Andrew Turnbull
Turnbull is a London-based printmaker whose practice explores the visual language of the contemporary city. Inspired by the architecture, materials, and engineered structures that define urban environments, he creates digital prints that investigate the relationship between form, light, surface, and space.
Through a distinctive visual approach, Turnbull transforms familiar architectural subjects into compelling compositions that balance precision with abstraction.
Central to his work is an interest in the modern city as both a physical and visual construct. Glass façades, steel frameworks, geometric repetitions, and reflective surfaces provide the foundation for a body of work that celebrates the aesthetic complexity of contemporary architecture. By isolating architectural details and manipulating colour, scale, and perspective, Turnbull reveals patterns and relationships that often go unnoticed within the everyday urban environment.
Working primarily with digital printmaking techniques, he reinterprets recognisable buildings and cityscapes as dynamic studies of structure and design. His compositions frequently emphasise rhythm, symmetry, and reflection, drawing attention to the interaction between natural light and manufactured surfaces. The resulting works occupy a space between representation and abstraction, inviting viewers to engage with architecture not simply as a functional element of the city but as a source of visual intrigue and artistic expression.
Turnbull's practice reflects a broader fascination with the ways technology, design, and engineering influence our experience of place. His prints explore the systems and structures that underpin modern urban life while highlighting the beauty found within the built environment. Through a considered balance of clarity and abstraction, he offers fresh perspectives on familiar spaces, encouraging viewers to reconsider the cities they inhabit and the architectural forms that shape them.
Turnbull studied Fine Art Printmaking at the Royal College of Art, London, where he completed an MA in 2001. Following graduation, he was appointed Fellow in Printmaking at the Royal Academy Schools, London, a position he held from 2002 to 2005.
His work is held in private and corporate collections and is represented within the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), reflecting the recognition his practice has received within the field of contemporary printmaking.
Interview:
“My work seeks to transform familiar architecture into studies of colour, geometry and light, encouraging viewers to look again at the urban spaces they encounter every day.”
