Artwork of the month: Until the Morning by Barry Martin
26 October 2021
Barry Martin is a painter, sculptor and writer. He was associated with the Kinetic Art movement during the 1960s and 1970s in which physical movement was incorporated into art.
Much of his work continues to explore movement through the creation of two and three dimensional works, including sculpture, painting, performance and film.
‘Until the Morning’ is part of series of abstract paintings that Barry made during the 1970s that explore light, space and time. The lively colours and shapes dance and shift, drawing your eye around the paper.
Looking closely at the textures of the image, we can see that the artist has used various thicknesses of his chosen medium of acrylic paint and layered up the liquid to create a sense of depth and tone amongst the shapes, building on the relationships between them and perhaps using a scraper to achieve this. Barry views his work as celebratory, where the viewer can free themselves from the everyday and explore imaginary spaces.
Barry Martin, Until the Morning, 1979, Acrylic on paper, 95 (h) x 121 (w) cm
Born in 1943 in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, Barry studied at Goldsmiths, University of London, and Saint Martin’s School of Art. He has taught in art colleges including the Royal College of Art, Slade School of Fine Art, Goldsmiths, and the Royal Academy Schools.
He has exhibited both nationally and internationally, and his works are in public and private collections including the Tate, Arts Council, National Portrait Gallery and Victoria and Albert Museum.
