Somehow - I was an artist from an early age, becoming absorbed and fully engaged with the talent I found - and it has never left me.
I entered all the local competitions as a child and collected a handful of first prizes and gold medals. I jumped through all the usual educational hoops and a few more along the way. Some I set for myself, like putting my early teen self through a Bauhuas colour & design course - like stealing marble blocks from walls to carve. Many others were thrust upon me but I hardly ever entered a competition again - I am not interested in them.
I enjoyed the wonderful freedom of my four years at Art College and everything to do with that journey as well as my time at the University Of London. Later I got lost a few times, (sometimes purposefully) but I found that IT doesn't go away and IT doesn't get lost.
What I've wanted - is to be able to work at it - and uncover whatever I had - in my own time and in my own way - not such an easy trick (without independant wealth) because there seemed to be no 'route' to my goal other than:-
1. Trying to sign with a gallery. I wasn't up for that because my work and ideas were continually changing and I didn't want to move into particular areas of image making that would then become my 'signature' style for the gallery - in saying that, perhaps I do some galleries a dis-service in their nuturing of new talent, but I certainly didn't want their involvment in my development at that time.
2.
Moving toward the most common graduate path of an art lecturing or visiting lecturer career and taking advantage of the money and the whole 'insider' situation.
As a 'way forward' to gain a certain entre, it appalled me, and it still does. Supposed full time artists working as full time lecturers, it's a nonsense - the system is plainly wrong - but it seems to be a treasonable intellectual crime to even attempt to critisize it or them.
Everything I’ve said above, is a misunderstood and messy card to play and write about - the accusation within arts education to such a statement is usually - 'sour grapes' - which detractors seem to take great comfort from without having any real answer.
This 'messy card' produces problems to do with relationships and lack of a regular income and visibility within a local or a wider 'Art World' - but every Artist has to find their way through that particular maze - in one way or another - you either do it or you don't.
To earn a living I often jumped into situations with both feet, finding I had either entered into some extension of 'IT' or sometimes into complete drudgery. The jobs that have some extension of 'IT' are the most dangerous - they can be attractive and it's easy to get lost in them. I did all sorts of jobs to 'get by'.
That situation is normal for an artist, and some kind of testing ground I suppose, but it has been difficult to try and explore what has been put before me with some kind of consistency - and to try and show the results, which is always the challenge. Thankfully, it’s a long and elliptical journey and - whatever happens - there is no end to it.
The product or by-product of this life work is deemed 'art-stuff' and though I am not very enamoured with aspects of the 'Art World' and its posturings - mostly I stay away from it - but by default, and through my own history, I am a part of it - and a student of its place within the wide scope of creative endeavor.
There comes a point after jumping through many hoops, that you realise you might be caught up in purposefully making 'art-product-stuff' as some kind of 'creative' culture normalcy. I had already de-schooled myself against this route, and didn't want to become an arts careerist - just the artist that I always was and am. This is an extremely difficult thing to come to terms with - it leaves you on an awkward limb - It makes you wonder, it makes you sweat - you take your choice and follow what star you can.
Some may argue that making 'art-product-stuff' is the whole point, and the historical definition of being an artist - that it leads to a 'career' and possibly great recognition etc etc - but that definition is not for me. Perhaps it’s a fine and debatable line - but the art world I wish to belong to - wherever and whatever it is - if it even exists... is definitely not about that.
Don't misunderstand me - I would certainly like those 'recognition' benefits very much, and the unconditional backing of a powerful gallery etc, but despite various overtures it has never happened for me - yet - on my own terms.
In my experience and observations, the making of 'art-product-stuff' often results in a kind of self perpetuating narcissistic 'Artism' and everything that goes with it - it pretends many things about itself - most of it is 'spin' and overblown. Iin the end, it's soft and overprotective. This simple and limited art product project seems to produce many levels of 'artness' and the galleries lap it up, it's their business - but for me it cannot sustain anything that I am interested in.
I am trying to do 'something else' which will have to remain undefined - sorry, but that's the way it is - I'm not trying to be obscure - I simply don't know what it is.
I only know that without the will and desire to get beyond the games of Artism and the continual push of 'art-product-stuff' - there are definite qualities of involvement and thinking that are simply not available to you - you become stuck in the 'art' box where the horizons and philosophies seem satisfactory because there is so much infra structure propping them up. This goes for techniques as well as the more metaphysical aspects - I forget about them all as much as possible when painting.
For me, exhibiting is a bit of an expensive curate’s egg - and a distraction. I need and want to exhibit of course - to try and earn money, to show what it is I am up to, to build a reputation - but I am reluctant to chase these things - it's a complete involvement on its own. Like many, I would prefer that all that side of things be in the hands of someone I trust - I've had a few agents but, to quote a song - 'They always climb too high to see my point of view' - I don't apologize for being 'awkward'.
I am not un-interested in showing my work, in promoting it, or in selling it - but it is not my job to make 'art product'. Plainly there is a historical and ongoing market which can work well for a huge number of artists, but it finds your weak spots quickly and is voracious in its appetites, and it can cripple and twist the thing it supposedly upholds. This is also part of its historical nature and 'going with the flow' is generally a good basic philosophy, but which flow? yours or someone else's?
This marathon - of simply trying to do what I've found to do - has of course a further major and dangerous obstacle. I've had to stay clear - as much as possible, of getting caught up in a career structure like teaching or lecturing, or theatre design etc. This is an easy statement to make, but a very difficult one to live within.
