Brian Barnes (artist)
Encyclopedia
Brian Barnes is an English artist. Brian Barnes was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2005 for services to the community in Battersea, London.
1966–1969. Based in Battersea
, London since 5 February 1967, Barnes is noted for colourful, large-scale mural
s in Battersea and the London area, designed in collaboration with local groups. His most famous mural is The Good the Bad and The Ugly, also known as The Battersea Mural, at Battersea Bridge Road, designed in 1976 and painted by a group of local people from 1976 to 1978. The 276-foot mural was demolished in 1979 by the Morgan Crucible
Company.
Other important murals include Seaside Picture, Thessaly Road (1979), Nuclear Dawn in Brixton
(1981) (part of the Brixton murals
), the HG Wells mural, Market Square, Bromley
(1986) Battersea in Perspective, Dagnall Street (1988), and the Violette Szabo
mural in Stockwell (2001).
The Violette Szabo mural also commemorates the locals who gave their life in the war. This mural was listed in Time Out as one of London's top ten murals. Controversy surrounded the mural in 2005, when Brian Barnes added a painting of Jean Charles de Menezes
to the memorial which was removed soon after.
Barnes works as a printmaker, in particular dealing with local campaigns and issues, and was also involved in the long-standing campaign to preserve Battersea Power Station
. He founded the Battersea Power Station Community Group in 1983, to see that the listed building is preserved and that local people are involved in the redevelopment.
Life and work
Brian Barnes was educated at Ravensbourne College of Art and Design from 1961 to 1966 and the Royal College of ArtRoyal College of Art
The Royal College of Art is an art school located in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university of art and design, offering the degrees of Master of Arts , Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy...
1966–1969. Based in Battersea
Battersea
Battersea is an area of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is an inner-city district of South London, situated on the south side of the River Thames, 2.9 miles south-west of Charing Cross. Battersea spans from Fairfield in the west to Queenstown in the east...
, London since 5 February 1967, Barnes is noted for colourful, large-scale mural
Mural
A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
s in Battersea and the London area, designed in collaboration with local groups. His most famous mural is The Good the Bad and The Ugly, also known as The Battersea Mural, at Battersea Bridge Road, designed in 1976 and painted by a group of local people from 1976 to 1978. The 276-foot mural was demolished in 1979 by the Morgan Crucible
Morgan Crucible
The Morgan Crucible is one of the largest UK manufacturers of carbon and ceramic products for industrial use. It is a constituent of the FTSE 250 index.-History:...
Company.
Other important murals include Seaside Picture, Thessaly Road (1979), Nuclear Dawn in Brixton
Brixton
Brixton is a district in the London Borough of Lambeth in south London, England. It is south south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
(1981) (part of the Brixton murals
Brixton murals
The Brixton murals are a series of murals by local artists in the Brixton area, in London, UK. Most of the murals were funded by Lambeth London Borough Council and the Greater London Council after the Brixton riots in 1981....
), the HG Wells mural, Market Square, Bromley
Bromley
Bromley is a large suburban town in south east London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Bromley. It was historically a market town, and prior to 1963 was in the county of Kent and formed the administrative centre of the Municipal Borough of Bromley...
(1986) Battersea in Perspective, Dagnall Street (1988), and the Violette Szabo
Violette Szabo
Violette Reine Elizabeth Bushell Szabo, GC, was a Second World War French-British secret agent.-Early life and marriage:...
mural in Stockwell (2001).
The Violette Szabo mural also commemorates the locals who gave their life in the war. This mural was listed in Time Out as one of London's top ten murals. Controversy surrounded the mural in 2005, when Brian Barnes added a painting of Jean Charles de Menezes
Jean Charles de Menezes
Jean Charles de Menezes was a Brazilian man shot in the head seven times at Stockwell tube station on the London Underground by the London Metropolitan police, after he was misidentified as one of the fugitives involved in the previous day's failed bombing attempts...
to the memorial which was removed soon after.
Barnes works as a printmaker, in particular dealing with local campaigns and issues, and was also involved in the long-standing campaign to preserve Battersea Power Station
Battersea Power Station
Battersea Power Station is a decommissioned coal-fired power station located on the south bank of the River Thames, in Battersea, South London. The station comprises two individual power stations, built in two stages in the form of a single building. Battersea A Power Station was built first in the...
. He founded the Battersea Power Station Community Group in 1983, to see that the listed building is preserved and that local people are involved in the redevelopment.