Barrie Jones Gallery

BIO

I was born 6.2.58 into a working class family of seven. My father was a former coal mineworker; my Mother also worked most of her life. I left school at the age of sixteen having achieved nothing. I joined the Royal Navy 1974 and served on Polaris submarines, although I enjoyed it in the Navy I felt I didn't want to spend the rest of my life in there, I felt I needed my own space so I left in 1979. I moved back to the Dearne Valley, which is a small collection of now ex mining town and villages in South Yorkshire. It was then I first stared painting. I met my wife Beverley in 1982 she was my first real love we married in 1984 and I still love her very much, we have two children Fern & Roxanne.

I have always had an interest in politics, I was once a member of CND (campaign for nuclear disarmament) I sometimes think we have forgotten how close we were to nuclear war during the cold war. I have also been an active trade unionist and a member of the Labour party.

MY PAINTINGS

I have been painting on and off for about 20 years. It is always hard to try to explain why I paint what I do; it is the way I have always painted. I once described my work as honest, in that I think we all put on our mask every day and pretend everything is fine and that we are not terrified of dying, or we are happy with what we have achieved, and that it is not our responsibility for children dying of starvation whilst we make our selves ill from eating too much, We all possess a dark side, it is when we try to pretend that only other people have possess it, is when conflict can begin. Should any one be interested in a particular painting I would be happy to try to explain it.

INFLUENCES

I have always enjoyed surrealist art such as Picasso and Dali, but I think the songs of David Bowie, Pink Floyd and others have had a greater influence on my work than other artist. I have always been moved by great lyrics, like John Lennon's Working Class Hero which starts' as soon as you born they make you feel small, by giving you no time instead of it all' or David Bowie's Future Legend which starts 'and in the death as the last few corpses lay rotting on the slimy thoroughfare, red mutant eyes gazed down on hunger city'. No more big wheels, fleas the size of rats and the size of cats. I enjoy science fiction, which sometimes come through in my work. I do also like modern art, it is sometimes challenging and it is good to see some of our young artist taking some of the pompous art critics for a ride.

List of exhibits

In the past I have shown my work at Rotherham Art Gallery 1997, Doncaster Art Gallery 1997/98 and at the King George Hall in London1997 & 98             

All work is oil paint on board with plane wood frame. 

Barrie