Adam Barker-Mill

Born in Wookey Hole, Nr Wells, Somerset, England, 1940

Lives and works in London, United Kingdom

“The future of art is light” – Henri Matisse. The work of Adam Barker Mill examines the physical and experimental properties of light, an interest, which originated from his childhood fascination with the caves located in his hometown of Somerset. Barker Mill’s sculptures revisit his concerns for light, which he initially began working on in the sixties. His works have a deceptively simplistic appearance, allowing the viewer to maintain an idealistic visual, acutely unaware of the carefully structured designs, which generate, manipulate and modulate light. Barker Mill’s sculptures are highly engaging, the various light effects and constantly changing experience, is due to the viewers positioning, natural light conditions and in specific works, the option to interact with the works; actually altering the light intensity and colour for yourself. Often the effects of Adam Barker Mill’s works are subtle and surprising, perceptual distortion is a common platform of discussion, which undoubtedly adds to the enticing elements within his beautiful and precise sculpture.

Biography

Adam Barker-Mill was born in Wookey Hole, Nr Wells, Somerset, England in 1940 and lives and works in London. He studied Modern Languages at Magdalen College Oxford, graduating in 1959, before training at the London School of Film Technique in Brixton in 1963.

Barker-Mill worked extensively as a lighting cameraman across a substantial body of film work from the late 1960s through the 1980s, collaborating with directors including Barney Platts-Mills, James Scott, and Julien Temple. His cinematography credits include *Bronco Bullfrog* (1969), *The Great Rock n' Roll Swindle* (1978), and *A Shocking Accident* (1983), the last of which received the Academy Award for Best Short Film.

As a visual artist, his solo exhibitions span venues including the Arnolfini, Bristol; Inverleith House, Edinburgh; the Pier Arts Centre, Orkney; and Bartha Contemporary, London. Public commissions include the *Light Tower* at Whiteinch Cross, Glasgow (1999), *Ambient Light* at the Alexander Graham Bell House, BT Building, Edinburgh (1999), and *Ringstack* at Notting Hill Gate, London (2012). He received the Saltire Award in 2001. Group exhibitions have taken place at venues including the Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh; MOMA Osaka; and Bartha Contemporary.