Approved: 07.02.2012

Richard Day

Art therapist, Artist, Teacher

Approved: 07.02.2012
  • Location: County Cork
  • Contexts: Studio practice
  • Artforms: Drawing, Mixed media, Painting
  • Tags: mixed media, painting, landscape, abstract, watercolour, narrative abstraction, figures, family group, people, families, relationships, seascape, pandemic painting, pastels, drawing
 

Artist Statement

Richard graduated from the College of Art and Design in Trent Nottingham University in 1979. He established his studio in West London in the 1980’s. As a member of the Riverside Artist Group he took part in a cultural exchange programme with the Moscow Union of Artists in 1988. The exhibition toured the Soviet Union and showcased contemporary British artists in USSR for the first time since the 1917 revolution. Richard held further exhibitions in Moscow and Berlin in the 1990’s and has works in the Pushkin and Tula contemporary collections. Richard’s interest in the creative process led him to develop community arts initiatives in collaboration with other artists in a variety of art forms. He worked closely with the disability community for a number of years. When he moved to West Cork in 2010 he studied for his Master’s in Art Psychotherapy at Crawford College of Art in Cork; he is currently developing an Art Therapy practice. He continues to maintain his London studio and exhibits regularly in the UK and Ireland.

Statement

My work explores a variety of themes on the borders of abstraction. I revel in the potential of the medium to secure meaning through a new gestalt. I am fascinated by a world that is constantly in flux and I work to realise images that resonate these changing realities. My pictures draw together internal and external experiences. I believe that my painting practice and my work as an Art Psychotherapist share a common goal, they are both processes in consciousness.

My work has been directed by a fascination with the creative process. An intuitive approach towards the handling of the material has guided my practice through various phases. This began by investigating the use of colour as a personal language. In early works  this led to the exploration of ambiguous narratives resulting from the modelling of colour spaces. 

In later work I asserted the dominance of the picture as an object by incorporating mixed media; the use of texture and metallic paint helped to give the work a physical presence. The investigation of fragments of collage became the genesis of new work. The images became more symbolic and iconic in nature.  Simple shapes cut from fabric or cubic forms became the starting points for a journey of discovery. The images were resolved through a process of locating these forms into the ground. Completion involved the realisation of the symbolic content which also implied an ambiguous narrative.

My career has involved me in a variety of creative community programmes. The recent landscape series were developed at a time that I was studying for my Masters’ Degree in Art Psychotherapy.  Paying attention to external reality seemed an important grounding experience on a course that required a lot of internal reflection.  These works may be seen as part of an expressionist tradition which attempts to synthesize internal and external experience by embodying a sense of place in the medium.

 

CV & Education

 Professional Qualifications  

2014 - MA Art Therapy1st class Hons, Crawford College Of Art & Design , Cork City Ireland

2012 - CELTA  (B Grade) University College Cork

2009 - PRINCE2  Registered Practitioner

1979 - BA Hons Fine Art, Trent Fine Art Dept, Nottingham UK

 Current Professional Affiliations

2014 - Member of the Irish Association of Creative Art Therapists (IACAT)

2000/- New Constructivists Artist Group London

1986/- Association of cultural Advancement through Visual Arts (ACAVA)

Solo exhibitions 

2007 - Richard Day Recent Paintings, Spinach Design Consultancy, London N1

1998 - Richard Day, Gallery Haas, London NW6

1996 - Eros Und Thanatos, Galerie Assel , Berlin Germany

1995 - Amalgam Art, London SW17

1994 - Renezios Restaurant, London W12

1994 - Richard Day, Tula Museum of Art, Russia

1988 - Pigments and Scratchings, 181 Gallery, London W6

Group exhibitions

2018 -  Chalk and Easel, Balinspittle Cork

2012/16 - Gallery Artist, Doswell Gallery, Roscarberry West Cork Ireland

2018 - West London Annual Open Studios (since 1989), Hetley Studios (ACAVA), London W12

