Artist statement
Richard Bartle's practice combines sculpture, collage, painting, video and installation to reflect upon the contradictions of the modern condition, often focusing on faith, politics, economics and social activity and referencing the ideas within philosophy, religion and pop culture.
Bartle says about his work: ‘I have always sought to observe the fundamental driving forces behind society and its ideas of political, economic, and philosophical progress. In my work I attempt to identify and examine ideas of progress; exposing the tension that exists between Utopian ideals of civilisation; the ethics of modern society; and the basic human drives of survival, procreation, and spiritual need’.
Bartle graduated from Bretton Hall College with a First degree BA (hons) in Fine Art in 1997 and completed a Post-Graduate Diploma in Fine Art at Sheffield Hallam University in 2004. Since then he has been living and working as an artist in his home city of Sheffield where he founded and currently manages Bloc Studios, and was formerly director of Bloc Projects and co-director of Sheffield Contemporary Art Forum. He has exhibited widely in the UK and Europe. Many of the artist's works exist in both private and public collections including Goldman Sachs Bank and One Aldwych Hotel in London.
Qualifications and training
- 2004 Post Graduate Diploma - Fine Art, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield
- 1996 BA (Hons) Fine Art, Bretton Hall College, Wakefield
Solo exhibitions
- 2012 Deities at the bottom of the garden, 20-21 Visual Arts Centre, Scunthorpe
- 2009 Make Mine A Molotov, Hive Gallery, Barnsley
- 2006 Strata, Lowry Hotel, Manchester
- 2002 Oil Paintings, Bloc, Sheffield
- 2002 Turn On The Water Works, Timber Wharf Gallery, Manchester
- 2000 Gravity can be a cruel mistress, Paton Gallery, London
Group exhibitions
- 2012 Richard Bartle & Ian Anderson, DLA Piper, Sheffield
- 2010 Abbarkadabra, The Mardin Biennial, Turkey
- 2010 Blasphemous, Irish Museum of Contemporary Art, Dublin
- 2009 Cross Cutting, Sierra Metro, Edinburgh
- 2009 Object Image - revisiting the interface, no.w.here, London
- 2009 Pan-demonium, AC Institute, New York
- 2009 V22 Presents: The sculpture Show, Biscuit Factory, London
- 2009 Urban Jealousy, Tehran Biennial, Belgrade
- 2008 Urban Jealousy, Tehran Biennial, Berlin
- 2008 Art is my playground, Kuçuk çiftlik Amusement Park, Istanbul, Turkey
- 2008 Urban Jealousy, Tehran Biennial, Istanbul, Turkey
- 2007 Comme Ca Art Limited Edition Prints, The Lowry Hotel, Manchester
- 2007 Conflict, 20/21 Visual Arts Center, Scunthorpe
- 2006 Urbia, Sheffield University Library Gallery, Sheffield
- 2005 The Little Artists present: Contemporary Artists Play Pictionary, The Agency, London
- 2005 Boffins Find Oil On Mars, Mars-Patent, Hamburg, Germany
- 2005 Le Petite Paysage, Liverpool Biennial, Liverpool
- 2003 10x10x10, Bloc, Sheffield
- 2003 Sheffield Sea Life Center, Artranspennine03, Sheffield
- 2003 Citi-zen, Sheffield Biennial, Sheffield
- 2002 Reactions, Exit Art, New York
- 2001 And The heat Goes On (Macho Gangster Love), Timber Wharf Gallery, Manchester
- 2001 Chaos and Equilibrium, Paton Gallery, London
- 2000 21st Century British Art Show, Diorama Gallery, London
- 2000 Beyond The Seen, Paton Gallery, London
- 2000 Vim And Vigour, S1 Artspace, Sheffield
- 1999 Vital Art, Cowcross Gallery, London
Live/Performance
- 2010 Powwow, Jihlava Documentary Film Festival, Czech Republic
- 2009 New Visions, The Copenhagen Documentary Film Festival, Copenhagen
- 2009 The Sheffield Pavilion, Istanbul Biennial, Istanbul, Turkey
Residencies
- 2010 Abbarkadabra, Mardin Biennial, Mardin, Turkey
- 2010 Tea, Tavla, and Tall Tails, Caravansari, Istanbul, Turkey
- 2008 Artists residency, Platform Garanti, Istanbul, Turkey
Public commissions
- 2007 City of Peace, Peace Garden, Sheffield
Corporate commissions
- 2002 Where there is muck..., Gerald Eve, London
- 2002 Mine, Cancer Research Center, Sheffield
- 2002 Porpoise, One Aldwych Hotel, London
- 2001 St Pauls Parade, Great Central Developments, sheffield
- 2000 Oops, One Aldwych Hotel, London
Competitions, prizes and awards
- 2008 Time Space, Arts Council England, England
- 1999 Artists Grant, Arts Council England, England
Personal website
