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Sean Durkin

Sean was born in 1963 in North Yorkshire. When his father infamously stole a painting by LS Lowry, little did Sean Durkin think he would become an acclaimed artist in his own right. In 1972, John Durkin stole a painting depicting St Hilda's Church and old Town Hall from a public art gallery. When he was arrested by police after the theft, he had a ransom letter with three demands. The first demand was that the gallery should have a better alarm system fitted. Secondly, the gallery should to be opened on Sundays. Thirdly, the Mayor should raffle his underpants for charity! Sean holds regular exhibits in his native north east and has been the subject of BBC TV, Radio and Newspaper articles. Each painting is crafted to show the full detail of Sean's heavy impasto technique and features an array of whimsical characters including a matchstick illustration of a policeman and a robber in each work as a cheeky nod to his father's exploits. "As a boy, I awoke in our terraced house, went downstairs and there in front of me on the mantelpiece was a curious little painting depicting what looked to me like a big house, a church, and some 'matchstick' people scurrying around. I didn't know it at the time, but it was to have a profound effect on my life. It was a painting by L.S. Lowry and my father had stolen it from a public art gallery the previous evening. That image and the atmosphere it conveyed is what I find so beguiling and it stayed in my head for many years until finally, as a young man, I built up the courage to paint myself. Atmosphere is something I constantly strive for in my own work although I try not to over analyse what makes a painting work. I also like to create a rough, textured surface which suites the grittiness of my subject s and helps to create a mood and emotional setting to a piece. A finished work should have a narrative that is open to more than one interpretation which allows the viewer to wonder what *the story* is, and allow their own reading of it".