Anthony Barrow

Student Short Listed for Mercury Prize

Fine art student Anthony Barrow, from Spring View, Wigan, has been short listed for the 2005 Nationwide Mercury Prize ‘Art and Music’ Competition with his painting titled ‘Emerging’.



‘Art and Music’ is an exciting new national art competition for undergraduate and postgraduate students studying art and design in the UK. The winner will received £5000 and have their work displayed on the front cover of the 2005 Nationwide Mercury Prize compilation CD.

The winner will also receive a pair of tickets to the 2005 Nationwide Mercury Prize Awards Show, as well as a Bose hi-fi and a selection of CDs. The three runners up will win £1000, an iPod and CDs. The top forty short listed works will be displayed at a prestigious central London Gallery.

The forty-nine year old Anthony lives with his wife Lynn and his three children Michael, 17, Richard, 14, and Thomas, 13. He is currently in his final year of a fine art degree at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan). Anthony said: “I am absolutely delighted to have been short listed for this amazing prize.”

He added: “The fine art course at UCLan has given me the freedom and encouragement to express myself as an artist, and enabled me to enter a number of national competitions.” Anthony recently won first prize in the “Art of Love” exhibition alongside two other artists, at the Oxo Tower Wharf Gallery, in London.

The Nationwide Mercury Prize is Europe’s Number One Arts Prize in terms of media coverage and influence. The Prize champions the best of UK music and celebrates and honours the twelve Albums of the Year. Previous winners include Franz Ferdinand, Ms Dynamite and Badly Drawn Boy.

For further information please visit:

nr067
6th May 2005

Author: Media and Public Relations Office
Last Modified: 23/05/05

All you need is love - The Art of Love 2005


From liquidised hearts to a pair of designer shoes, The Art of Love 2005 was nothing if not wholly diverse, featuring the work of nearly 700 artists, poets and musicians brought together in one massive exhibition. A celebration of love and art. Visitors to the Oxo Tower Wharf on London's Southbank this February were in for a surprise, as what started in the contemporary gallery space of the.gallery@oxo, located on the ground floor of the Oxo Tower itself, soon sprawled into the three floor warehouse space across the way in the Bargehouse.

All kinds of media and interpretations were entered, there were orgasmic abstract paintings, short film animations of a couple playing 'love games', a room dedicated to different heart pictures, sculptures of toy soldiers marching in the name of love and even a giant reclining 'horn' chair for the adventurous. Gay love, motherly love, passionate love, love of shoes, unconditional love, lost love, lack of love - there was every kind imaginable. Joining the surprising number of work which used shoes as a metaphor for love (from a brogue next to a dainty court to denote a couple, to a sexy spike heeled stiletto for a lusty lady) was legendary designer Terry de Havilland, who designed a pair of shoes especially for the exhibition. Using an image of a painting featured in last year's Art of Love of a reclining modern-day Venus by artist Christian Furr, transferred to silk and stretched across a curving wedge-shaped sole, and adorned with gold snakeskin and diamante studs - they were indeed shoes fit for a goddess.

The opening night saw over 2000 guests in the gallery, artists, poets, Londonart friends and press, plus a variety of live performances. The winning poets read aloud their entries, and a chosen few from the musicians played their tracks live in the gallery. (CDs of the music are still available to buy from Londonart, and feature a variety of love songs from the rocky, to the folky to the bluesy.)

This year's winning artists announced at the opening, were chosen by Londonart's panel, which included Reginald Gray, one of Ireland's leading portrait artists. They are Kristian De La Riva and Emily Russell, two animation /filmmakers from Cambridge; Anthony Barrow, a painter from Wigan, Lancashire; and Kathy Prest, a sculptor from Barnet, Hertfordshire. They shared the prize money of £1000 equally three ways. All the work from the exhibition will continue to be shown online here on Londonart.co.uk.

