Joseph Gilgun

Off the Beaten Track

Joseph Gilgun is an English actor and producer known for several roles, including that of Vinnie O'Neill in the Sky Max series Brassic, which he also co-created, Marcus in Hollyoaks, Eli Dingle in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale, Jamie Armstrong in the long-running ITV soap opera Coronation Street, Woody in the film This Is England (2006) and its subsequent spin-off series, and Rudy Wade in E4's Misfits. From 2016 to 2019, he starred in the AMC television adaptation of the Vertigo comic Preacher as the Irish vampire Cassidy. Growing up in north Lancashire, among the towns that time forgot, Joe did not have a stereotypical journey into the world of art. A short foray onto a fashion course strengthened his artistic instincts as a young man, but the distraction of a career in acting took Joe away from this route for many years, until eventually the stresses of said career pushed him back in. Success in the entertainment industry afforded the privilege of free time. Free time allowed introspection, which led to painting as a method of therapy and self-care. This evolved into a hobby and eventually became an obsession, or is it an addiction? Joe is a self-taught artist. Working from his home studio in Manchester, he explores themes of identity, emotion, society, and the human experience. Drawing from his own personal history and mental health, as well as the shared experiences of the voiceless and invisible living on the streets, Joe continues to discover a haunting beauty in the darkest aspects of the human psyche. With a mixture of street, abstract and fine art influences, most of his work is created using a blend of acrylic, spray paint and charcoal. However, he doesn’t limit himself, sometimes it’s a case of using whatever’s at hand; a splash of tea, a mouthful of spit, on occasion he doesn’t even use a canvas. Art works have been painted on bed sheets due to the times he’s been too anxious to leave the house. Broken gates salvaged from wastelands next to filming locations have also found their way into the collection. Joe has made a conscious effort to find his own method and style through the trial and error of painting. Trying to find his voice before he starts looking, almost out of spite. Though he enjoys the history of art, classic and contemporary, he has far more interest in understanding his own voice before muddying the waters with everything that’s gone before. Joe doesn’t fit any specific artistic mould or adhere to society’s expectations. He paints on instinct and lets others decide the deeper meaning behind his work. Through this process, the art provides a truthful glimpse into soul of Joe Gilgun. More honest than any social media post or interview could ever manage. Given the opportunity to comment on his process, Joe provided this quote: ‘I don’t know what I’m doing’.