Jody Barton

Official 'Nothing to Do With Skateboarding' Day

6th of July is official 'Nothing To Do With Skateboarding' Day.

It's a day when we assert our right to not be skateboarders despite being illustrators and graphic artists. We are proud of our diversity. We are friends with people who do skateboard - but we don't. Either we are too scared or maybe just not that bothered.

Be proud - if you've never really been a skateboarder.

Be proud - don't say things like "yeah, I used to really shred it but now my ankle is ruined..."

Be proud - you prefer non-cool sports like reading.

Happy Mondays Rat Race

No one wants this drawing... It's a reject...

Violent Delight

One from the archives...

The End Is Nigh - Animation

Slime Drip Paintings

Turboweekend Backdrop

Today I've been painting a backdrop for the band 'Turboweekend' for use on their Summer tour. It's 6 metres by 3 metres. The bass player from the band: Morten, helped me - and he bought me two cold beers! And pizza! He's a superman. I'm looking forward to seeing it on the stage. The photographic background is by Sofie Hannibal.

check out Turboweekend's music at www.turboweekend.com

Morten rolling a cigarette to relax after all the hard work...

Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

The band 'Phoenix' have a new album out. By a special collaborative process, me and the band have designed the album cover together. The pictures are of the special screen-printed edition of the album. It's out now from all good record stores. And the band have started touring Europe and the US to promote the record.

The screenprinted special edition shown here
was printed by Stu at Error Solutions

http://www.wearephoenix.com

Yes - it's a bomb... or as the French would say 'a beurmb'.

Video - My Motivations

Video - Watercolour

LeBook Connections

If you are interested in seeing my hard copy portolios at the Big Active Creative Management stand, then please go to LeBook Connections New York. It's a sort of trade show for art directors and illustrators.

LeBook Connections
Wednesday 17th and Thursday 18th June 2009
The Chelsea Art Museum
556 West 22nd Street, NYC, USA

for more info and to register
http://www.lebook.com/connections/

Asthma Attack Summer Shoe

Jody Barton is an English artist who uses his unpleasant mind to create silly, childish, nonsense drawings that will have your elderly relatives tut-tutting over their teacakes. He's been able to avoid having a real job for sometime; as the appetite for his 'creations' continues. One day he'll wake up and realise that he should have been a school teacher or advertising creative. Until then we are stuck with this drivel.

Or at least that's what I told them to say...

Actually I'm the leader of the whole world.

Buy it:
http://www.thestringrepublic.com/store/description.php?pid=78

Secret Blisters Screenprint Show

SECRET BLISTERS SHOW
35 top graphic artists make screenprints

including:
Kate Moross
Anthony Burrill
Jody Barton
Eine
Miles Donovan
more to be announced...

all 35 artists will make editions of 35 signed screenprints.
which will all be £35.00 for each print.
Which artist made which print? It's a secret.
Buy what you love... each print is signed on the back.

Private View Opening Party
Friday 26th June 6 – 10pm
MC Motors,
Millers Avenue off Arcola Street,
Dalston,
London,
E8 2DS

PLEASE RSVP if you want guestlist:
http://www.printclublondon.com/rsvp.php

For more info go to: www.printclublondon.com

or go here to Creative Review's blog site:
http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2009/february/calling-all-image-makers

Exhibition at Force of Nature Copenhagen

"Word Head"

LAST DAY OF SHOW THIS SATURDAY 30TH MAY 2009

I'm having an exhibition of new work at the Force of Nature gallery in Copenhagen. The show opens on 7th May at 17.00. I'm going to be showing over 20 new paintings plus at least 2 new screenprints plus some new Digital C-Type prints as well. The work will be for sale, and the show will be up until the 30th May.

Free Beer!

www.forceofnature.eu

Force of Nature
Birkegade 25
Nørrebro
Copenhagen 2200
Denmark

View Larger Map

Eco Labs - Climate Road show

The Climate Road Show is going to tour the country this Summer to help people understand the implications of climate change. A group of artists have been picked to illustrate various scenarios related to the changing of the environment. I've tried to illustrate a mass exodus of humans due to a change in habitat.

