Keith Haynes

Keith Haynes studied Graphic Information Design at Harrow School of Art, which started his journey as an artist, communicating ideas provocatively and powerfully.

What inspires your work as an artist? Music is my biggest inspiration. I have it playing constantly while I’m working and it is my biggest visual stimulus and inspiration. I love the physical elements of popular music culture from records sleeve design, band logos on badges etc. For me it represents a bonafide art form.

Who are your biggest influences? Growing up, I loved the work of Jamie Reid and Barney Bubbles. They were artists working in the music industry and created some great iconic imagery. Their work taught me the that images could be as powerful and transformative as music.

What does your work mean to you? Everything. It’s literally taken over every aspect of my life – and I wouldn’t want it any other way. My wife and I work as a partnership, so it’s safe to say we live and breath our work – although it doesn’t feel like work. Being able to see something develop from a mad idea through to a finished piece is totally satisfying – no matter how frustrating some of the processes can be.

What techniques do you use? For my print pieces I work mostly digitally, whether it’s creating textures or recreating fonts and typography. I like the boldness and the graphic discipline, especially when you see that translated physically into a beautiful glossy print. It’s quite different to how I work on my mixed media pieces, which I find gratifying in a tactile way, whereas my printwork is a more mindful process.