“In my whole life, I’ve never been safe”, he said, while waiting for the painting to dry. “I’m the person who walks with lions. Not to think I’m brave, but just because I’m curious.”
Pete was sat on a chair in the gallery on a warm day of April, wearing the same paint stained coat from when we last met. It almost seemed like nothing has changed for him since the coronavirus lockdown. But with the sunlight coming through the window, you could have seen that the studio was empty, and Pete was speaking this time via a video call, taking a break from the painting he was working on.
Pete Spowage, 59, is a local painter in Nottingham, and a well-known character for his personal concept of ‘putting the art in the street’. Originally from Shirebrook, North East Derbyshire, where he worked in mine for a few years, he came here in 1977 and instantly knew that he wanted to be an artist.
“I come from ‘out of the forest’, so I don’t know the logic of the city, but I was surprised how many gaps there was”, said Pete retrospectively.
Located on Byard Lane, his art gallery has been running for 22 years, representing an epicenter of Nottingham’s independent art collections.
“I said I will tune this part of the city just like the French. I’m the only one still to this day, who puts paintings outside, with chairs and tables.
“That got a little bit of fame.”
His art place evolved into a gallery that hosts many independent painters, and has been a real success. This whole journey, however, will come to an end in October, when the gallery will be closed.
“Sadly, everything comes to an end, you have to appreciate what you’ve got while you’ve got it”, said Pete from the now empty studio.
“I blame people in a sense because they support corporates”, he continues, “art is a flame, if it’s not wanted, it will disappear”.
But what might sound like a sad ending to some, for Pete it is just an opportunity to challenge himself, to create more and break new ground.
“The gallery was going to close down in October. So I’m gonna close anyway. For me, I’m adjusting the water”, he said.
“And quite strangely, it worked in my favour.”
Pete took this time in isolation to explore ways he could improve his notoriety in Nottingham, and recognises the benefits of social media.
“I started to do these isolation paintings and I sold every one of them online, but mainly on Facebook.
“Now I realised I can do it online.”
But there is more to Pete than being a well-known independent artist. When he’s not in Nottingham painting, or in Sheffield to visit “his secret places”, he would take a flight to Kenya, where he runs a farm and helps the community with the desalination of water.
“When I get to Kenya and I can’t get signal, I think that is fantastic!”, said Pete remembering his last journey to his happy place. “I can’t reach anyone, no one can reach me…”
But what he likes most about travelling to Africa is that he can truly connect with nature, and discover patience within a place that does not ever rush.
“We could learn from nature. Nature doesn’t go out and say ‘I want more, I just wanna live a little bit more’ – it doesn’t say that”, added Pete.
The man behind the painting would ideally live in a world where people appreciate nature and simplicity and find happiness within balance. In his little universe he created over the last 22 years, Pete is exploring the world by painting, travelling and admiring every single aspect of life, even in the solitude of his art gallery.
“For an artist it’s not really hard to be in isolation, artists like isolation anyway”, he said. After a minute of silence, he pointed out the window in front of him, that was revealing a now empty street and said: “It’s pretty dead outside.
“But I’ve got my music on, and I’ve got my window open, and I blast the music out just in case someone passes by because I’m a positive thinker.
“I don’t think of anything negative. I’m putting the music out and hoping that somebody might get lifted by that.”
His little universe of art and colour transcends the empty walls of the gallery, and Pete is not afraid to keep on creating amid lockdown.
“I think I could bring people something else, a shop window, or outside of a place”, said Pete from his sanctuary filled up with the unmistakable smell of paint.
“I’ve got a shop on Mansfield road. I just filled the window with all my art just to make people feel more positive.
“Mansfield road is still quite busy, so I thought that’s quite a positive move.
Asked about what he thinks the future of the art industry is going to look like after the lockdown is over, Pete said with confidence:
“The future is going to be good.
“I think artists are gonna rise during the pandemic”, he added. “I don’t think it will change anything. Art is always up there for someone to appreciate.”
Pete was sat next to the blue painted canvas that was now dry, ready for another layer. His instruments with coloured fingerprints were impatiently waiting for him.
“I need to go painting now.
“You couldn’t sit me down and say ‘let’s just chill out’ because I’m intellective, I have to do things.”
Before returning to what was going to become his next masterpiece, Pete added:
“If there is someone who is bored, and they want some satisfaction, it’s just to do that thing that they’ve always wanted to do but they’ve never had the time to do it.
“That satisfaction would make them realise that this is a good time to do those things.”
By Olimpia Zagnat
Featured photo credit: Olimpia Zagnat