John Monks’ atmospheric paintings are highly influenced by the aura of the environments in which he chooses to create his work. Monks paints in a studio fashioned from a decrepit workhouse in the countryside of England, which he originally discovered with raw earth floors. After years of interpreting this space in his paintings, Monks sought inspiration in a second studio, and a five-year search led to many paintings of the decaying, prospective spaces he toured. Ultimately, Monks chose an abandoned 1860s home in Northern France, which he transformed into a studio where he could live among his inspirations. Monks’ paintings are rich in history, sourced from spaces that show the passage of time. The late William Lieberman, a prominent curator of the Museum of Modern Art and The Met, placed Monks’ expressionistic paintings on par with “Picasso at his best.”