King Toe Junior

Toeism - What it is….

This is the name I have given to a style of art/design which embraces crudeness and imperfection. Movements like Art Brut, Tachism and the Japanese Gutai style of painting are all important influences, as is New York street art of the 1970s and 80s. Underpinning these more contemporary inspirations and of equal or greater importance to me is all kinds of primitive world art: from the hieroglyphics of the ancient Egyptians to the sculpture and painting of the Olmecs.

As Toeism is an outlook (or school of thought) it encompasses all forms of art; from visual to rhythmic, performative and written - the embrace of crudeness or imperfection is the thread that links them all.

This website aims to present all that I consider Toeist. You will find examples of my painting, drawing and sound design here.

I am interested in the beauty of imperfection, contrast and the freedom in spontaneity, all of which inform my work. Recurring themes are the relationship between the artificial and the organic, and darkness/light (literal and state of mind).  

Born and part-raised in Bristol, UK before moving to Woolacombe at the age of 11, I experienced inner-city, suburban and coastal life all very early which probably somewhat explains my fascination with contrast. 

My day job has always been industry-based (either in kitchens or in factories and warehouses) which has undoubtedly influenced my artistic style. Equally, my fascination with and love for nature informs what I create. Themes of machinery alongside naturalistic symbolism are ever-present as a kind of celebration of this dichotomy.  

I’ve spent many years developing a distinctive voice both visually and sonically which began with me trying to determine what lies at the very heart of my taste. I can only attempt to create that which I like to look at and hear. I strive to not second guess what others may one day appreciate but stay as true to my tastes as possible. To pursue anything else would be futile.  

Psychic automatism is my method of mark-making. I hold pencil to paper and without thinking allow my hand to move – a meditation of sorts. Images which then come to mind can be translated onto the support in a crude and naive manner. To be clear, this doesn't work every time, although I have improved over the years. The shapes which result from me working like this sometimes clash with each other. Put another way; there are contradictions in the composition. It could be that very angular, shard-like forms battle with curved ones adjacent to it or shapes drawn hesitantly, jar alongside confident recurring symbols. The composition is the foundation and once I am happy with it, I mix my chosen paints completely, each with an element of Mars Black. This gives me block, muted colours – the sum of the component parts but free of any hint of them individually.   

My music is the audio equivalent of my painting, the two are inextricably linked – not least for the obvious reason they come from the same mind. Rhythmically it lollops around clumsily, speeding up and slowing down like a malfunctioning tumble dryer. Dubby bleeps, glitches and delayed musical elements rise and fall in prominence. There’s a punk spontaneity I try to keep in mind - it’s important to allow ideas to come and go freely without spending weeks mixing the kick drum with the bass (but believe me, I’ve done that too!). Sub (frequency below 100 hertz) is a prominent aspect of my music. There is something very simple and raw to it. It has an earthy, natural feel in that anything below a certain frequency will physically move you if played back loud enough. I gravitate towards music that doesn’t immediately make sense and, as a result, I approach my own production this way too.  

Using these ideas and techniques I am building a body of work spanning various disciplines which I hope is cohesive.  

If you’d like to contact me for any reason, please email kingtoejr@outlook.com. My social media links are at the top right of this page.