In 'Sarsens,' Joe Barrow's debut solo exhibition, he unveils a captivating collection of paintings that trace his artistic evolution since graduating from the Art Academy London in 2022.

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The exhibition derives its name from the age-old monolithic stones that linger across the British Isles, 

Each sarsen is a stand alone anomaly, alien in the landscape in which it sits yet curiously conversant to its neighbour. Like the act of painting where strokes on the canvas amass to create a story, when viewed together they form a path and depict a passage of thought. Seen alone they are a curiosity, an investigation. 

Joe’s artistic process is a subconscious dance between intention and intuition. An automatic painting which begins with instinctual random gestural mark-making is guided through chaos in a journey of addition and removal. Images rise and evoke shared emotions and experiences. Evolving forms and narratives emerge, weaving mythobiographical landscapes with familiar conversations. 

In this collection, Joe's work has transitioned from modest sketchbook scribbles to large-scale oil paintings while retaining his distinctive mark-making, now aged and fortified.

Beyond the canvas, Joe shares his passion for art through teaching at the Art Stables in Finchley and running a weekly art class at the St Pancras Community Centre in Camden, nurturing creativity in others.

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