Barry Wilson

I always use gold leaf in my paintings. I love the sense of history/age it gives. A lot of layers are created over time and then I excavate to reveal the memories. I’ve been experimenting a lot with chinoiserie wallpaper especially old hand-painted styles, with layers of paint and wallpaper underneath and on top. Lots of memories and I feel the paintings in this show encapsulate that with the portraits eerily surfacing through the pattern, giving a real sense of past – a fading memory I’m always experimenting and trying to come up with new ways of portraying my obsession with fading memories.

These art works were an idea I had whilst looking at Lee Miler photo montages and the overlapping of images on a photograph in the dark room choosing the right combination takes you on a journey that would not be possible with just the face. I studied at Camberwell School of Art in London. Art is like a curse you have to do it! You are not necessarily rewarded when you do a fantastic piece of art. I have had many, many menial jobs over the years to subsidise my art, working on building sites and in factories, warehouses etc. my first break in an artistic/work sense way when I was working in a bingo hall, I was so disheartened, working for the minimum wage, Iiving in a squat, not having enough spare cash to buy fresh canvases, I phoned every scenery company in London, thinking that there was maybe a way of earning money for doing something artistic with paint. After spending a week phoning, following up leads, a firm called me back, desperately needing someone “NOW” to paint a back drop…… Hooray….. my first paid artwork was a hand painted 50” billboard of Anaconda in Leicester Square. It’s amazing how one day I could be calling out bingo numbers for the prize of a bag of sugar, the next painting a bill board for a film. My job continued for a number of years working on film sets and television. No matter how elaborate, or prestigious the projects were the need to paint my own things was stronger than ever. I pinch myself every day, thinking how lucky I am to make a living out of selling my art. It has been a long hard struggle to get here and I appreciate every moment of it. 

These art works were an idea I had whilst looking at Lee Miler photo montages and the overlapping of images on a photograph in the dark room choosing the right combination takes you on a journey that would not be possible with just the face. I studied at Camberwell School of Art in London. Art is like a curse you have to do it! You are not necessarily rewarded when you do a fantastic piece of art. I have had many, many menial jobs over the years to subsidise my art, working on building sites and in factories, warehouses etc. my first break in an artistic/work sense way when I was working in a bingo hall, I was so disheartened, working for the minimum wage, Iiving in a squat, not having enough spare cash to buy fresh canvases, I phoned every scenery company in London, thinking that there was maybe a way of earning money for doing something artistic with paint. After spending a week phoning, following up leads, a firm called me back, desperately needing someone “NOW” to paint a back drop…… Hooray….. my first paid artwork was a hand painted 50” billboard of Anaconda in Leicester Square. It’s amazing how one day I could be calling out bingo numbers for the prize of a bag of sugar, the next painting a bill board for a film. My job continued for a number of years working on film sets and television. No matter how elaborate, or prestigious the projects were the need to paint my own things was stronger than ever. I pinch myself every day, thinking how lucky I am to make a living out of selling my art. It has been a long hard struggle to get here and I appreciate every moment of it.