2015 - Over Time  Wadesford Quay Gallery Cork

2011 - New Constructivists Group Show, Institute Of Physics, Portland Place London W1

2006 - Order and Chaos, Institute of Physics , London W1

2005 - 'Cross Section' Selected New Constuctivists, Institute of Pathology, London W1

2004 - Inner Circle, Regents College, London W1

2001 - London Group Show, Hoxton Gallery, London E1

1999 - "Lord Rodney's Head", Commercial Too Gallery, London E1

1999 - 'Outer Edge Ghetto Blaster' Richard Day /Stephen Carter Paintings, Kunsthalle Hennigsdorf, Berlin Germany

1997 - "Our Country" Day /LeMaistre/ Oertel., Die Galerie in der Topferei Grothe, Berlin Germany

1990 - Richard Day/Andrei Dukov, Dimitrova Street Gallery, Moscow, Russia

1989 - "Unknown City" , Fulham Palace, London SW6

1989  - ACAVA artists Central Space Gallery, London W12

1989 - Modern Minatures, Central Space Gallery, London W6

1988/90  Mall Gallery Open , Mall Galleries, London W1

1988 - RiAG/USSR 30 British Artists , Moscow Union of Artists/Riverside Artist Group Exchange Programme, Moscow, Tula, Siberia, Riga.

1988 - Works On Paper, Riverside Artists Group(RAG) Central Space Gallery, London W6

1987 - Riverside Artists Group (RAG), Fulham Palace, London SW6

1986 -  Vivaldi Gallery, London SW14

1984 -  Amalgam Art, London SW13

1983 - Day/ Lemaistre/ Harper, Pennies Gallery, Greewich London SE10

1980 -  Campion Gallery, London SW14

Curated projects

2007 - "2 the Studio" multi media recording and training centre, HAFAD Greswell Centre., West London

2006 - Multi Sensory Room (with "Everysense"), HAFAD Greswell Centre, Fulham West London

2002 - "1st Chancers" Disablilty Rap Band launched, HAFAD Greswell Centre, Performing across UK including Liberty and Ealing Jazz Festival

2001 - Eye Movement HAFAD youthscheme film programme, Greswell Centre/screened at South Bank Film Festival, London

1994/10 - Annual Holiday YouthSchemes For Young Disabled People , HAFAD Greswell Centre, London

1994 - "This is my Life" audio visual installlation by adults with learning disabilities, Collaboration 181 Gallery/ SHAPE Arts/ and 395 Goldwak Road Daycentre, Hammersmith and Fulham London

1993 - "Behind the Front Door" Exhibition of art work by residents., Yarrow Housing Association/ Masbro Centre, Hammersmith and Fulham

1993 - "Upstage" Disabilty arts programme, Collaborative programme HAFAD/ SHAPE Arts/ Turtle Keys Arts Centre, Hammersmith and Fulham London

Live/Performance

1993/00 - Carnival Puppets and structures  annual Masbro Street Carnival , Masbro Road London W12

1990 - The Green Man of Arundel (giant festival structure), Arundel torchlight Festival, Arundel

1987 - The Sea Devil , Hoxton Hall performance with learning disabled adults from Stonebridge Centre adults, London

Workshops

1991 - Artpack workshops for people with Profound and Complex needs, Goldhawk Road Daycentre / SHAPE arts programme, Hammersmith London

1991 - Mummers and Mumming community show , St Johns Church Epping/ local schools, Epping East London

1990 - Children' s printmaking workshop, Camden Arts Centre, London

1989 - Festival Puppet Skills, Inner London Education Authority (ILEA), Hammersmith And Fulham Special Schools.

