I have been
involved in a few projects like yours over the years and although I was
traditionally trained as a painter, I have been labelled as
"artist/builder". I can work with various building materials, enjoy
using wood metal and glass.
"The Angel of Narberth"
I enjoy
building zany constructions , often referred to as "outsider art". My
work can often have a fairy-tale kind of side to it, almost cartoon-like, but
with a slightly dangerous surreal edge to it.
The office at Friction Arts "The Edge" (with Harry Palmer outside)
My family moved to Pembrokeshire in 1970 and
settled on 8 acres on a hill, surrounded by forestry. I am used to working
outside and having to improvise with what comes to hand. In fact, I feel that
having to work within that kind of discipline can give the whole thing a
certain edge.
I like to scavenge and recycle – a sign of the times.
Cockerel from "Inside St Martin's"
I like the idea of helping to "tie up" a project
or event, formulating a starting point and moving through it - joining it up,
making it readable. I see it as an organic process
Design for a wooden gate at the Cube in Wilton Market, Erdington.
It's not the total output of my work, but I like to build
things for other things to happen within.
Almost like a folio that carries the art work.
Design for a wooden gate at the Cube in Wilton Market, Erdington.
It's not the total output of my work, but I like to build things for other things to happen within.
Almost like a folio that carries the art work.
Design to embellish a chicken run
Bird House
I would love to be involved in your "Edible
Olympics" scheme especially over the summer in an organic kind of way. I
am good at bouncing ideas off people and like to work as part of a team, I can
improvise onsite.
I am quite prolific, prepared to get stuck in and if I got
this project would certainly do it for the chance to work within a site that I
believe in - the chance to help make something better from within.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C. V.
I split my
art life up into two areas:
Pre M.A. and past.
Before the
M.A. I was concerned with painting - sols and group exhibitions and also a lot
of mural work, mainly in South Wales.
I also spent a few years abroad in mainly in Turkey and India.
The M.A.
loosened me up and allowed me to bring in other media often in conjunction and
opened up a way to engage in larger projects.
Often with an emphasis on why something was happening rather than what was
happening.
martin.humphries@blueyonder
.co.uk
DOB 22nd September 1951
Brought up in Shepherds Bush, London.
1974 Dip AD
1st Epsom Sch. Art x Design.
The course was based around learning traditional painting skills.
I lived for
the most part in Pembrokeshire during the seventies holding various small shows
of landscape paintings.
1978, Finds Assistant U.C.C.
1979, Building Adventure Playgrounds in Gilfach Goch and Cardiff.
1980, Spent a year and a half in India.
1983, Six months in Kashmir.
1985, Team Leader, painting murals in the Rhondda Valley for 18 months.
1986, Six months in S.E. Asia.
1988, Four months in Western Turkey
Between 85 and 89 I held:
"Immediate Response" Brixton
"A Journey in Progress" Camberwell
"A Wooden OM" Cardiff
" For a Colourfool" Cardiff
"Achilles Shield" Cardiff
"Spirits need Homes" Haverford West.
1989 - 1993,
Living in Istanbul, teaching English and painting.
199 - 1998 moved to Birmingham, involved in small scale mural based projects in
various schools from kindergarten to secondary, based mainly in North
Birmingham.
1998 "You caught me floating in my sleep" show in Nuneaton
1999 "Johnny Eidetic" show in Narberth.
Between 1999
and 2001 I did the M.A. course at U.C.E. Margaret Street, Birmingham. This
shook up my art practice and I started to look more at how that I make stand in
their own particular environment, I also started to want to give my work its
own life, instead of simply being a comment or story about something else.
Drinks Cabinet
Cabinet with distance and direction to the Balti Houses of Birmingham.
2002, March.
"@" exhibition of pictorial e-mails involving up to 50 people.
2002, July, August. "Inside" an exhibition of
"Directionals" (3D installations) in St Martin in the Bullring.
2003, "Re-location" involvement in rebuilding the X-Ray factory in
Smethwick, transforming it into an alternative arts centre.
September "Radioactive" the first large show at the factory in which I was heavily involved.
December, "Grotto" a Christmas show involving local school children,
the factory was transformed into a "Winter wonderland"
2004, "Utopia" first show at the "Chameleon" gallery in
Walsall a group effort where we turned a jewellery making area into a gallery
space.
part of "Utopia" (with Alan Cheeseman)
July - September. "Live/Work1" - an art building project taking over
a large area of the X-Ray factory.
Punch and Judy Stage
"Tent City" -hidden in an alcove amongst the building.
Voluntary work in Heartlands Hospital erecting a children's garden containing
various art works based around wild animals.
2005 July - September. "Live/Work 2" - the follow-on project based in
and around a disused Methodist church in West Bromwich.
2006 July, "The Green St Show" - a large two man show in Digbeth.
The Balti Chariot
2007 July - September, "The Festival of Xtreme Building", Birmingham.
Design of stage and various other installations around the site
2008 winter Five murals in Perry Barr Bus Depot, painted in situ and depicting
70 years of bus service to the local community.
Also building a cross cultural web site with "Unltd", involving as
many diverse cultural origins as possible.
2010 summer " The Argonauts" A large mural in Birmingham Central
Library
Proposed sign for an on-going project at Edible Eastside
In recent
years I have been working on a series of contemporary pub signs, set of
paintings based around the Roman Calendar whilst building various outdoor
structures.
Dog house at the "Spotted Dog"
http://martinumphries.wix.com/specific-site#
