Richard Berry
I am a passionate believer in the fundamental importance of creativity and my practice is motivated by a deep rooted and absolute need to investigate and make. I am interested in the interplay between the conscious and intuitive processes involved in artistic enquiry and try to allow the techniques and materials I use to guide me towards an authentic outcome, although notions and definitions of "finished" remain elusive.
My practice extends across two and three dimensions, producing studies in oils and works in wood. However, my primary concerns continue to focus on mixed media, with found and made printed material forming a basis for much of my image making and visual narrative outputs. This has been a continuous thread binding my work as scenographer and studio artist. I am currently interested in sequential and thematically-linked works using grid structures as a repeating motif. This investigative thread is also explored in several collaborative book art projects, the focus of which is numeric and letter form sequences.
Richard Berry Summary curriculum vitae
Education and academic awards
1966 High Wycombe School of Art. Foundation in Art and Design,
1967 - 70 BA(Hons)Theatre Design. Central School of Art and Design.
1991 Fellow of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London
2005 Professorship of Lasalle College of the Arts, Singapore
Initial professional practice
1971–1990 Resident and freelance set and costume design for theatre companies and organisation in the UK, Australia and Hong Kong. Over 140 production design credits for drama, dance and opera.
Concurrent educational career
1978 – 2008 Lecturer, PhD supervisor and senior manager in degree awarding institutions in the UK, including Dean of School, Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Vice Principal, Rose Bruford College, UK, Vice President Lasalle College of the Arts, Singapore.
2010 - 2018 Consultative projects for Norwich University of the Arts.
Subsequent professional practice
2009 – Artistbooks. Creation and publication of collaborative and individual publishing, creative projects and studio practice.
Recent published works and exhibitions since 2009 include:
2021 Work selected for inclusion in NCAS21 Exhibition, Norwich
2021 Participation in Norfolk Open Studio
2019 Publication: twenty six alphabets. Twenty six themed alphabets of found letters. Individual bound alphabets and consolidated print version
2012/13 Participation in turn the page book symposium and exhibition. Norwich
2012 Publication: 1-100 Artistbooks, London (with Michael Abrahams)
Limited edition (10) hand-made boxed photographic essay
2011 Exhibition: 1-100 Photographs, collages and digital media Earl Lu Gallery Singapore
2010 Publication: A Nepal Alphabet, Artistbooks, London (with Michael Abrahams)
ISBN 978-1-907531-00-2
2010 Publication: Universities: Curriculum Design, TPG Publishing, Singapore
ISBN: 1452804001
2009 Publication: Universities: Policies, Procedures, Planning, TPG Publishing, Singapore.
ISBN 1451526598.