Newest
Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition 2023
Delighted that Anthropocene Scene 2 was selected for the RA Summer Exhibition this year. Here’s a photograph taken on Varnishing day - it’s Room VIII curated by David Remfry RA. The Summer Exhibition is on from the 13 June - 20 August 2023 Hope you can get along.
I have a few paintings at WRAP Brighton for the duration of the Brighton Festival. Part of the exhibition Overtone - which is on from march 2023 until the autumn. Wrap is very close to Brighton station
MARGINALS An exhibition that features work by Lloyd Durling and Philip Cole and is at Project 78 Gallery 78 Norman Road. St Leonards on Sea.
Project 78 writes … the synergy and energy of the curation is evident and does not feel forced. There is a lightness to it. There is nothing final about the context of what questions might be asked here between the two …
The gallery is open each week from Wednesday to Saturday (11.00am-5.00pm) and the exhibition continues through christmas until the 7th January.
Art on a Postcard Winter Auction: October – November 2022. I was pleased to have been invited to contribute to this. These 4 postcard sized painting objects, lots 350-353 were sold and collectively raised £350 for The Hepatitis C Trust via Dreweatts Auction House
The works are all postcard size and titled: 4.16.A 4.16.B C &D
RA Summer Show 2022
Thrilled that two of my paintings ‘Assist’ and ‘Desist’ were chosen for the Royal Academy Summer exhibition this year. This is ‘Desist’ it is painted in Coloured Polyester resins on birch ply, size: 30x30x3.5cm. The exhibition is open from 21June - 21August.
2 - day mosaic workshop for Year 10 students at Treviglas academy, a Newquay Secondary School. This venture was completed for the Newquay Renaissance Project … smiles all around as students, parents, members of the community and Mayor Gardner gathered to see the unveiling of the mosaics installed on a wall owned by Newquay businessman, John White, adjacent to the Lighthouse Cinema right in the centre of Newquay town
Hastings Open 2020 at Hastings Museum and Art Gallery 27 August 2020 - 03 January 2021
Two of my paintings, Shift 2 and Shift 4 are on display in this exhibition. Hastings Open is a major open-entry art show celebrating the creative talent of artists and makers from across the world. The exhibition brings together pieces from artists working in painting, sculpture, drawing, photography, digital and more, selected by a panel of practising artists and curators. Hope you are able to get along - book a slot online.
A Group Painting Exhibition 'Boom' in Brighton from 30th June - 6th July. 2021
A Group show by the Ruminators … a diverse group of 10 experienced painters, curators and practitioners resident in Brighton and Hove.
Sunday Salon 10 | Temporal Objects at ACME Childers street London 31 May - 14 June 2020
A Saturation Point project curated by Patrick Morrissey and Hanz Hancock. A salon without guests; a consequence of pandemic.
I am taking part in the first round of artist talks organised by epox_contemporary. It will feature 4 artists talking about their practice and process and will last 1 hour, 15 minutes each. Primer 1 is at 7.00pm May 19, 2021.
Circles and spheres have often been a feature or component in my paintings however I had not used the circular format until I painted a series of tondo’s. This is Slip 2
Image by Bernard G Mills
Jan/Feb 2020 at Phoenix Art Space H_A_R_D_P_A_I_N_T_I_N_G_ x2 an exhibition in 2 parts and the culmination of 18 months of preparation. I do hope you will visit. The preview for part 1 is Friday 10 Jan and open from the 11th.
Editions 19 at Project 78 Gallery St Leonards on Sea.
The show brings together original editioned artworks by artists who have exhibited at Project 78, come and find that special present for Christmas.
Show runs until Saturday 11th January
Entractes8 ‘La débâcle’
I have just completed ‘La débâcle’ a painted paper collage pasted directly onto the doors of the Eye Sees Gallery in Arles. France. It will be up for ‘Entractes8’ from the 1st December 2019 until the end of January 2020
Spotlight at Phoenix Art Space
Please do come along - i will be talking about my studio practice and generally what makes me tick!
