Artist of the month

Claire Riley combines urban landscapes and new technology to create striking pictures

- Barbara Waite

Claire Riley’s artwork bears witness to modern life and she hopes to inspire people to take a second look at what is happening in our urban spaces.

Brought up in Manchester, her Lancashire roots are fundamental to her way of seeing. Although she enjoys her countryside breaks in the Trough of Bowland and the county’s moorland, it’s the city which drives her work.

‘I have lived in various places throughout my adult life including more rural spots on far flung edges of Wigan, Bolton and Oldham, but much of my work is focused on cityscapes,’ says Claire, who mixes the traditional with a very modern way of working.

‘I seek out areas where there is a contrast of old and new and in my own way I’m trying to preserve the rich history of our Lancashire urban landscapes and maybe bring to life in visual form our fantastic old buildings.’