A room in the Bargehouse was dedicated to displaying all the poetry, chosen from the 1500 entries for the exhibition, by Andrew Motion, Poet Laureate. In the middle of the room was an installation in the shape of a large white heart on the floor, made from hundreds of traditional origami paper cranes. The symbol of love and peace, the cranes were made to help raise awareness for OCD-UK, a charity that supports those affected by Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. On the opening night two members of the British Origami Society were present making cranes for guests in return for donations to the charity, with nearly one hundred pounds raised in total.

On Valentine's Day itself The Art of Love had its own show on Resonance104.4fm, the arts radio station based in London. It included features on the history of love in art, artist couples, as well as poetry and music from the exhibition itself. Joan Michelson, the winning poet, came in to the studio to brilliantly read her work Amen, whilst Paul Wynter and Mandy Kay, co-hosts of both this year's exhibition and last, also read poems from the Art of Love catalogue. Jessica Michaels, one of the musicians who played on the opening night also spoke about her work and what it was like to be part of the Art of Love, with a couple of her tracks played. Two artists, Vikky Furse and Isobel Hutton, also came in to talk about their entries and their personal interpretations of the theme of love.

Nearly 9000 visitors saw The Art of Love exhibition this year, with more than enough love left to go round thanks to all the many contributions from the artists, poets and musicians involved. One thing's for certain - Valentine's Day will never be the same again...

Winning Visual artists

Kristian De La Riva and Emily Russell, UK Animation / filmmakers from Cambridge

Anthony Barrow, UK painter from Wigan, Lancashire

Kathy Prest, UK Sculptor from Barnet, Hertfordshire

Winning Poets selected by Andrew Motion

1st Prize: Amen by Joan Michelson from London

2nd Prize: Room Service by Andrea Porter from Huntingdon

3rd Prize: Apples by Jennifer Copley from Barrow-In-Furness, Cumbria.

Artworks and artists that were included in the exhibition

Heart Room selection

Poets that were included in the exhibition

To look at all the submissions made to The Art of Love 2005 please click here

Private view pictures

HANNAH WATSON la

He shaved Hedgehunter at the finish to win the 2006 Grand National.
But now Numbersixvalverde has been left follically challenged by a Wigan artist.
Anthony Barrow, from Spring View, has been commissioned by Wigan-based totesport to produce these stunning paintings of celebs, using horse hair from the former winner.

And former postie Anthony has certainly done Gordon Ramsay, John McCririck and Johnny Vegas proud.

The finished articles will be exhibited at the Aintree meeting this weekend and then auctioned to raise money for the official charity of the Grand National, Alder Hey Children's Hospital's Imagine Appeal.

Anthony said: "This is certainly the most unusual commission I have ever undertaken, but it was a great challenge.

"I chopped the hair into small pieces and mixed it with acrylic paint and PVA glue then used it to paint the shadows and main features of each celebrity. The outcome is a very unusual portrait and I am pleased with the finished results."

Paul Petrie, totesport spokesman, said: "The Grand National is all about bringing horseracing to the attention of as many people as possible and we thought that this project would help do just that.

"It is a unique piece of art and the fact that the hair used was from a past Grand National winner should make it a great collector's item."
Jayne Hauxwell, from the Imagine Appeal, added: "It's a fantastic way to raise funds and awareness for the largest children's hospital in Europe.

"Imagine aims to improve the quality of life for all children in hospital. We have always been well supported by the racing industry and we thank totesport, John Smith's, and the jockeys in particular for their continued support."
totesport08.asp

These paintings are an interpretation of my emotional response to time based media.
Mass visual information is an accepted part of our everyday existence, television, video, film have become our emotional fix; the characters take us on a fictitious journey that affects our psyche in different ways, provoking reactions that are dependant upon the mind set of the individual.
The psychological effects of over exposure to the moving image are a fascinating subject and provide me with ongoing research.

