Born 1944, Kent UK

Roger Barnard studied at the Central School of Art and Design in London. Unlike his fellow students Colin Cina and Roger Brace, Barnard's work is not concerned with the production of figurative images. Instead, it reflects the major concerns of the Op Art movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Initially centred around the work of Bridget Riley and Victor Vasarely, Op Art examined the kinetic and spatial impact of visual forms on the spectator, playfully manipulating the boundary between illusion and reality, fixity and fluidity. As a painter and installation artist, Barnard explores these themes on his own terms. 

Opposed to the self referential use of formalism, Barnard explores the effects created by different juxtapositions of colour and form. Dealing with the physical and emotional impact of geometric patterns, his work is nonetheless distinct from that of Riley and Vasarely. His paintings combine a complicated use of colour and line to embody more gentle and subtle vibrations in visual experience.

For more information on Barnard see the catalogue to the exhibition 'New Generation: 1966' at the Whitechapel Gallery. General information on the Op Art movement can be found on http://www.artcyclopedia.com.

Towards