Tickets available from eventbrite
Recent
Lichen Strip at Phoenix Brighton
May 26, 2019
Stig Evans and Philip Cole share studio balconies at Phoenix Brighton. Since being repainted less than 10 years ago they have noticed the gradual growth and spread of orange/yellow lichen across its parapet. Xanthoria parietina and Xanthoria aureola. Common lichens that occur throughout Southern England. Lichens are used as indicators of air quality and their gradual spread over the balcony and roofs across Brighton suggest a change to Brighton’s air quality. Both lichen species are able to tolerate surfaces with high levels of pollutants associated with artificial fertilizer and car exhaust fumes.
To highlight this, the Artists have come together to work on this collaborative piece. Both are abstract painters, sharing common interests in colour and colour nomenclature, both also make text-based work.
Together they have subtly transformed the balcony by removing sections of the lichen to create a temporary intervention. ‘Lichen Strip’ is a 44-metre-long text piece using an historic colour designation system for naming colours that uses a set of 12 basic colour terms and a small set of adjective modifiers. The National Bureau of Colour Standards first established the dictionary in the 1930s. Its intention being to sufficiently standardise colour nomenclature across different fields such as science, arts, printing, geology and botany as well as being easily understood by everyone.
Using the yellow /orange section of the dictionary the lichen was carefully removed to create a lyrical text-based piece that also identifies and categorises the incredible colours that the lichen contain
Review
A Review of Making Painting + - by Geoff Hands is available to read on saturationpoint.org.uk
Image by Bernard G Mills
Making Painting + - at Phoenix Brighton This exhibition will feature some of my new work and experiments. The window gallery is a space where Phoenix artists show finished work, explore new ideas, and present work in progress - come and see what I have been up to.
20th March - 21st April. Open Wednesday’s to Sundays 11 - 5 pm. You are welcome to join me for the pv on Saturday evening 23rd March from 6 - 8pm.
EDITION 1 at Phoenix Brighton features small editions of artwork in different mediums by some of the artists working at Phoenix Brighton. I have 3 small works on display. Open from 19 January - 17 February. Wednesday’s - Sunday’s 11.00 am - 5.00 pm
editions 18 at Project78 Gallery St Leonards on Sea
I have a variable edition of 10 ‘cut-out’ collages in this years editions show. The gallery is open from 15th Dec - 19th January 2019. It is open Wednesday’s - Saturday’s 10:00 - 17:00
The Momentum I Relative Trajectories at Angus-Hughes Gallery
Two linked projects curated by Patrick Morrisey and Hanz Hancock of Saturation Point the London-based online editorial and curatorial arts platform
From Friday 13th July 2018 (pv from 6-9pm) until Friday 3rd August. Open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and at other times by appointment
Open Studios at Phoenix Brighton May 2018
Phoenix Open Studios preview is Friday 18th May 6-9pm at Phoenix Brighton 10-14 Waterloo Place Brighton BN2 9NB. The current exhibition in the main gallery features Brett Goodroad. There is also a display of diverse works by artists working at Phoenix and last but not least the studios are open for you to take a peak inside - that's over 100 studios.
I'll be opening my studio too so do pop in and see some of my latest work.
If you are unable to make the preview, Phoenix Open Studios is open from Saturday 19th May – Sunday 20th May. From 11am - 5pm.
I hope that you can make it along
H_A_R_D_P_A_I_N_T_I_N_G at Phoenix Brighton 13/1 - 11/2/2018
Ian Boutell, John Bunker, Philip Cole, Stig Evans, Tess Jaray, Johanna Melvin, Patrick O’Donnell
Seven contemporary abstract painters explore the possibilities inherent in space, colour, line and edge, and seek to develop a conversation around the language of paint. The exhibition presents a collection of paintings that have been developed through pre-meditated and choreographed processes; in developing the images, the artists favour intention over accident.
Please do come along and see the show
Editions 17 at Project 78 Gallery St Leonards on Sea
It features Limited edition works created by the artists who have exhibited in the gallery over the last 3 year period. I will have a limited edition called 'Anthropocene' on display and for sale. Edtions 17 also features excellent and thought provoking work from other artists including Becky Beasley, Tom Hammick, Poppy Jones, Joseph Long , Nick Snelling and more.
