CHRIS NEATE
Biography
Chris Neate (b.1954) has been developing his style of drawing since his late teens. During the 1970s he attended Art College in Leeds but never completed a foundation course nor did he feel he was given any formal training. During his time working as a hospital social worker with older people Neate sporadically drew, and this need to draw has intensified over the years.
Whilst creating, Neate has no idea or plans of what will appear on the page, with his work being described as ‘automatic drawing.’ He believes that the act of drawing balances him and keeps him calm. Working from intuition, his drawings flow freely and Neate can lose himself in his pieces for hours, without suffering fatigue. Each piece can take up to ten days to complete. Neate starts anywhere on the piece, but then always anchors it to an edge before going back and working into it more. Known for his black and white work, colour rarely makes an appearance.
Neate’s work is best viewed with a magnifying glass so that the intricate detail can be fully appreciated. His more delicate pieces are created when he is in a lighter mood, and the heavier marks are made when he feels distracted. He often works on board as he says the harder surface allows the ink to flow better. Upon finishing pieces, Neate spends time studying them to try and work out the meaning of what he has produced.
Courtesy of Andrew Hood, from Blinko|Neate exhibition in 2017
Works
Click thumbnails to see larger images and more details.
Selected Exhibitions
2023 There’s Something in There, Halle Saint Pierre, Paris
2023 Why We Linger, Darbyshire, London
2023 Outsider Art Fair, Metropolitan Pavilion, New York
2022 Raw Intuitive, Museum of Naïve and Marginal Art, Serbia
2022 Creative Spirits, College of Psychic Studies, London
2022 Outsider Art Fair, Metropolitan Pavilion in New York with Jennifer Lauren Gallery
2022 To all the Kings who have no Crowns, Carl Freedman Gallery, Margate
2021 Strange Things Among Us, College of Psychic Studies, London
2021 New artist presentation, Ricco|Maresca Gallery, New York
2020 Monochromatic Minds: Lines of Revelation, Candid Arts Trust, London
2020 Outsider Art Fair (with Jennifer Lauren Gallery), Metropolitan Pavilion, New York
2019 Visions of Wonder, College of Psychic Studies, London
2018 Outsider Art Fair (with Jennifer Lauren Gallery), Metropolitan Pavilion, New York
2017 Blinko & Neate: Unlocking Worlds, Pop Up exhibition, London
2016 Encounters with the Spirit World, College of Psychic Studies, London
2013 Bold Vision: Outsiders in Black and White, Julian Hartnoll Gallery, London
2010 Exhibition #2, Museum of Everything at Tate Modern, London
RELATED CONTENT
This video is about artist Chris Neate. It was filmed on 9 December 2020 at the College of Psychic Studies in London. Neate was interviewed by the College Curator and Archivist Vivienne Roberts. In it Neate discusses how his automatic drawing started, any influences from over the years and what it might all be about. This film is eight minutes long and features subtitles. It was filmed by Matt Barton and Nekane Requejo de Ozamiz, edited by Ed Enayat and funded by Arts Council England.
Get the transcript in PDF format by clicking here and Word format by clicking here.
This is a film about materials choice from Chris Neate. It was filmed on 9 December 2020 at the College of Psychic Studies in London. Neate was interviewed by the College Curator and Archivist Vivienne Roberts for the longer film above, and as part of this spoke about the materials that he uses within his works.
This film is just over two minutes long and features subtitles. It was filmed by Matt Barton and Nekane Requejo de Ozamiz, edited by Ed Enayat and funded by Arts Council England.