On the Go
I am a painter, maker and teacher and have exhibited at: Phoenix Art Space, Brighton. CAC, Brighton. ONCA Gallery, Brighton. The Sussex Open at the Towner Gallery, Eastbourne and Hastings Museum. The Royal Academy summer show (2022 & 2023), the Eyesees Gallery in Arles, France, nonsofia in Sofia, Bulgaria and at Project78 Gallery in St Leonards on Sea UK. I served for a number of years as a trustee for Project Art Works (PAW) Hastings. I have curated and co-curated a number of exhibitions including ‘JDWC’ at the Kino Teatr, St Leonards on Sea, ‘Diastr’, H_A_R_D_P_A_I_N_T_I_N_G, H_A_R_D_P_A_I_N_T_I_N_G_x2, H_A_R_D_P_A_P_E_R at Phoenix Brighton and Postcards for Seyðisfjörður in Iceland.
Over the past few years, I have been experimenting with a range of different materials and processes, many related to my background in ecology. I explore an ongoing interest in polyester resin and the potential it has for painting. I reference the packaging and registration marks of the products we buy because we want to, and we need to. These things may seem peripheral, but their importance lies in the clues they give about life at this moment. The Anthropocene age is marked by the prevalence of plastic, and my work seeks to underscore the importance of this significant material formed from the remains of organic life. My considered use of plastic is controversial but intentional in order to elevate its status and that of the work. The production of something permanent is in contrast to the use of these materials to construct and to package temporary and throwaway vessels.
My works reference the architecture of net, plan and container, the forms that we construct for ourselves and our things. The works become a vehicle for my ideas, experiments and feelings. Preliminary sketches on board are followed by repeated pours of hand-coloured resin. The first colour begats the next, and so on. I plan a colour sequence or ‘grouping’ but this can change as the painting unfolds. Production of these painting objects is rooted in deliberation rather than a gestural approach. In the completed work, evidence of the painter/maker is notably almost absent. In their ‘hard-edged-ness’, the paintings might be misunderstood as digitally created but the element of craft in their making attests to a more analogue approach. I have found moments of calm in the mundane repetitiveness of construction.
Philip Cole May 2024
Born 7/7/61
Educated: Sussex University 1979 - 82 Turps Offsite Hastings 2023 - 24
Lives and works in Brighton, UK
Studio address: 4S1 Phoenix Brighton, 10 - 14 Waterloo Place Brighton BN2 9NB East Sussex, UK
Curation
forthcoming: ‘Postcards for Seyðisfjörður’ The Icelandic Embassy. Copenhagen. Denmark
2025 ‘Postcards for Seyðisfjörður’ The Icelandic Embassy. London. UK
2025 ‘Juxtapose’ Aarhus. Denmark
2025 ‘Postcards for Seyðisfjörður’ Seyðisfjörður. Iceland
2024 H_A_R_D_P_A_P_E_R Phoenix Art Space. Brighton. UK
2024 Sluice_Vernacular The Minories Colchester. UK
2020 H_A_R_D_P_A_I_N_T_I_N_G_x2 Phoenix Art Space. Brighton. UK
2018 H_A_R_D_P_A_I_N_T_I_N_G Phoenix Art Space. Brighton. UK
2017 JDWC at the Kino Teatr St Leonards on Sea. UK
2013 'Dust & Vermin' A curated Pop up Gallery at various venues Brighton. UK
2010 'Diastr' Phoenix Gallery Brighton. UK
2010 'Colecorner on the Hoof' at Factory Brighton. UK
2009 'Keep off the Grass' Open house, Brighton Festival. UK
2008 'Preparing for Emergencies' Open house, Brighton Festival. UK
