When I empathise with the kind of self-entertainment that Cree obviously enjoys, I am able to accept his paintings on their own terms, and also enjoy his seriously humourous imagery. Actually his humour has deep roots and is a way of liberating himself from some of the constrictions of his education… This does not mean that Cree has totally abandoned what he was taught, only that he enjoys being naughty.” Francis Hoyland
Alex Cree describes himself as “visually promiscuous” enjoying it all, be it still life, domestic scenes, figure compositions, portraiture or landscape. Cree’s influences run from the prehistoric, via the rennaissance and post-impressionism to the present day and his work can be painted from life, drawings, memory or imagination. These disparate tastes and approaches are made into a stylistically coherent voice, continuously revising colour and shape to achieve satisfying compositions and ensuring objects occupy a believable space within his imagined worlds.
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