Exhibitions
I have exhibited my work throughout my career. Here is a selection in chronological order.
1.
1973 TWO ARTISTS Gardiner Centre for the Arts, University of Sussex
My first proper exhibition as an independent artist was with a good friend of mine, a talented artist in his own right, Tony Masero. Unsurprisingly we called it TWO ARTISTS.
2.
1984 The “success and failure of D.Bento” Lauderdale House, Waterlow Park, Highgate Hill, London N6
Clearly a Crib from John Bergers classic book “The success and failure of Picasso”. None the less this was an important breakthrough exhibition for me, the culmination of a lot of hard work put in at the Harrow Club W10 studio from 1977-1984
3.
1992 Dreams in the Wilderness The Playhouse Gallery, Harlow, Essex
In 1987 I stepped down as Director of Spectre Graphics, put my Youth Work commitments to one side and moved out of London to the wilds of rural Essex. I rented the dilapidated Potting Sheds in the grounds of a lovely country house owned by some friends outside the village of Hatfield Broad Oak and here set about my lifelong ambition of continuing as an independent artist. I loved it there and did some of my best work there in tough conditions. The culmination of this period was my exhibition Dreams in the Wilderness.
4.
For many years I exhibited my work at the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. The first, in 2004, was in a Gazebo Tent as a market trader on the extreme margins of the public space. I had a good response, particularly from the Pilots and the odd VIP that wandered in after their lunch in the private chalets and this gave me confidence to create more artwork based on the subject of aviation and aerospace. The following year I borrowed a large tent from my local Scout Group and repeated the process and again had a good response (nobody had seen anything like the work I was producing) and so by the third year I had created a lot more work and was invited to exhibit in the private Chalets and the Patrons Pavilion. This led to all kinds of opportunities for me that included my building a relationship with our RAF aerobatics team The Red Arrows, having a year long exhibition of my work at The RAF Museum London, being awarded Honorary Companionship of the Royal Aeronautical Society, and creating the publicity for the Farnborough Air Show and six years worth of RIATS. My exhibiting at Riat underpinned all of my subsequent adventures and fantastic journeys into the world of aviation and aerospace.
5.
From 2007 to 2011 I exhibited my work at the brilliant Kemble Airshow in Gloucestershire, a beautiful and historic airfield with a long runway now in private hands but a former RAF base and famous as the home of The Red Arrows for many years.
6.
2006 & 2008 Farnborough Air Show Farnborough UK
Little did I know when I was a youngster attending the world famous air show in the 1960’s that one day I would have an exhibition there hosted by the shows organisers and design the cover for the catalogue. My Dad who passed away the following year who had taught me all I knew up to that time about aviation was as proud as punch.
7.
2007 AL AIN & Dubai Air Shows
At the 2005 RIAT a representative of the Abu Dhabi Tourist Board extended an invitation to exhibit my work at the Al Ain Air Show the following January 2006. This led to a repeat invite the following year and later in the year an opportunity to exhibit at the Dubai Air Show. This was both a great experience and a great adventure and over the years Carole and I have spent quality time in the UAE and made great friends along the way.
8.
Post Modern Gallery: Movement 2000
9.
2012 FRESH AIR Royal Air Force Museum Hendon, London
I was honoured to be invited to be the first living artist to hold a year long retrospective exhibition at the world famous RAF Museum on the historic airfield site at Hendon.
10.
2014 Flight meets Bike Krazy Horse Bury St Edmunds UK
Flight meets Bike was a Krazy Fusion between high end, powerful, quirky quick motorbikes, my aviation paintings and Tye Lawlers brilliant airbrush work. Hosted by Paul Beamish at Krazy Horse’s international headquarters in the historic Bury St Edmunds.
11.
2010 St Pauls Cathedral 70th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain.
I was very privileged to be invited to exhibit my Battle of Britain collection in the Crypt of St Pauls cathedral on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of this most important event in British History.
12.
2016 St Georges, Bristol
13.
2016 Russell-Cotes Museum and Art Gallery Bournemouth UK
For 3 years I was invited to be artist in residence with the world famous Bournemouth Air Show. This culminated in an exhibition of both the work I had produced as AIR and my Red Arrows collection.It was set in the wonderful Russell-Cotes Museum and Art Gallery overlooking the sea.Me and Red
14.
2018 TRIBUTE 100 National Memorial Arboretum Staffordshire UK
Tribute 100 was my personal response in support of the celebrations commemorating the centenary of the Royal Air Force at the brilliant and moving National Memorial Arboretum.
15.
2019 OUT OF THE BOX Swindon Museum and Art Gallery UK
In 2018 the SMAG acquired a number of pieces of my work for their permanent collection (Beach House West of Looe and the Aerobots). This was followed by an exhibition showcasing this and other significant work I had created in my studio in Swindon during my now quarter of a century living and working in the town.
I am happy to discuss possible exhibitions.
