Notes on Development: Summer 2026.
The work draws on sources that have sharpened my vision while also carrying broader public significance — whether social, political, medical, or scientific. I transform these sources into art through painting, installation, drawing, short video works, and film.
The work of a painting develops organically, shaped by a balance of chance and control, action and interaction — the rhythms of everyday life. It is influenced as much by the spaces it inhabits as by discoveries made through research, memory, and lived experience.
Through the process of painting, I reframe the original material by following the lead of the painting itself. In doing so, the work has broader meaning and is open to multiple interpretations, creating a dialogue that can move between different contexts and audiences.(Click More Information).
Appraisal by John Millard:
https://www.derekhill.co.uk/work/cat/hidden-kingdoms-shifting-worlds/
Appraisal by Dr Outi Remes:
https://www.derekhill.co.uk/shifts-in-time-a-journey-2/
Appraisal by Dr Richard Daniel:
https://www.derekhill.co.uk/work/item/hidden-kingdoms-shifting-worlds-review-2026/
My practice has a distinct rhythm and fluidity. I believe it is no coincidence that my method — laying a series of edge-sealed canvases on a strong supporting base — was, and remains, intentional. It is born from necessity, as well as from a vision to embody this sense of reality through a range of applications, including the solvents I prepare for painting. For example, displaying a series of paintings in a science building can contribute to scientific observation and research. In a community centre, the work can support the mission or strategy of groups and minorities. In a public art gallery, it can reach and inspire a broad and diverse audience while still retaining a connection to its source material. I am more interested in using a source to engage with my own reality and the wider, everyday scheme of things than in shaping my work merely to suit or illustrate that source. I have consistently incorporated source material into the projects I develop, allowing audiences to engage with the work as the concept evolves. The aim is to show that the paintings remain independent of the source while still honouring it, enabling that source to reach a wider and more diverse audience. The aim is to open people up to new and fresh experiences and opportunities to access art and science based on their own perspective. For example, “Shifting Worlds” may share part of its title with a work or project. I create paintings that place the individual — whether as part of a group or as a member of the audience — at the centre of the artwork’s development. Direct access to the work is essential, as it reveals hidden meanings and fosters an intimate dialogue that can inspire new, personal interpretations of oneself. In this way, the work offers fresh perspectives and opens up new approaches to making and seeing art. This is what drives and shapes the current project, Hidden Kingdoms Shifting Worlds, for example. Shifts in Time: A Painting’s Journey: https://www.derekhill.co.uk/shifts-in-time-a-journey-2/ Shifts in Time: Paintings – January to December 2025: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQteKPuE8QuNoew-43LBTxTLdj17mf3ti&si=DCiDqSn3Hng_Mjm0 The Flaw Collections: https://www.derekhill.co.uk/work/cat/flaw/ Flaw: Video Shorts Playlists on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQteKPuE8QuPoWlIPZK2L2UfbItmpOZRN&si=WehQVW6rWb9r-ejc CBCB Exhibition: Shifts in Time 1994-2024: Parts 1-11: 1994-2024: https://www.derekhill.co.uk/news-press-exhibitions/ Current Paintings: https://www.derekhill.co.uk/work/cat/current-paintings/ Inside the Studio Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQteKPuE8QuOJpmEYsKIPxY7pMb2DmI8_&si=ysKU3eW8zgMV0yhJ Artist’s Full Playlist: https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCEncWmw9aBoL4KFf-96boeA/content/playlists Read what visitors are saying: https://www.derekhill.co.uk/shifts-in-time-autumn-2025-inside-the-studio/ Read all the updates: https://www.derekhill.co.uk/news-press-exhibitions/ Notes on Development: Summer 2026 cont.
