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 and at Project78 Gallery in St Leonards on Sea. 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 and H_A_R_D_P_A_I_N_T_I_N_G_x2 and H_A_R_D_P_A_P_E_R at Phoenix Brighton.

I first encountered polystyrene resin whilst working under the guidance of Tanya Dean at Brighton College of Art and in the last 15 years I have been investigating its properties and experimenting with its possibilities. I have been concerned with how best to combine a limited palette of simple coloured geometric elements. I have used the square, rectangle and the circle. I respond intuitively to these elemental shapes, they seem … absolutely, enough to experiment with.

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.

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.

Philip Cole May 2023

Born 7/7/61

Educated: Sussex University 1979 - 82

Lives and works in Brighton, UK

Studio address: 4S1 Phoenix Brighton, 10 - 14 Waterloo Place Brighton BN2 9NB East Sussex, UK

Curation

2024 H_A_R_D_P_A_P_E_R Phoenix Brighton

2020     H_A_R_D_P_A_I_N_T_I_N_G_x2 Phoenix Brighton

2018     H_A_R_D_P_A_I_N_T_I_N_G  Phoenix Brighton

2017 JDWC at the Kino Teatr St Leonards on Sea

2013     'Dust & Vermin' A curated Pop up Gallery at various venues Brighton

2010     'Diastr' Phoenix Gallery Brighton

2010     'Colecorner on the Hoof' at Factory Brighton

2009     'Keep off the Grass' Open house, Brighton Festival

2008     'Preparing for Emergencies' Open house, Brighton Festival

Exhibitions

Solo and two person shows

2022 ‘Marginals’ (2-person) Project 78 Gallery. St Leonards-on-Sea

2019 ‘Entractes 8’ (solo) The Eye Sees Gallery Arles. France

2019 ‘Making Painting +-’ (solo) Window Gallery, Phoenix Gallery, Brighton

2016     'Trash or Treasure - a Peripheral View' (2-person) ONCA Gallery. Brighton

2015     'A Peripheral Vision' (solo) Project 78 Gallery. St Leonards-on-Sea

2014     ++(+)+ WP29 (solo) Community Arts Center Brighton

2003     'Temporal' (2-person) Phoenix Gallery, Brighton

2001     ‘Adding and Subtracting' (solo) Redroaster, Brighton

Group shows

2024 ‘Afterglow’ Turps Hastings Alumni Hastings Art Forum St Leonards-on-Sea

2024 ‘Focus UK’ nonsofia Sofia Bulgaria

2024 Turps off site Hastings End of year exhibition Electro Studios St Leonards-on-Sea

2024 Sluice_Vernacular The Minories Colchester

2024 H_A_R_D_P_A_P_E_R Phoenix Brighton

2023 Royal Academy Summer Show Burlington House, Piccadilly, London

2023 ‘Overtones’ Wrap Queens Road Brighton

2022 Royal Academy Summer Show Burlington House, Piccadilly, London

2021 ‘BOOM’ Dynamite Gallery Brighton

2020 Hastings Open 2020 Hastings Museum and Art Gallery Hastings East Sussex

2020 Saturation Point Sunday Salon 10 | Temporal Objects ACME studios. Childers Street Deptford, London

2020     ‘H_A_R_D_P_A_I_N_T_I_N_G_x2’ Phoenix Brighton

2019 ‘Editions19’ Project 78 Gallery. St Leonards-on-Sea

2019 ‘Edition1’ Window Gallery Phoenix Brighton

2018 ‘Editions18’ Project 78 Gallery. St Leonards-on-Sea

2018     ‘The Momentum I Relative Trajectories’ Angus-Hughes Gallery, London

2018    ‘ H_A_R_D_P_A_I_N_T_I_N_G’  Phoenix Brighton

2017     ‘Editions 17’ Project 78 Gallery. St Leonards-on-Sea

2017     ‘Perspectives 2012-2017’ at ONCA Gallery Brighton

2016 ‘Black and White’ Baker Mamanova Gallery St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex

2016     ‘Editions 16’ Project 78 Gallery. St Leonards-on-Sea

2015     Editions '15 Project 78 Gallery. St Leonards-on-Sea

2015     'East Sussex Open' Towner, Devonshire Park, College Rd, Eastbourne,

2014     '20 Painters' Phoenix Gallery Brighton

2012     'Final Light' Phoenix Brighton

2010     'Diastr' Phoenix Gallery Brighton

2010     'Colecorner on the Hoof' at Factory Brighton

2009     'Keep off the Grass' Open house, Brighton Festival

2008     'Preparing for Emergencies' Open house, Brighton Festival

2003     'Cracks in the Empirical Pavement' Phoenix Gallery, Brighton

2002     'Hang Ten' Phoenix Gallery, Brighton

1998     '21x21' University Gallery, Newcastle

1998     Sussex Open 98, Brighton Museum and Art Gallery

1998     'Re-Enchant' Open House, Brighton

Other

2024 Longlisted for the British Contemporary Painting Award