Sam Peacock

by Peter Geraerts

One of the first major exhibitions of the Wilderness Art Collective was at The Royal Geographical Society in September 2019. It was an ideal opportunity for a number of artists from the collective to meet and see each other’s artwork on display. It was here I first met Sam. I’d only seen his work online before. Whilst in these current times it’s not always possible to see it in person, it’s certainly preferable to see it that way.
In addition to his art hanging on the walls he’d brought along his metal detector which is another one of his passions. He was going to put on a short demonstration in the grounds of the RGS for visitors to the exhibition. Even though this was only a demonstration, using a metal detector in London is extremely regulated, so within about 5 minutes of starting we’d had an inquiring visit from security… That was the end of that. It was good whilst it lasted.

Sam’s roots are more urban, growing up in the Midlands where from an early age he got a real sense of the industrialisation in the landscape around him. He explained that he felt a butchers knife had been taken to it as it had been carved up and crisscrossed with roadways, radio masts, and telegraph poles in our increasingly urban world.
This translated into his art where he used the scrap metal from cars as part of his artwork using both fire and sledgehammers to mould his work. When he could, he took the opportunity to travel to the coast which he saw as an antidote to the landscape in which he was living. Looking out to sea was inspiring to him and it still resonates with him that the Romans saw Britain as at ‘The Edge of The World’

Other influences include his interest in the architecture of the German redevelopment after the First World War.
I’ve commented on in previous discussions with the artists of the WAC as to how much their art is influenced by their upbringing. His experimentation with steel, fire and the contrast between his interest in the industrial landscape against the different beauty of the rural landscape.

From the Midlands, Sam moved to London. It’s obvious when you’re told but he mentions how much his work was influenced by looking out of the window at the harsh right angles from the buildings on the skyline. After a while, and in that respect, he felt that it was good for him to move down to Sussex where he currently lives.

From my personal view, one word that I would use to describe Sam’s work is elemental. It’s earthy, raw, industrial and to that end a wonderful interpretation of the landscape it portrays. It’s not just a representation of what he sees but a real link between what he sees and in the materials he uses.

He was commissioned by the Novotel Hotel chain in Canary Wharf to produce a piece of work in their foyer and also their first floor coffee area that looked like part of a ship’s hull. It’s a huge piece using just over half a tonne of steel in which he skilfully created a weathered look to reflect a ship that had been at sea. He also used coffee grounds ( arabica of course) which leaves behind a slight aroma which was a reference to the coffee trade in that area in past years.

Complementing his work is a love of metal detecting. When we met he showed me coins in his collection from centuries past and bullet shell cases from the second world war. It shows his desire to look at what lays beneath the surface of the landscape and its history which he wants to be reflected in his work.

With all of Sam’s work, using metal, oil, clay and coffee there is always the wonderful texture giving a depth to it. He mentions that a lot of art is of course experimentation so using different chemicals plus other raw materials is a skill that he’s honed over the last thirty years. He’s said that using a paintbrush and rollers reflect the way that painters and decorators work. He also works at speed so the work needs to be disciplined and it’s also needs to be very confident in its approach.

Another view of the Novotel Commission - Sam Peacock

He has worked his way through other materials, gouache, oils and acrylics. He’s grateful for those experiences but they’ve helped him arrive where he is now. You’d be very much mistaken to think that using a blow torch or a roller brush would result in his work being brash and with very broad strokes and tools he uses but there is a finesse and a real depth of feeling in what he produces. It represents the landscape, its colour and light that he sees on it incorporating some materials that are in the landscape he is painting.

After the influences of London he felt that he wanted a reason to produce something circular. It started when he discovered an annular brooch whilst out with his metal detector. This combined with being out in the countryside and studying the moon more it gave him the idea of producing circular pieces of work which now form his annular collection. The South Downs have also influences form the Saxons, Romans and Celts. The love of metal detecting and history then helps him investigate further which in turn is reflected in his art.

He’s very disciplined in his approach to his work. Every Friday he has a fire in the garden irrespective of the weather. The whole week is spent getting things ready for that day. It’s obvious how much he enjoys his fires whether for work or pleasure - I think we may all have some of that in us or maybe I’m just thinking about me.

I asked him what he was most proud of having produced. It’s nice to hear but Sam mentions that he generally isn’t interested in competitions but there was a piece in his Iron Sea Collection in 2014 that was selected for one. What was most important for him was that he produced a blue colour that he felt was exactly what he wanted ‘ he nailed it’. He knew it was exactly what he wanted possessing a real truth in what he had produced.

Being an artist in demand, ranging from commissions to gallery outlets he works on several pieces of art at once. As with a number of artists that I have previous spoken to I’m always curious as to what determines the size of the pieces they produce. In Sam’s case it primarily depends upon demand - storing large chunks of steel at home is not really that practical. As mentioned previously the shape is more determined by influences.

It was a very relaxed, frank and enjoyable chat with Sam. We both laughed quite a bit and these are definitely the edited highlights.

Please visit Sam’s website to see his work and to get an update to date list of his upcoming exhibitions.

Meet the Artist - Sam Peacock

Sam Peacock