Editions 17 is on until 13/01/2018
Artist of the Month at Phoenix Brighton July 2017
I was the featured artist of the month for July at Phoenix Brighton. Check out the entry and read about other artists who have studios at Phoenix Brighton here.
Open Studios at Phoenix Brighton
Phoenix is opening its doors again during the Brighton Festival.
There's a preview event on Friday 12th May, 6-9pm, to which you are invited.
I'll be there all weekend, Saturday & Sunday 13/14th May, 11-5pm so it would be great to see you if you're in the neighbourhood.
Perspectives 2012-2017 at ONCA Gallery Brighton 2-9 March 2017
Join me from 6-9pm on March 2nd to celebrate ONCA’s first five years and the unveiling of the new website, logo and gallery frontage.
This retrospective group exhibition looks at some of ONCA's greatest projects to date. Come and help ONCA imagine and shape the next chapter.
JDWC at the Kino Teatr St Leonards on Sea - Saturday 14 01 2017
This event marked the ten year anniversary since local Hastings artist Jonny Cole died January 2007, in Cambodia. A gathering to remember and celebrate Jon's life, his work as a painter and the inspiration that has become his legacy to many Hastings and St Leonards residents through his paintings and of course quite simply for the person he was.
The ground floor of the Gallery at Kino featured twenty of Jon's paintings spanning a short but prolific two decades.
During the course of the evening, the JDWC website was launched (jdwc.org) and visitors were also treated to five short films in the packed Kino cinema
Editions 16 Opens soon at Project 78 St Leonards on Sea
It features Limited edition works created by the artists who have exhibited in the gallery over the last 2 year period. I will have a limited edition called 'Top 20' on display and for sale. There is bound to be some excellent and thought provoking work featured so do come along - you may find a fantastic christmas present to purchase and in doing so you'll be supporting artists from London and the South East.
The big heart auction for Chestnut Tree House: June/July 2016
I donated Abstrakt Painting to the online auction that raised funds for Chestnut Tree House’s vital work caring for children with life-shortening illnesses across Sussex, and Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival’s community work such as the Umbrella Club, which provides live art experiences for these children. Proceeds were split, with 80% going to Chestnut Tree House and 20% to Brighton Dome.. This painting is made from coloured polyester – placed, poured and painted onto board; an experiment in application and removal. It was started in 2014 and completed in April 2016.
Older
Black and White at the Baker Mamanova Gallery St Leonards East Sussex April 2016
7 target paintings included an exhibition of works in black and white by 20th century Russian and contemporary British artists at the Baker Mamanova Gallery Norman Road St Leonards on sea - also known as the Kino
The Source Park Hastings March 2016
To coincide with the opening of the new Source Skatepark in Hastings, a number of local artists and makers have 'painted' skateboard decks which are now on display at The Source. You will probably recognise my contribution. The 'Deck art' project is designed to raise lots of money for some worthy good causes locally and all decks are for purchase. Response Academy, Charity for kids and Xtrax will benefit from the money raised from this project.
Open Studios at Phoenix Brighton May 2016
Phoenix Brighton had Open Studios the weekend of 6th - 8th May. I will be in my studio and hope you can make it along for a visit ... and there are approximately 119 other studios to see.
Trash or Treasure - A Peripheral View: Feb 15 - 21 2016
As part of Brighton Science Festival. ONCA gallery had a number of great events planned for the school half term. I showed recent and previously unseen new work in the gallery and contributed to the Trash or Treasure workshop series.
Editions ’15
Saturday 12th - Thursday 24th December
Saturday 2nd- Saturday 9th January
This show features editions created by the artists who have exhibited throughout the past year at Project 78 Gallery. I am exhibiting a limited edition screen print that I have called 'Your Net Worth'
A quote from wikipedia:
A high-net-worth individual (HNWI) is a person with a high net worth. In the western, and primarily American, private banking business, these individuals typically are defined as having investable finance (financial assets, excluding primary residence) in excess of US$1 million in constant 2006 dollars.[1][2]
I have been very curious about this particular categorisation of 'worth', it has been a source of inspiration for the screen print. There is an edition of 20, available from Project 78 Gallery
Editions ’15 runs from Dec 2015 - Jan 2016
Picture: Ground floor Gallery towner. Eastbourne
East Sussex Open Summer 2015
I exhibited some pictures at the East Sussex Open at the Towner. Eastbourne. The ESO featured original art work by 44 local artists. It ran from 11 Jul - 20 Sep 2015 and had over 30,000 visitors
Project 78 Gallery, St Leonards, East Sussex.
