Works
  • Mike Francis, American Gigolo
    Mike Francis
    American Gigolo
    Oil and acrylic on canvas
    92 x 127 cm
  • Mike Francis, Crawling Panda
    Mike Francis
    Crawling Panda
    Acrylic on canvas
    101.5 x 127 cm
  • Mike Francis, Cavalier Oasis
    Mike Francis
    Cavalier Oasis
    Acrylic on cannvas
    101.5 x 152 cm
  • Mike Francis, Drinks at the Pool
    Mike Francis
    Drinks at the Pool
    Acrylic on canvas
    101.5 x 127 cm
  • Mike Francis, Spot the Dog II
    Mike Francis
    Spot the Dog II
    Acrylic on canvas
    122 x 183 cm
  • Mike Francis, It will be Sunny with a Little Cloud
    Mike Francis
    It will be Sunny with a Little Cloud
    Oil and acrylic on canvas
    127 x 101 cm
  • Mike Francis, Memory Man
    Mike Francis
    Memory Man
    Acrylic on canvas
    51 x 91 cm
  • Mike Francis, Sugar Daddy
    Mike Francis
    Sugar Daddy
    Acrylic on canvas
    76 x 76 cm
  • Mike Francis, Twenty Miles if You're Lucky
    Mike Francis
    Twenty Miles if You're Lucky
    Acrylic on canvas
    100 x 120 cm
  • Mike Francis, The Last Ferry
    Mike Francis
    The Last Ferry
    Acrylic on canvas
    122 x 61 cm
  • Mike Francis, Jumping Jack
    Mike Francis
    Jumping Jack
    Oil and acrylic on canvas
    127 x 152.5 cm
  • Mike Francis, Free Fall
    Mike Francis
    Free Fall
    Acrylic on canvas
    127 x 101 cm
  • Mike Francis, Night Swimming
    Mike Francis
    Night Swimming
    Acrylic on canvas
    176 x 100 cm
  • Mike Francis, Taking the Plunge
    Mike Francis
    Taking the Plunge
    Oil on canvas
    91.4 x 76.2 cm
  • Mike Francis, Most of the Lies She Tells You are Not True
    Mike Francis
    Most of the Lies She Tells You are Not True
    Acrylic on canvas
    76 x 91 cm
  • Mike Francis, Tonto and the Lone Ranger
    Mike Francis
    Tonto and the Lone Ranger
    Oil and acrylic on canvas
    101 x 76 cm
  • Mike Francis, Cara-bbean
    Mike Francis
    Cara-bbean
    Acrylic on canvas
    30 x 127 cm
Overview

1938-2023

 

Influenced by his previous work as a commercial illustrator, the Hyperrealism of British artist Mike Francis takes on a more imaginary approach. Mixing natural landscapes with elements of the urban as the backdrop for his subjects, the artist creates a narrative that viewers are invited to interpret and add to. His works blur the boundary between the real and the imaginary, to the point where they become indistinguishable.

 

Making the most of his West Country upbringing and love of the coast, he used this natural habitat to develop his exceptional skill and technique. Working from personal photographs, detailed sketches and a melange of magazine cuttings collected over the years, content is equally key to Francis's work as is the technique.

 

Many of the pieces, both in oil and acrylic on canvas, concentrate on Francis's large scale landscape, pool and beach scenes. Often including a prominent female figure accompanied by a dog, many of his compositions possess a distinctive summer feel and remain vibrant in colour and narrative. Some of his creations bare a resemblance to 1950s postcards, again highlighting how he combines styles from his commercial illustrator past with techniques more in tune with hyperrealism.

 

Francis has often said he learnt how to tell a visual story through composition and colour during his years as a draughtsman. He has cited Edward Hopper and Andrew Wyeth as being his greatest influences along with the emerging American realists of the time.

 

Francis was among the first movement of British artists to develop the 'realist' technique and tasted success in 1972 when he won the National Gallery's 150th anniversary poster competition, the only contemporary artist's work to appear on a National Gallery poster. His work has since been shown at various exhibitions and art fairs in London, New York, Paris, Basel, Cologne, Stockholm, Munich and Washington DC.

 

For purchase enquiries and costs, or to arrange a viewing, please contact our team at info@plusonegallery.com or phone the gallery directly on 020 7730 7656.

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