“The context within which we experience an event will determine how that event is encoded and retained”
(Oxford Companion to the Mind- Richard L Gregory- 1987)

Will society be able to distinguish between fact fiction and in the future?
Some think that the answer is evident today.
Movies are made up of thousands of stills, why do we choose to relate to some and disregard the vast majority?
I believe we initially remember actual events or fictitious imagery in a kind of monochrome or sepia scenario. Emotions are based on colour representation, colour directly affects our mood, in much the same way as music, so our response to a remembered image is to re introduce the colour in much the same way as a painted image brings about an emotional reaction through the manipulation of pigment.

Time based media goes through mechanical, technological and other third party interventions before it reaches the viewer, colour representation, I believe, occupies a very small percentage of the overall impact on the individual therefore sound plays an important roll.
By a combination of remembered images as tonal compositions and the inclusion of colour to enhance a mood I hope to reintroduce the image, through the process of painting thereby giving it a true physical presence and bringing it closer to the viewer and away from the celluloid screen.

From 1983 to present time Ashton Arts Society annual exhibition.
1983 to 1988 Permanent display at Maureen Gullies Gallery, Wigan.
1988 to 1993 Permanent display The Coach House Gallery.
1987 Studio 77, Turnpike Gallery, Leigh.
1988 Studio 77, Turnpike Gallery, Leigh.
1992 The Laing National Art Exhibition, Salford Art Gallery, Manchester.
1992 The Laing National Art Finalists Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London.
1997 Standish Arts Festival Exhibition, Church Street, Standish.
1996 Drumcroon Open Exhibition, Parsons Walk, Wigan
1998 St Helens Open.
1998 The Navigation, Appley Bridge, Standish.
1999 The Observer Gallery, Rowbottom Square, Wigan.
2000 The Observer Gallery, Rowbottom Square, Wigan
2003 St Mary`s Village Hall one man show.
2003 Stockport Open, Stockport Art Gallery,. Cheshire
2003 Sefton Open Exhibition, Atkinson Art Gallery.
2003 One man show,Observer Gallery.
2004 NAPA Open International Exhibition, Williamson Art Gallery, Birkenhead.
2004 Manchester Academy of Fine Arts open exhibition, Salford, Manchester.
2004 West Lancashire Open Exhibition, Chapel Gallery, Ormskirk.
2004 Stockport Open Exhibition, Stockport Art Gallery, Cheshire.
2004 Channel 4, Big Art Challenge, Lowry Centre, Manchester.
2004 Stockport Artlink Exhibition, Stockport Art Gallery, Cheshire.
2004 Sefton Open Exhibition, Atkinson Art Gallery, Southport.
2004 Wrexham Open Exhibition, Wrexham Art Gallery, Wales.
2005 Art of Love Exhibition, Oxo Gallery, London. (1st prize)
2005 Mind Where You Look, Fairfield Hospital & Oldham Gallery.
2005 Chester Open Exhibition, Grovesnor Art Gallery, Chester.
2005 Objects of Desire Open Exhibition, Turnpike Gallery, Leigh.
2005 Mercury Music Exhibition, Air Gallery, Dover Street, London
2005 Stockport Open Art Exhibition, Stockport Art Gallery, Cheshire. (Winner of Peoples Prize)

Membership.

N.A.P.A. National Acrylic Painters Association.
Associate of O.K. Studios Artist Kollective, Cross Street, Standish.

Education.
BA (Hons) Fine Art, University of Central Lancashire, Preston. 2005.

Exhibitions.