Exhibitions
Solo and two person shows
2025 ‘Saturation Point Sunday Salon 37’ ACME studios. Childers Street Deptford, London. UK
2024 ‘Making Painting ++’ (solo) Window Gallery, Phoenix Gallery, Brighton. UK
2023 ‘Marginals’ (2-person) Project 78 Gallery. St Leonards-on-Sea. UK
2019 ‘Entractes 8’ (solo) The Eye Sees Gallery Arles. France
2019 ‘Making Painting +-’ (solo) Window Gallery, Phoenix Gallery, Brighton. UK
2016 'Trash or Treasure - a Peripheral View' (2-person) ONCA Gallery. Brighton. UK
2015 'A Peripheral Vision' (solo) Project 78 Gallery. St Leonards-on-Sea. UK
2014 ++(+)+ WP29 (solo) Community Arts Center Brighton. UK
2003 'Temporal' (2-person) Phoenix Gallery, Brighton. UK
2001 ‘Adding and Subtracting' (solo) Redroaster, Brighton. UK
Group shows
2025 ‘Postcards for Seyðisfjörður’ The Icelandic Embassy. London. UK
2025 ‘The Errant Collaborators’ Mirror. Plymouth. UK
2025 ‘GAZA GAZA GAZA’ Studio1.1 London. UK
2025 ‘Juxtapose’ Aarhus Denmark
2025 ‘Vice Versa’ Terrace Gallery London. UK
2025 ‘Postcards for Seyðisfjörður’ Seyðisfjörður Iceland
2024 ‘10 YEARS OF PROJECT 78’ Project 78 Gallery. St Leonards-on-Sea. UK
2024 ‘Paperworks’ Newhaven Art Space. Newhaven. UK
2024 Newhaven Open call Newhaven. UK
2024 ‘Afterglow’ Turps Hastings Alumni Hastings Art Forum St Leonards-on-Sea. UK
2024 ‘Focus UK’ nonsofia Sofia Bulgaria
2024 Turps off site Hastings End of year exhibition Electro Studios St Leonards-on-Sea. UK
2024 Sluice_Vernacular The Minories Colchester. UK
2024 H_A_R_D_P_A_P_E_R Phoenix Art Space. Brighton. UK
2023 Royal Academy Summer Show Burlington House, Piccadilly, London. UK
2023 ‘Overtones’ Wrap Queens Road Brighton. UK
2022 Royal Academy Summer Show Burlington House, Piccadilly, London. UK
2021 ‘BOOM’ Dynamite Gallery Brighton. UK
2020 Hastings Open 2020 Hastings Museum and Art Gallery Hastings East Sussex. UK
2020 Saturation Point Sunday Salon 10 | Temporal Objects ACME studios. Childers Street Deptford, London. UK
2020 ‘H_A_R_D_P_A_I_N_T_I_N_G_x2’ Phoenix Brighton. UK
2019 ‘Editions19’ Project 78 Gallery. St Leonards-on-Sea. UK
2019 ‘Edition1’ Window Gallery Phoenix Brighton. UK
2018 ‘Editions18’ Project 78 Gallery. St Leonards-on-Sea. UK
2018 ‘The Momentum I Relative Trajectories’ Angus-Hughes Gallery, London. UK
2018 ‘ H_A_R_D_P_A_I_N_T_I_N_G’ Phoenix Brighton. UK
2017 ‘Editions 17’ Project 78 Gallery. St Leonards-on-Sea. UK
2017 ‘Perspectives 2012-2017’ at ONCA Gallery Brighton. UK
2016 ‘Black and White’ Baker Mamanova Gallery St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex. UK
2016 ‘Editions 16’ Project 78 Gallery. St Leonards-on-Sea. UK
2015 Editions '15 Project 78 Gallery. St Leonards-on-Sea. UK
2015 'East Sussex Open' Towner, Devonshire Park, College Rd, Eastbourne. UK
2014 '20 Painters' Phoenix Gallery Brighton. UK
2012 'Final Light' Phoenix Brighton. UK
2010 'Diastr' Phoenix Gallery Brighton. UK
2010 'Colecorner on the Hoof' at Factory Brighton. UK
2009 'Keep off the Grass' Open house, Brighton Festival
2008 'Preparing for Emergencies' Open house, Brighton Festival. Brighton. UK
2003 'Cracks in the Empirical Pavement' Phoenix Gallery, Brighton. UK
2002 'Hang Ten' Phoenix Gallery, Brighton. UK
1998 '21x21' University Gallery, Newcastle. UK
1998 Sussex Open 98, Brighton Museum and Art Gallery. Brighton. UK
1998 'Re-Enchant' Open House, Brighton. UK
Other
2024 Longlisted for the British Contemporary Painting Award