barry cooper - events

Barry Cooper debuts at Oriel Q with Events, a reflection on political events, current and past.

Drawing on his cubist past, Barry Cooper generates abstraction in his work through his quest to practically investigate world events.

Embracing the opportunities of a blank canvas, Barry creates stillness, focus and reflections on important moments in our history.

Events offers a brief tour through Barry’s Artistic career, beginning with his expression of Nuclear Events through the painted mark. Following, Barry has captured and responded to the horrific headlines of 9/11 and Brexit in this exhibition. These essential reflections promote a sense of healing and community, offering the viewer an opportunity to engage with the issues presented in a new and constructive manner.

Barry also exhibits his work which is produced in collaboration with musicians, demonstrating the fourth dimension of time in painting. Finally, Barry demonstrates the effect of the more recent coronavirus pandemic on his work.

Through this abstract presentation of an event, his work displays a metaphor for wider concerns.

For Barry the act of making the painterly mark with a plastic material is everything; it is that unique almost indelible moment in time. It is like creating a musical note or the releasing of a particle in CERN’s Nuclear Accelerator. When the paint leaves the brush, it creates accidents on the canvas.

This exhibition is a unique opportunity to be transported into Barry Coopers workspace as his studio environment is transplanted into Oriel Q. A refreshing insight into Barry’s personal space is a breath of fresh air following the past year of being confined to our own.