the depths of life emanating from a monumental mural by artist Marc Chagall on the dome ceiling of the Paris opera. “I was witnessing the complexities and simplicity of pigment as an instrument of light to express human spirit and touch our souls.”

The artist was in his early twenties when he became intrigued by his dreams. He was an art major at the University of California, San Diego; the subjects of his paintings reflected the world of the subconscious. Over the years, he developed a fascination with the powerful elements of the conscious world which carry meaning and can be felt in our subconscious world such as wind, water, space, and light.

His paintings develop into series which include anglers exposed to the elements, mystical nocturnes, captivating cargo ships, and works that depict water and light, such as a surfer’s feet dangling from the water’s surface above a colorful coral reef. Throughout each series, he presents the subject matter from various angles – approaching storms, eye of the storm, and glorious skies. He dedicated a large series of paintings to the historical Charleston Mosquito Fleet formed by enslaved anglers who made their small boats and sails from whatever materials were available. “Their story is a demonstration to the incredible power of the human spirit.”

A common thread throughout his work is a sample of the color palette used in the painting itself and presented on an area of the canvas. This can be seen on the painter ‘s palette in his Artist Studio series; the colorful sails of his Charleston Mosquito Fleet series; and the containers of his Wando Terminal series of cargo ships.

Manchester ‘s work has been displayed internationally and captured audiences from around the world. The global appeal of his paintings reflects his diverse cultural background. As a child, the artist grew up and attended schools in Africa, Europe, and North America. His childhood experiences were rich with different languages, stories, and cultures -- each offering different perspectives to one’s shared universal life.

Having people from diverse backgrounds across the globe who resonate with the artist’s work with unusual backgrounds has brought Manchester immense joy. At one point his studio in France was visited by a chief of the Amazonian Surui tribe with other Surui representatives. They were touring Europe, bringing awareness to their territorial struggles. Manchester was moved by how deeply they responded to his paintings. “It means a lot that my paintings can touch cultural ambassadors who are also international art collectors along with those who have little knowledge of the fine arts world but are surrounded by the unsurmountable art of creation.”

The artist paintings can be found in collections throughout Africa, America, Asia, Australia, and Europe.