2006 OK Studio, Open Studio Exhibition, Standish.
2006 Past Present and Future, Turnpike Gallery, Civic Sq, Leigh.
(1st Prize-winner)
2005 Nationwide Mercury Art Competition, The Air Gallery, Dover Street, London.
2005 “Objects of Desire” Exhibition, Turnpike Gallery, Leigh.
2005 “Mind Where You Look” Exhibition, Fairfield General Hospital, Rochdale Old Road, Bury and Oldham Art Gallery.
2005 Army Benevolent Fund Exhibition, The Minster Church of St John The Evangelist, Church St, Preston.
2005 “Art of Love” Exhibition, Oxo Gallery, Oxo Wharf, Bargehouse Street, London. (1st Prize-winner)
2004 Wrexham Open, Wrexham Museum and Art Gallery, Wrexham, Wales.
2004 Sefton Open Exhibition, Atkinson Art Gallery, Southport. (short listed prize winner)
2004 Stockport Artlink Exhibition, Stockport Art Gallery, Cheshire.
2004 Channel 4, Big Art Challenge, Lowry Centre, Manchester.
2004 Stockport Open Exhibition, Stockport Art Gallery, Cheshire.
2004 West Lancashire Open Exhibition, Chapel Gallery, Ormskirk
2004 Manchester Academy of Fine Arts open exhibition, Salford, Manchester.
2004 NAPA Open International Exhibition, Williamson Art Gallery, Birkenhead.
2003 Solo Exhibition, Observer Gallery, Wigan.
2003 Sefton Open Exhibition, Atkinson Art Gallery.
2003 Stockport Open, Stockport Art Gallery, Cheshire.
2003 St Mary’s Village Hall solo exhibition
2000 The Observer Gallery, Rowbottom Square, Wigan.
1999 The Observer Gallery, Rowbottom Square, Wigan.
1998 The Navigation, Appley Bridge, Standish.
1998 St Helens Open, St Helens College, St Helens.
1996 Drumcroon Open Exhibition, Parsons Walk, Wigan
1997 Standish Arts Festival Exhibition, Church Street, Standish.
1992 The Laing National Art Finalists Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London.
1992 The Laing National Art Exhibition, Salford Art Gallery, Manchester.

Demonstrations:

2005 Salford Art Group.
2004 Hindley Art Society.
2003 Ashton Art Society.
2001 Standish Art Group.
2000 Standish Art Group.
2000 St Mary’s Primary School, Derby St, Ince, Wigan.
1998 St Mary’s Primary School, Darby St, Ince, Wigan.
1994 Astley Art Group.
1992 Chorley Art Group.

Anthony Barrow has teamed up with Rolf Harris in a unique project to honour Lowry.
Anthony Barrow joined 15 other North West artists invited along to Manchester's Piccadilly Gardens to paint the same view immortalised by the master of matchstick men in 1954.
Their collected works will now form the subject for a BBC programme, Rolf on Lowry, due to be broadcast in the spring about the life of the artist.

Anthony, 50, who has been painting for more than 30 years, developed his skills as a member of Ashton Art Group.He took voluntary redundancy from the Royal Mail after two decades' service, so he could concentrate on his first love, painting, as a career with a home studio in Fir Tree Drive.

He said that it had been a great experience to meet Rolf, an "accessible" artist he had long admired.
The documentary will celebrate Lowry's life and work and hopes to give a sense of how his art is still important today.
The idea of the gathering was to create a "21st century vision" of Lowry's original painting of 'Piccadilly Gardens'.

He said: "The BBC contacted me via Axis, a website for artists and teachers.
"Painting started at 10am with a break for lunch at noon then more painting and interviews with the crew until 3pm.
"The plan was to ask each artist to create their own visualisation of Lowry's painting and a chance to look at an old work in a new way.

"We were all encouraged to work in the medium we felt most comfortable in and in our own style."
Actual filming took place over a 180 minute period.
"The programme will be shown in the next few months and there will be an exhibition at the Lowry Centre in Manchester to commemorate the event."

2003 Observer Gallery, Wigan.

1989 BBC Nationwide Contemporary Art – Finalist.
1990 PORC National Painting Competition- Commended
1991 PORC National Painting Competition, Oxford. 2nd prize
1991 PORC International Art Competition, Brussels. 2nd prize
1992 Laing National Art Exhibition – Finalist.
1993 PORC National Painting Competition – Commended
1995 PORC National Painting Competition - Commended
2005 Art of Love Exhibition, Oxo Gallery. London.(1st Prize)
2005 Mercury Music Exhibition, Air Gallery, Dover Street, London. ( Short listed)
2005 Stockport Open Art Exhibition, Stockport Art Gallery, Cheshire. (Winner of Peoples Prize)