Fairly Near The Bottom Of The Garden
Silkscreen and mixed media
183 cm x 122 cm
1998

Bad Dad
Silkscreen and mixed media
183 cm x 122 cm
1997

Bugger Mummy
Silkscreen and mixed media
183 cm x 122 cm
1998

Day Out
Silkscreen and mixed media
183 cm x 122 cm
2000

Seasonal Variations
Silkscreen and mixed media
183 cm x 122 cm
2001

Regatta Week
Silkscreen and mixed media
183 cm x 122 cm
1999

Squeeze
Silkscreen and mixed media
183 cm x 122 cm
2000

Sand Wishes
Silkscreen and mixed media
183 cm x 122 cm
2001

Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art 19th January – 17th February 2007

Origins – we are our histories

Barrie West’s new series of prints are, fundamentally, about the process of recollection – of how memory can be unlocked through abstract cues – colour harmonies; a play between geometric shapes and gestural components of compositions; and contrasts of pattern and surface.

Initially, West’s works resemble those of painters, though his intricate pictures are created by building up dozens of layers of transparent, translucent and opaque layers of pigment generates a game of concealment and revelation, where elements are “buried” under others and only discovered on extremely close examination. West’s works are intended to provide equivalents for the working of memory in this way. By creating evocative imagery inspired by his own memories, he invites us to delve into our own memory bank and relate our own stories to each atmosphere he conjures.

Though each of West’s works require months of painstaking labour to produce, he has allowed members of the public to “guest curate” the exhibition. In late 2006 he conducted a poll with the public to find out the most popular arrangement of his works. In Origins the consensus was that four pairs in each bay was the most successful option, with each bay characterised by a particular colour harmony, or the pair linked by a strong accent of colour common to both images. This mathematical, statistical method of presenting his work offsets the more emotive content each composition offers.