Bernard Fairhurst

Difficult as there is a lot to say.
Informal education is part of the daily experience.
Formal art education began aged 11, first day at secondary school, issued with Gombrich's The Story of Art. All at lessons were through art history. 1960's working class background. My aunt paid for a residential art trip to London, I saw all the isms before they became wasisms (Robert Hughes: The Shock of the New). I did a geology degree (ill health prevented a career in geology) then teaching qualification and science teaching. An MA in education via the Open University was added to develop professional practice. My interest was in working with complex kids so in my late 30s I did a degree in psychology then educational psychology MEd. I worked for 16 years as a senior EP working with complex behaviours. Before retiring with ill health in 2010 I worked part-time and did a BA Fine Art graduating in 2009 with a BA First Class. I went on to MA Fine Art and graduated with distinction in 2012. I now work as an artists in various collaborations.

With Seila Fernandez Arconarda we do international exchange and collaboration, focusing on environmental issues while challenging the traditional art market.
(f-c-f.net)

With Anwyl Cooper Willis we show artists' books at booker events around the UK. (Bernardanwyl.wordpress.com)

With Emily Lucas we are collaborating on an extended, research based, slow art experiments in drawing and very large non-traditional mono-printing. Looking at the family, the things we carry with us that we cannot abandon or escape from, and the striving for order and structure amid chaos. If we work to establish the value of art in society, the other Reshape objectives will follow.