In this exhibition I exhibited 15 new pictures some of which you can see (here) The exhibition took place from 7th Feb to the 7th March 2015
Phoenix A3 Landscape
A giclee print completed for the A3 Phoenix Brighton show. A limited edition of 20 are available for purchase. size 29.7 x 42cm unframed. Picture here >
The exhibition took place from the 8th to the 16th of November 2014
'This Uke Shreds Fascists'
This ukulele was over painted in resin for Brighton's 'paddle round the pier' The text references Woody Guthrie's famous guitar. It was auctioned to raise money for a number of local charities and raised in excess of £400
July 2014
20 Painters at Phoenix Brighton
Three 'peripheral' landscapes were featured in this exhibition - at Phoenix Brighton
'20 Painters' Phoenix Brighton March 2014
++(+)+WP29
A Peripheral Vision
For the ++(+)+ Work programme 29 entitled, 'A PERIPHERAL VISION'. I created a body of work that derived from an ongoing curiosity and subsequent collection of Print registration marks. The final exhibition featured material collected and paintings constructed over a 6 month period along with sculpture prepared and installed in response to the challenge of the one week programme at CAC (Community Arts Centre, Brighton UK)
Images from the exhibition at CAC can be seen here >> All photography by Roarke Pearce
Community Arts Centre Brighton January 2014
Peripheral of the day
A swatch from a malted wheats cereal packet. I have started to blog my collection. You can find them here:
Old El Paso Burritos
A swatch from a food packet. I have started to blog my collection. You can find it here:
Risers
A recent commission for the Townend family, Park Crescent, Brighton UK. Six risers incorporated into York Stone steps spanning two garden levels.
In preparation for this commission, I visited, observed and photographed stretches of silver birch trees in England. Silver Birch is a very common broad leaved tree in the UK. It is also a pioneer species which means that it is one of the first tree species to colonise an area that may be bare soil or just scrub or grassland. It is also fairly tolerant to pollution and hence is often planted on exposed or industrial sites. It seemed to us to be an ideal species to represent in the composition. I also kept Gerhard Richter's picture of the Hirsch deer close to mind as I painted each step.
Each riser is made from a number of sections of clear perspex which have been individually painted, sanded and then laminated together with clear casting resin. They have been inserted into stainless steel frames, behind which, light is projected through a layer of opal white perspex. More pictures here >
Autumn 2013
Sandy Island, New Caledonia WGS 84 19°13′12″S, 159°55′48″ E-19.22,159.93
Sandy Island is a celebration of a place that was probably never there and an event that may never have occurred. More details >>
'Final Light' Phoenix Brighton 21/12/2012
Oldest
Containered
Casts, constructed from throwaway plastic packaging. Fabricated in pigmented polyester resins.
These trials were exhibited in Phoenix Brighton's members lounge 2012
Words
A variety of word works – various sizes, some painted in ink on paper, some marker pen and some constructed from coloured resins on board. They can be viewed here >>
2011 - 2012
Colecorner – on the hoof
colecorner mixed records with a fair smattering of audio and visual sequences. The live sound and light escape generated depended on the interaction in real time of the operators - three, who tried to sync their plans with thought transference rehearsed and unrehearsed for a considerable time span, every now and then a story line become discernible amongst the rhythm and sound and other hubbabub.
September 4th 2010 @ Factory, Phoenix Brighton
Diastr
Drawn from the game created by Tim Cole and Theo Lamarche, Diastr had two strands. An opening night: a carnival of the game played live, sculpture, pictures, spoken word, sound, film; drawn together by video relays and unexpected happenings. Then a two week exhibition, where the work lived on in a more reflective form. An event and exhibition curated by Philip Cole and Alistair Duncan. More details >>
'Diastr' Phoenix Brighton December 2010
Not the End of the World
The philosopher Slavoj Zizek has pronounced that we are "living in the end times" with the four horsemen of his coming apocalypse named: the worldwide ecological crisis; imbalances within the economic system; the biogenetic revolution that calls into question the ownership of even our human identity; and the erection of new walls between countries and within countries, and he asks whether there is a new form of collective activity that might escape the coming storm?