1985 - Art Workshops, Brent community programmes, London NW10

1985 - Installation And Drama Workshops, Intermedite Treatment Centre For Young Offenders, Brent

Residencies

1993 - "Taking Care of Ourselves" Sex Education Video project , 395 Daycentre for Adults with Learning Disabilities, London W12

1993 - "The Dream" Community Show , Visual Arts work St Johns School, Epping East London

1990 - "ALLRIGHT" Combined Arts and Dance programme, Riverside Studios, Hammersmith London 1990 - The Queensmill Lion, Giant Puppet residency with autistic children, Queensmill School Fulham London

1989 - Building a Fantasy / The Final Frontier / Journey to Bluton Combined Arts and Film residencies , Riverside Studios, Hammersmith London

1989 - Thamesday and Pegasus Giant festival Structures, Southbank Centre and Festivals, London W1

1988 - "The Winters End Hare" Giant festival puppet and performance, Winters End Festival Southbank Centre, London W1

1987 - "The Fantasy Greenhouse"community installation , Holly Street Adventure Playground, London E1

1987 - Robots and Automata community installation project, Livesey Museum , Southwark London

1987 - White City Raft installation project, White City Adventure Playgound, London W12

1986 - Performance Programmes, Stonebridge Community Centre for Adults with Learning Disabilities, London NW10

Competitions, prizes and awards

2008 - "KillZone" Gang Crime Film Project Raindance Award , HAFAD Greswell Centre, London

Teaching experience - secondary/ tertiary.

2019  CIT Art Therapy Dept  MA students "Family Constellations in clay" Cork City

2019  Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) Art Therapy Summer School Workshop programme

2017  Art therapy Lecture to MA students at Crawford College CIT, Cork City.

2017-   Art for Self-Development 8 module course for adults Ashton College Cork City

2012/-  English language teaching all ages and abilities; in groups and 1:1.

1994 - "Four Arts" arts in Education programme, Combined Drama and sculpture projects with Empty Space Theatre Company, Hammersmith And Fulham Secondary Schools. Educational experience - tertiary

1992 - Art and Drama Tutor DisabilityGroup, Hammersmith And Fulham Community Education Service, West London (Commended by OFSTED)

1991 - Watercolour Tutor, Adult Education Service Royal Borough Of Kensington And Chelsea, West London

Educational experience - special needs

1993 - "The Giant Food Show" Shop installation project supporting healthy eating programme, Wood Lane Special School (complex Needs)/ installation Shepherds bush Rd , London W12

1990 - Combined arts and Dance Performance Residencies, Wood Lane Special School (complex needs) and Riverside Studios, Wood Lane School

1990 - HIV AIDS Combined Arts Video Programme, X4 residential programmes creating peer led video resources, Hammersmith and Fulham Special Schools

1990 - The Wedgwood Tiger, Giant Puppet Making residency, Wedgwood MLD Special School Hammersmith

Selected Advisory and Consultancy

2004/10 -  London Borough of Hammersmith And Fulham (LBHF) Children's Trust Partnership Board elected voluntary Sector Representative.

2007/10 - Social Services Disability Resources Panel (LBHF)

2000/10 - LBHF Learning Disabilities  Partnership Board, Executive Committee member.

2005/06 - Youth Matters Next Steps Government Green Paper. Disability Advisor for National Youth Agency advisory committee.

2004 - Disability Youth Work Guidelines  Wandsworth Borough Council London.

2003/10 - Children's Fund Partnership Board, Executive Committee member.

2000/03 - Best Value Review Panels for LBHF Social Services  and Youth Work provision.

Employment

2015 (current)   Artist & Art Psychotherapist Private Practice.

2017 (current)   Barnardos Childrens Bereavement Project Worker.

2017 (Current)   Elderwell. Elders Therapeutic Facilitation.

2016-17   Art Therapy placement Mercy Hospital Cork Psychiatric Unit.   

2012/14 -  Art therapy placements in  Cork schools and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS).

2012/ -  P/t English Tutor for Cork Language Schools

2010/11 -  Coordinator West Cork Carers Support Group

2000/11 - Deputy/Acting Director  and Youth Services Manager for Hammersmith and Fulham Action on Disability (HAFAD).

1994/00 - Coordinator 1st Chance Project HAFAD

1986/91 - Founder member  of the Borough Recreation and Arts Group (BRAG) and the Riverside Artist's Group (RAG)

1985/93 - Freelance Community Artist