You will see from the 'Commercial' gallery that it is also possible to go completely sideways into the world of Illustration. It would have been easy to not show you this area of work on this website, it's not generally the done thing in 'fine art' to admit that you are actually very proficient in those skills - but for me it was a necessary loop into part of the wider experience and history of being an artist in the world.
I am very thankful for the help and support of so many good people, and for all the people who have bought my work - but mainly for the support of my wonderful long time partner Gaynor Lougher. ( Artistic Director of Hijinx / OdysseyTheatre.) My work is in many private collections worldwide, and is published by Saltmarshe Fine Art Printers.
I’ve worked part time and freelance in various areas inside and outside the arts - and I still work part time on weekends to support my studio. After Art College and the Institute Of Education, I spent one year teaching in Wolverhampton before leaving and spending time traveling over a period of years. Later I was privileged to spend time bringing up my son Sam while Gaynor pursued her career with Hijinx Theatre.
77 - 78 - COMMUNITY ARTIST - with 'Transitions Trust' a Gulbenkian Calouste funded community arts group.
76 - 77 - 'BRUNCH MUSIC' - Experimental music with Robert Alcorn - Artist & musician.
78 - 80 - HTV WALES - Freelance Illustration - Numerous cartoon series for children's television series 'Stori Sbri'. Characterizations for the 'Glyn Dwr' serial in the 'Goglis' programme.
78 - 80 - '3,600 SECONDS WITH THE -THE HUNDRED TON MOON ORKESTRA' - Brunch Music augmented with Lewis Motram, Piano & Will Evans, Percussion. performance artist Dek Leverton of Paupers Carnival and the dancer Molly Kenny. This multi media project was planned for two concerts only at Chapter Theatre.
78 - 80 - NATIONAL MUSEUM OF WALES - Schools Services - Designer and illustrator
80 - 82 - 'THE MAGIC CITY ORCHESTRA' - Seven piece ensemble playing mainly scored music's.
80 - 81 - SILKSCREEN PRINTER.
81 - 82 - 'FAMINE' - A poetry/performance group with P.J.oDonoghue, Keith.M.Martin and Gaynor Lougher of Hijinx Theatre.
84 - 89 - 'THE HEAVY QUARTET' - Founder member along with R.Smith, J.Phillips, N.Langford and M.Shepherd.
81 - 86 - THEATRE DESIGN & GRAPHICS – Hijinx Theatre, Spectacle Theatre, Coracle Theatre.
85 - 96 - ILLUSTRATION COMMISSIONS.
86 - 'TICKING OVER' - A solo show touring S.Wales - funded by the S.E.Wales Arts Assoc. as part of the Moving Pictures initiative.
86 - ARTIST IN RESIDENCE - Two weeks at Llantarnam Grange Arts Centre.
88 - 89 - PART TIME LECTURING - WELSH COLLEGE OF MUSIC & DRAMA. - Two days p.w.
General 2D design, simple design techniques for print and publicity for 2nd yr students.
89 - 90 - PART TIME LECTURING - CARDIFF COLLEGE OF ART.
Two days p.w. Drawing projects/exercises - and theatre set design for Harold Pinters ' Squaring the Circle' with 2nd year Interior Design students - also in collaboration with a set designer for Television.
89 - 'DRAWING THE LINE' - group exhibition - Wales and S.E. England.
90 - TWO LANDSCAPE DRAWINGS - Purchased by the S. Glam County Council collection.
92 - 'GILEAD' - A solo exhibition of paintings - St David's Hall, Cardiff.
95 - 'THE LAING' - LANDSCAPE COMPETITION - Chosen exhibitor - Old Library, Cardiff.
98 - 'VISIONS OF IDENTITY' - CADMAD visual artists group, 6 months tour S.Wales.
98 - THE EUROPEAN SUMMIT - Cardiff - Six paintings chosen by the Foreign Office and the Conference Designer - exhibited at City Hall.
99 - 'IMPRESSIONS OF THE BAY' - Group show at Butetown History & Arts Centre.(My first showing of Digital Artwork.)
99 - 'ELEMENTS' - AMA Cymru (Association of Multicultural Artists) group show - Norwegian Church.
2000 - 4FOR THE BAY - group show - Ten paintings of various 'corners' of Cardiff Bay.
2000 - COMMUNITY ARTS - two weeks providing Digital Multimedia skills for Rhondda Cynon Taff with artist & coordinator Andrea Heath.
2001 - ART4SALE- Group exhibition - 13 paintings, mainly Black Mtn Landscapes - Bute Town History & Arts Centre.
2002 - THE BIG MIX – CURATOR along with with Lyle Osborne. We exhibited twenty artists, a mix of professional- amateur and those with learning difficulties. 10 days at tactileBosch artist's studios - Cardiff.
2007 - CARDIFF DRAWING GROUP - ISLAND ECHOES - at Cardiff Old Library - work inspired by Flatholm Island. RE_EXHIBITED at Cole & Co Galleries - Cardiff.
2008 - CARDIFF DRAWING GROUP - DRAWN TO THE GARDEN - at Old Hall, Cowbridge, work inspired by Cowbridge Physic Garden. Sept - Oct 08
2009 Latest Exhibitions
Das Zwischen Projekt - August 2nd - October 31st
Tilmann-Riemenschneider Haus - Osterode - Germany
'Wilko' Konigsmann - Angela Phillip - Dai Harding
Das Zwischen Projekt. Deutsch-Chinese Freundschaft Haus, Clausthal-Zellerfeld, Germany
August 1st - October 31st
Prof Ding Yuan - 'Wilko' Konigsmann - Angela Phillip - Dai Harding.
PARKLIFE - Cardiff Drawing Group - Sept-Oct -09. Old LIbrary, Cardiff.
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