Oliver Raymond-Barker

Oliver Raymond-Barker:  Resident artist for March 2014 and ESI/RANE Creative Exchange Programme collaborator with ESI researcher Dr Chris Bryan.

There were two main events during Oliver’s residency, (1) a work-in-progress opening and WORKSHOP where we were invited to use, and experiment with, some of the processes – biological, chemical, and biochemical – that he has been researching with the help of Dr Chris Bryan. There was also a video – part of a series available on Utube called Invisible Miners – that gave an insight into the breadth and depth of Chris’s research work.

(2) the final exhibition of works at BLW, which included the developed results from the brilliant work-in-progress workshop, also presented talks by both Oliver Raymond-Barker and Dr Chris Bryan, followed by a lavish 2 course meal at nearby Murdoch House for further discussions and links/network developments.

The Natural Alchemy project is an exploration into process; using the unique properties of plants, rocks, minerals and metals combined with the systems and organisms that surround them to create artwork.

Specific areas of research include the latent potential of natural materials, the innovative use of contaminated waste, the dynamic between autonomous and governed process and the fusion of ancient and modern systems.

The project is a collaboration between Dr. Chris Bryan of the University of Exeter Environment and Sustainability Institute (ESI) and artist Oliver Raymond-Barker. It is part of the Creative Exchange Program supported by the ESI and Falmouth University’s Research in Art, Nature and the Environment (RANE) and will continue through until June 2014.

To find out more about the project visit:

http://blogs.exeter.ac.uk/naturalalchemy
http://www.exeter.ac.uk/esi/research/creativeexchangeprogramme/naturalalchemy/
http://www.exeter.ac.uk/esi/
http://www.exeter.ac.uk/esi/research/creativeexchangeprogramme/