Artist Spotlight: Nostalgic Worlds of Paul Barnes
Jun 05, 2011
posted by: Nucleus
Scotland based artist, Paul Barnes, is another artist that will be showcased in next Saturday's Baker's Dozen exhibition. His paintings center around wondrous characters derived from mysticism and folklore, often conveyed through warm and muted colors. In a brief interview, we had the rare opportunity to learn more about Barnes:
N: What is your earliest memory of making art?
PB: When i was was 5 years old, my mum and I went to live in my grandparent's attic. My grandmother was an amateur, naive oil painter and I used to love watching her paint. She also had a wonderful collection of books and encyclopedias in her library which inspired me to draw. I spent a lot of time copying images from the books on folklore, mythology, UFO's, magic, spirituality and nature. My favourite book was the Readers Digest book of Folklore, Myth and Legend which I now have in my own collection. My grandmother used to take me to the art school every year and told me that one day I would study there and when I was about 9, my mum bought me a big book about horror, and well, that was my fate as an artist sealed!
PB:
Barnes left school at the early age of sixteen to pursue his interests in arts, he eventually earned a degree in illustration and graphic design from Gray's School of Art in Scotland. Since then, Barnes has made a career out of painting, but notes that his desire to paint is fueled his passion rather than financial gain.
N: At what point did you realize making art was a viable career? Is it?
PB: Hmmm, I don't think I ever have, in terms of making a decent living financially. I've never looked at my painting as a career, and it may sound corny, but it's just something I HAVE to do, no matter what. You just have to keep up the faith that life will allow you to continue painting through the financially tough times. And if you are 100% committed, it will. I feel that painting as a career option is secondary to just painting out of pure passion.
Despite having elements conducive to a narrative, Barnes states that his works do not align themselves with any particular story or meaning. Instead, Barnes seeks to create a kind of interpretive nostalgia, a feeling for the past that can only be determined by the audience's own intuitions.
Currently, Barnes is continuing to progress as an artist and family man, his proudest moments being his children and his first solo shows in the UK and the USA.
In Paul's own words, he let us in on a few of his quirks:
- I've never owned a cell phone.
- I still live in the 80's.
- I want to grow my own vegetables.
- My favourite quote/life lesson is from Buddha...'The mind is everything, what we think we become'
Thanks Paul for providing a glimpse into your world!
Be sure to come by Nucleus Saturday June 11th, to see Barnes' work as well as many other fantastic artists in
Baker's Dozen.
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