- Venue
- Exeter Phoenix
- Starts
- Monday, September 22, 2008
- Ends
- Sunday, October 19, 2008
- Address
- Gandy Street Exeter
- Location
- South West England
Mike Bartlett is a visual storyteller who makes images that are intended to intrigue and amuse. His work tends to be fairly small in scale because he wants to encourage the viewer to look closely, to read each image as if it were a story that can be read and re-read. The intention is that each viewer gives meaning by interpreting what he or she sees. Working in series, he often starts by asking “what if” about something that interests him. This could be an event, a place, or something autobiographical. However, It doesn’t matter to Mike that those who see his work may be unaware of its starting point .He works directly, drawing freely using pencil, water based crayons and gouache or acrylic on paper and canvas, editing as he goes. Shadows and glimpses of things, places and events appear as he works, aesthetic decisions are made, each contributing to forming a story in his head that helps the image on its way. To where? That’s up to you.
