Exhibition of Syd Barrett's paintings
FinsburyParkCarrots
Seattle, WA Posts: 12,223
I'm putting this in AET as it's art-related, even though it's the artwork of a rock legend. I just went to see an exhibition of Syd's work at Anglia Ruskin University (the "Tech" on East Road). It was fascinating to see the gentility of his work: I'd expected that his abstracts would explore dark vistas of a bizarre unconscious, but they were rich, brightly colourful and almost figurative in their composition. There was a real feeling of order about his pieces, and as far out as he took his work and freed up his approach to line and tone, a sense of internal structure was always present. A bit like a trip, I suppose.
His figurative work showed his sensitive draughtsmanship too. His florid use of colour was his most telltale characteristic, and there's a beautiful untitled abstract from 1971 and signed "R. Barrett" worth seeing.
Some of the exhibits are photos rather than original cavasses, though, as Syd would often take a photo of a finished painting then throw it on a garden bonfire. Thankfully, quite a bit of work survives.
I was surprised to see that he was into mixed media in a big way, from his time as an art foundation student at the Tech.
There are also a lot of Mick Rock's photographs on display, including the cover photo for The Madcap Laughs as well as some of the most famous iconic shots taken of Syd between 1969 and 1971.
Go and see it if you're nearabouts.
His figurative work showed his sensitive draughtsmanship too. His florid use of colour was his most telltale characteristic, and there's a beautiful untitled abstract from 1971 and signed "R. Barrett" worth seeing.
Some of the exhibits are photos rather than original cavasses, though, as Syd would often take a photo of a finished painting then throw it on a garden bonfire. Thankfully, quite a bit of work survives.
I was surprised to see that he was into mixed media in a big way, from his time as an art foundation student at the Tech.
There are also a lot of Mick Rock's photographs on display, including the cover photo for The Madcap Laughs as well as some of the most famous iconic shots taken of Syd between 1969 and 1971.
Go and see it if you're nearabouts.
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