We brought together a very diverse group of artists with a range of experience whose work confronted these issues – sometimes head-on, sometimes humorous, or personal, or irreverent. When it seems beyond the capability of humanity to respond to the crisis of their own making..... then this exhibition was timely. More information and pictures here >>>
Read the review 'Not the End of the World' by Michael Newton author of 'Age of Assassins' and 'Savage Girls and Wild Boys'
Petrolseller
Painted in coloured polyester resin on foam.
Exhibited at 'Diastr'
December 2010
Bullion
Casts, constructed from throwaway plastic packaging. Fabricated in plaster and spray paint.
Exhibited at 'Diastr'
December 2010
An A to Z of No's
“to live outside the law you must be honest” - Bob Dylan
This piece was in a show called 'keep off the Grass' We have a lot of Rules and Laws to observe as we go about our daily lives. I think that there are quite a few that should get broken a lot more often and perhaps there must be some others that we are missing and yet are a whole lot more important in the long run. I can’t help remembering the words of the song ‘Alice’s Restaurant’ by Arlo Guthrie about a rather exaggerated and fairly comic response to littering. It's worth a listen.
'Keep off the Grass' Brighton Festival May 2009
A small structure built for declarations of one sort or another
Visitors to the exhibition were encouraged to enter a small structure (confessional) and declare wrong doings (?) anonymously. These were published and celebrated online.
The complete list can be read here >>
'Keep off the Grass' Brighton Festival May 2009
Everything that wouldn’t compost or recycle in the normal way but we couldn’t bring ourselves to throw away
All of the items were kept after use, washed, dried and then added to the pile. The Installation commenced on the 1st April 2009 and it was added to daily for a period of 8 weeks.
'Keep off the Grass' Brighton Festival May 2009
Shelter
Reconstruction of a World War Two Anderson Bomb shelter
An entirely artificial fabrication that was built intuitively with galvanised corrugated steel that had been purchased along with found materials and recycled wood. The siting of the shelter was the same as the original and based on the recollections of a close neighbour who had lived nearby for the last 80 years
'Preparing For Emergencies' Brighton Festival 2008
Fringe Joint winner Best Open House 2008
Shelter artfacts
Some of the artefacts dug up from the original Anderson shelter during the reconstruction.
'Preparing For Emergencies' Brighton Festival 2008
Fringe Joint winner 'Best Open House'
18 Meteorites
Installed in a lawn, these sculptured forms together with varying artificially created craters were based on a flawed conception of what meteorites might look like if they had actually entered this space from another space.
Brighton Open House
Brighton festival 2005
Cracks in the Empirical Pavement
A view of this exhibition at Phoenix Brighton. Some of the works that were featured included:
'Tom', 'Far Away, So Close' and 'Countdown'
'Cracks in the Empirical Pavement'
Phoenix Brighton July 2003
Far Away, So Close
A series of 10 pictures featured in the exhibition 'Cracks in the empirical pavement' These works were informed by the false coloured electron micrographs (SEM) of bacterial material and artificially coloured radio wave pictures of distant galaxies.
'Cracks in the Empirical Pavement'
Phoenix Brighton July 2003
Adding and Subtracting
An exhibition at Red Roaster Brighton, during the Brighton Festival 2001
'21x21'
'Loop' and 3 other works were exhibited at the University Gallery, Newcastle 2000
Temporal
An investigation into materiality at both the macro and the micro level. The exhibition of paintings and installation was in collaboration with artist Nikki Allford
Phoenix Gallery Brighton 2000
43 Nuts at the 'Sussex Open'
Thin slices of chestnut are set in clear casting resin. Multiples were assembled and displayed with/in a lightbox.
Exhibited at the 'Sussex Open'
Brighton Museum 1998