RODERIC BARRETT
(1920-2000)

One of Roderic’s pleasures at the RA Schools was a weekly lunch with his printmaker colleague Peter Freeth, who remembers that “we laughed a lot of the time, but were very serious about it. Politically, in the widest possible sense, we faced the same direction and groaned in harmony. He seemed to me to come from somewhere deep in English history, from many places, indeed. It is easy to see him with the Diggers or Levellers, at the Putney debates, with Tom Paine, Cobbett, Hogarth, Blake, Gillray, with all those passionate Non-Conformists, protestants, radicals, with the men of Essex in all those marches on the capital. He reminded me, too, of the ‘village – Hampden, that with dauntless breast’ of Gray’s Elegy.

“And yet, with his doubts – his passionate doubts – he was also a thoroughly modern man. Naturally on the left, the sceptic in him made him suspicious of any Cause. No New Model Army would have fully satisfied Roderic, or New World Colony long detained him. His glass was always half full – but those who knew it was half empty could, perhaps, just have a point. . . . He was wise enough to know he might be wrong, and generous enough to concede that the other man might be right . . . probably was right, in fact.

“He remained blessedly young at heart (and enviably sprightly in body) and enjoyed teaching because he loved being with young people. Young people, young artists, are dreamers like him, with their freshness and hope, their uncertainties and vulnerability, not touched by cynicism and compromise. . . . A lovely man, good friend, great spirit.”

from the book:
Roderic Barrett by David Buckman 2003

It is because of the legendary impression Roderic Barrett made with his commitment to teaching that Chappel Galleries has planned this exhibition. Roderic also taught for twenty-one years at the Central School, London (1947–1968), but we decided, for the time being, to concentrate on the Royal Academy luminaries. We had such a tremendous response to our enquiries from these students, over a hundred in fact, who all remembered Roderic with much gratitude and fondness, that we had to rationalise our original list due to practical concerns. The resulting exhibition is an exciting tribute to him.

CONTRIBUTORS INCLUDE