Martin Barrett

Martin Barrett’s practice is originally rooted in the disciplines of drawing and printmaking, although it has broadened considerably over the years to encompass sculpture, digital imaging and painting.  For this residency he will be taking the opportunity to work on a larger scale to explore ambiguous compositions and scenarios.

The themes of Barrett’s work are broadly socio-political, rooted in his fascination with the glorious chaos of humanity.  Barrett feels that as we create ever more complex and bureaucratic economic systems we then expect our leaders, like Sisyphus, to carry the huge weight of our expectations and entitlements to ever greater heights, stating “In reality all they can do is keep the plates spinning a little longer!”

Barrett proposes that artists, like comedians, have the forum to tell the world how it is, safe in the knowledge that nobody will take a blind bit of notice of them!

Martin Barrett is Senior Lecturer at the University of East London, and lives and works in London

www.martinbarrett.co.uk