Anyone who had the privilege of knowing Roderic Barrett will be astonished to learn that, on our first meeting, I did not notice him. The conditions, of course, were far from ideal: we met under glaring lights, a television camera was recording every movement and a sound recorder every sound. But I did not notice these things either. My whole attention - and this again you will understand - was held by his work, which I had not seen before. Such work! I am inexpressibly grateful for the Exhibition and its fine accompanying book that enable me once more to grapple with its mysterious complexity. I had never before encountered art of such loneliness, sadness, strength and yet such certain hope. (Why did he paint these things unless he knew, at some unconscious level, that there was meaning that is humanly inaccessible?). When finally, I got my breath back and turned to the artist dourly beside me, I found a unique concordance of spirit between what Roderic painted and what Roderic was. I cannot remember if I used the words above when I began to speak to him about his work, as the programme required, but I do remember that I had only to use a description for Roderic to deny it. I am told that the interview was extremely funny, especially as we were both quite oblivious of humour, and intent only on having our say. His say was naturally more authoritive than mine, but I think he would have contradicted me on sheer principle, not to be awkward but to remain private. I came to love his letters, that always left me both enlightened and querying.
His short treatise on the art of painting (The Artist at Work) seemed to me a luninous thing, and artists who have seen it agree, but the publishers to whom I recommended it could not see its virtues. And 'virtues' is, I am sure, the right word. Roderic was a man of profound integrity, and it is what so distinguished his beautiful, dramatic and haunting work. I wish he were here to contradict me! When I thin k back (though I can imagine Roderic's reaction) I feel the word for what he was and what he created is 'noble'
Sister Wendy Beckett 2003
RODERIC BARRETT |
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Born in Colchester, Essex.
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Central School of Art and Design, London
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Guest instructor by invitation
Philips Exeter Academy, New Hampshire, USA
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Tutor: Royal Academy Schools, Burlington House, Piccadilly
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President of Colchester Art Society
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ONE-MAN EXHIBITIONS |
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King Street Gallery, Cambridge
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Beaux Arts Gallery, London
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Lamont Gallery, Exeter, N.H., USA
Shore Gallery, Boston, USA
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Holland Park Gallery, London
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The Castle Museum, Norwich
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University of Southampton
University of Warwick
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Christchurch Mansion, Ipswich
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Beecroft Art Gallery, Westcliff-on-Sea
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European House of Parliament, Strasbourg (organised and sponsored by Chappel Galleries, also sponsored by Essex County Council)
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1996
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Concourse Gallery, The Barbican, London
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1997 |
The Minories, Colchester, Retrospective |
1999 |
The Minories, New Work |
2000 |
Chappel Galleries, Essex 80th Anniversary |
2002 |
Memorial Exhibition, University Gallery, University of Essex |
2003 |
Chappel Galleries, Essex - Memorial Exhibition |
2004 |
The Millinery Works Gallery, London - ‘A ‘Noble’ Essex Man’ |
2006 |
Chappel Galleries, Essex – ‘ Roderic Barrett and His Students’ |
2008 |
Cartwright Hall Art Gallery, Lister Park, Bradford |
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COLLECTIONS
Victoria and Albert Museum
Lamont Gallery, New Hampshire, USA
Universities of Essex and Southampton
Beecroft Art Gallery, Westcliff-on-Sea
Chelmsford and Essex Museum
Ipswich Borough Council Museums and Galleries
Epping Forest District Museum, Waltham Abbey
Private collectors in: The United Kingdom, USA, Eire, France, Italy, Switzerland
Ashmolean Museum, Oxford (2004)
Colchester Borough Council (2007)
MIXED EXHIBITIONS
London Group; Wildenstein’s; Roland Browse & Delbanco; Epping Forest District Museum, Waltham Abbey; Phoenic Gallery; Piccadilly Gallery; Mercury Gallery; Royal Academy; Manchester AG; Nottingham AG; Bristol AG; Bath Festival; Brussels; Nancy; Nice; Zurich; Portagruaro; Llubliana, Yugoslavia; USA: Boston Arts Festival; Worcester Museum Mass; Pittsburgh AG; Princeton; Connecticut; New York; Chappel Galleries, Essex; ‘Eat Drink and Be Merry’ English Heritage, Norfolk Museums Service, York Civic Trust touring exhibition: Fairfax House, York; Kenwood House, London; Assembly House, Norwich (year 2000)
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PUBLICATIONS |
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1985 |
BBC The Domesday Project features “Curtain Call”. Cat No 2 |
1992 |
‘Art and the Sacred’ by Sister Wendy Beckett, published by Random features “Players” |
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‘Roderic Barrett: A Retrospective’ published by Firstsite
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‘Roderic Barrett’ by David Buckman, published by Chappel Galleries
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