FRANK BRIFFA

Frank, from Newcastle Upon Tyne only took up art full time after retiring from a long career as a biology lecturer. He continued to paint and exhibit widely until his death in 2021 following a long illness.
His work is mainly with oil on canvas and his paintings have strong links with music.
According to the artist, links between music and the visual arts already exist, because there is a shared vocabulary such as composition, colour, tonality, rhythm , texture, and chromaticism.
He explained how paintings that result may be based on an entire piece or to just a few bars from a large work,
Frank based his paintings on music he knew well, so was already ingrained in his mind and he didn't need to have it playing while he worked.
"In making these paintings I am not primarily trying to illustrate anything – I am more concerned with trying to find a pictorial equivalent to the musical language, although in some paintings figurative elements do creep in."
Here's a small selection of his work. See more on his website via the link below.
![]() From the House of the Dead oil on canvas 244cm x 153cm | ![]() Pastoral Symphony pastel on paper 29cm x20cm | ![]() Central Park in the Dark pastel on paper 29cm x 20cm |
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![]() El Amor y La Muerte pastel on paper 29cm x 20cm | ![]() St Matthew 29 oil on canvas 153cm x 122cm | ![]() Les Indes Galantes pastel on paper 29cm x 20cm |
![]() Ives Quartet pastel on paper 29cm x 20cm. | ![]() On the Overgrown Path pastel on paper 29cm x 20cm. | ![]() Der Abschied pastel on paper 29cm x 20cm. |
![]() Grosse Fuge pastel on paper 29cm x 20cm |