Artist Statement

Giles came to magazine collage from a background in Graphic Design, and discovered a way of blending incongruous fragments to create vibrant landscapes – realistic from a distance, but witty and surreal close up.

Working exclusively with recycled magazine cuttings, Giles blends the inherent wealth of patterns and textures, to represent landscape features at a different scale and in a different context. The results reveal spontaneous, playful surrealism, yet retain the richness and detail of a photograph.

Giles is inspired by the effects of different light conditions on a landscape and particularly enjoys the Peak District, and the mountains and coasts of Wales. He enjoys working on commissions, and sells Giclee prints, and cards of his work. He also runs occasional workshops. Currently, Giles is finding fresh inspiration working en plein air – as long as the wind isn’t blowing too hard!

Giles is a member of Peak District Artisans, with whom he has exhibited for the last seven years. He also appeared in two series of the BBC One programme: ‘Home is where the art is’. He has also exhibited at the Manchester Art Fair with the Twenty20 Collective, and Williams BMW. In 2022 his piece ‘No Pleasure Cruise’ was selected for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition.

Giles is a contestant in the 2024 series of Sky Landscape Artist of the Year, featured in episode 6.