About

What makes Yeats's paintings distinctive?

My paintings are rooted in the principles of topology—a branch of mathematics concerned with spatial relationships and continuity, even when forms are stretched, bent, or transformed. While this might sound highly technical, my approach is far from formulaic. It’s deeply responsive to the moment, the materiality of the paint, and what unfolds through the process of painting itself. Many of my decisions are embodied—some emerge unconsciously, others shaped by conscious control. This lived, sensory engagement is what brings the work to life.

Topology provides a structural and perceptual foundation for what I call ‘polyphonic abstraction’: an approach inspired by musical polyphony, where multiple layers, perspectives, and ‘voices’ coexist within a single canvas. Through this method, I aim to create a dynamic interplay of light, colour, form, texture, and atmosphere that reflects the ever-shifting landscapes and seascapes of the British Isles.

Topology is present in my mark-making as well. I work with bold, spontaneous gestures that reshape visual elements—coastlines, hills, cliffs, or valleys—into semi-recognisable forms. These gestures preserve the relational essence of these features: a cliff edge becoming a threshold to the sky, a valley flowing into a hill, or gradients moving from sea to land. A curved horizon might suggest a sensation of height or enclosure, while a drifting cloud form can convey motion and emotional weight. These forms are not mapped with geometric precision, but emerge through a physical, intuitive engagement with the surface—responding to what the paint is doing, and how each mark opens the next possibility.

Perceptually, topology influences the fluid, often unstable visual field within my paintings. I often use kinetic movement or closed-eye techniques to dissolve conventional depth, allowing foregrounds, fields, skies, and bodies of water to overlap or bleed into each other. This creates an experiential space where the viewer can enter and construct their own meanings. My titles serve as playful, poetic prompts—elastic entry points that accommodate diverse interpretations of topological transitions and spatial ambiguity.

Although abstracted, my work remains closely connected to remembered experiences of landscape. I try to capture fleeting impressions of light, geology, and weather—sensory memories that are internalised and reshaped in the act of painting. By placing my marks within zones of topological transformation, I seek to retain the relational logic of land and sea while emphasising flux, morphing, and a place-based resonance. These paintings are not representational depictions—they are, for me, the experience itself. They arise through a topological lens, but are ultimately shaped by the body, by intuition, and by the unpredictable, unfolding nature of the painting process.

In addition to his visual work, Yeats is a highly regarded contemporary composer. His music has been performed by prestigious ensembles such as the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Hallé Orchestra, with broadcasts on BBC Radio 3.

Yeats is also a published writer. Books from Vision Edition discuss his artistic practice and music composition. His most recent literary endeavour is a collection of over 230 poems that explores his life as an artist and his relationship to painting and composition.

Yeats's works are available for sale online from this site and can be viewed in person at his studio in Symondsbury, Dorset. He is represented by the John Davies Gallery, Morton-in Marsh, Gloucestershire,