BARRY COTTRELL

burin engravings on copper

I was born in 1953 in Bristol, England; I studied psychology and philosophy at Oxford University and art at the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art. I am also a researcher and writer: in 2008 my book, The Way Beyond The Shaman – Birthing A New Earth Consciousness was published by O Books.

 

Engraving and shamanism are both ancient practices and over the years I have been exploring ways in which they can communicate to us today. My new project, Totem Body, continues this exploratory synthesis of consciousness research with image. For exhibitions on this theme please see below.

Engraving

In November 2007 I had two solo exhibitions of engravings, one The Driven Line at Christ Church Picture Gallery, in Oxford, and the other The Driven Line@Lessedra at Lessedra Gallery & Contemporary Art Projects in Sofia, Bulgaria.

The 'driven line' refers to the technique of pushing the burin through the copper plate. For more information about engraving and intaglio printmaking with some illustrations of my work see Mychael Barratt's handbook Intaglio Printmaking. My work can be found for sale on other websites especially Newbloodart.

The Totem Body project

In early 2011 I had two solo exhibitions in the UK on the theme of Totem Body, one Totems and Transformations at Quay Arts, in Newport on the Isle of Wight; the other was Totem Body at 20-21 Visual Arts Centre in Scunthorpe, an exhibition of selected recent monoprints including the Wounded Animal series.

In June 2011 I curated and exhibited in Totem Body at the Crypt Gallery, London, a group exhibition exhibition celebrating our 'creature consciousness.' There is more information about this exhibition on the project website.

EXHIBITIONS since 2009

2011

Totems and Transformations, solo show: Quay Arts, Newport, Isle of Wight (www.quayarts.org/)

Totem Body, solo show: 20-21 Visual Arts Centre, Scunthorpe

(www.northlincs.gov.uk/NorthLincs/Leisure/arts/20-21VisualArtsCentre)

Totem Body, group exhibition: the Crypt Gallery, St. Pancras Church, London (www.cryptgallery.org.uk/)

10th World Art Print Annual, Lessedra Gallery & Contemporary Art Projects, Sofia, Bulgaria (www.lessedra.com)

 

 

2010

A4 Printmakers International Contemporary Printmakers Competition, Cornwall, UK: winner of 2nd prize (www.A4printmakers.com)

This Wordless Dance, solo show: Mary Ogilvie Gallery, St. Anne's College, Oxford at the Annual Conference of the Consciousness and Experiential Psychology section of the British Psychological Society

38 World Gallery of Drawings - Skopje 2010, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia

9th World Art Print Annual, Lessedra Gallery & Contemporary Art Projects, Sofia, Bulgaria (www.lessedra.com)

Drink & Dial, WW Gallery, London (www.wilsonwilliamsgallery.com)

West Ox Arts Printmakers, an Oxfordshire Artweeks exhibition at the Gallery, West Ox Arts, Bampton, Oxfordshire (www.westoxarts.org)

Grit & Grace, 2-person show: sculpture by Pat Elmore and prints by Barry Cottrell at the Gallery, West Ox Arts, Bampton, Oxfordshire (www.westoxarts.org)

 

 

2009

Travelling Light, London/Venice Biennale, 2 cities, 58 artists (www.wilsonwilliamsgallery.com)

8th World Art Print Annual, Lessedra Gallery & Contemporary Art Projects, Sofia, Bulgaria (www.lessedra.com)

6th International Graphic Triennial Bitola, Republic of Macedonia (www.muzejbt.org.mk)

L'Arte e il Torchio, Art and the Printing Press, 6th International Small Engraving Exhibition, Cremona, Italy (www.artetorchio.it)

Un Monde en Noir et Blanc, international group exhibition of black and white small format prints touring Canada since 2007 (e.g. www.af.ca/ottawa/galerie/gravures)

 

 

 

COLLECTIONS

Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, British Museum, London, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Calcografía Nacional, Madrid, Staatliche Graphische Sammlung, Munich, National Museum of American History, The Smithsonian, Washington D.C., The Faringdon Collection, Buscot Park, Oxfordshire, Magdalen, St. Anne's and St. John's Colleges, Oxford, Cogen-ji Zen Buddhist Monastery, Japan, Lessedra Gallery & Contemporary Art Projects, Sofia, Bulgaria, Aberystwyth University, Wales.