Artists:
Airside
Jody Barton
Rod Hunt
Leona Clark
Kate Evans
Jamie Slimmon
Angela Morelli
& more to come.
Graphic Design: Si Yeun Kim
Art Direction: Jody Boehnert

First show at BASH: 18th-27th June, 12-6pm
BASH Opening party: Thursday June 18th, 6-9pm
65 - 71 Scrutton Street, London, EC2A 4PJ

Also at Glastonbury and 'The Art Boot Fair'

*Supported by Awards for All and APE

click here for more info from the Eco Labs website

Sweet Talk Copenhagen

On May 19th I did this public talk about my work to an audience of 150+ people... made me sweat... although it ended up being an enjoyable night...

For more info: Sweet Talk CPH

I shared the bill with 'E-types' a design company and 'Illutron', an events robotics and installations collective.

There was a free limited edition print of one of my new water-colour pieces for every attendee. Printed with sponsorship from Clausen Offset.

With special thanks to Simon Roche, who organised the event.

Photos by Jakob Bekker Hansen

Your Business Name Here

New! Another amazing T-shirt from Concrete Hermit. £25.

http://www.concretehermit.com/shop/jody-barton-business-name.html

Fish Scale Suit

I hand-painted this suit for a party. Looks nice I think...

Questionnaires From Students

Dear Jody Barton

please can I send you a questionnaire about what it's like to be an illustrator?

best

A. Student (utterly well meaning and polite - and fatally misguided)

Hi Student of Illustration,

don't you think it's a little crazy that illustrators like yourself are being asked to undertake written work about other illustrators? I'd love to answer students' questions about almost anything other than specifically illustration. The teaching and practice of illustration is too self-referential, too obsessed with style, and far, too far, in thrall to the money from the advertising agencies.

Think of yourself as an artist 'for life' and look outside of illustration for your motivation and inspiration. Look to literature, film, comedy, fine art, sculpture, the landscape, sociology - anywhere but illustration. If you just study illustration you'll be making your work using leftovers.

I think that tutors and course leaders who sanction these kind of projects are puppets of an art school system that doesn't understand where creativity comes from, and prefers to see it as somehow part of a construct called 'the creative industries'. To the colleges it's all about selling courses abroad and sucking up to government inspectors.

Tell your tutors that written projects are bullshit and that you'll be sorry you didn't do them when somebody looks at you BA certificate rather than your portfolio for a job. Fail your course if that's what has to happen - but for fuck's sake don't write questionnaires for other illustrators to answer - and never, ever, do what the tutor tells you (unless you were going to do it anyway).

and if they ask what happened when you got in touch with me... say that I told you, to tell them, to fuck off...

Jody Barton

(I was inspired by the great David Foldvari's similar rant http://davidfoldvari.blogspot.com/2009/03/update.html)

Zeit Magazine - The German Word Head

It was so hard doing this in German...! I made about 40 mistakes first time round...

Art Rebels - Digital Prints

Art Rebels in Cool Copenhagen is selling a new affordable set of five prints. €27 each. That's Euros. That's probably about £45789 each.

http://www.artrebels.com/stores/art/brand/Jody+Barton/

New York Tyrant Vol 2 Issue 3

Oh my god - it's out!

Featuring original illustration and fiction writing by me!

http://www.nytyrant.com/store.html

Stussy Great Minds

Well, if you like them - buy them already...! STOP PRESS: SOLD OUT!!!

http://www.stussy.jp/feature.asp?coid=303

Does Anybody Still Like Screenprints?

I'm making this edition of screenprints. It'll be a limited edition of thirty, printed by an established fine art screenprinting company called Bob Eight Pop. It'll be around £60 plus delivery. It'll be signed and numbered. It's 50cm x 70cm. Why not mail me if you are interested. It doesn't mean you'll have to buy one.

Stoneheads Alive!

Learn About IRAQ

Hello there children... you probably know about our illegal war against Iraq. And also about a man throwing a shoe at another man... Now see knowledge combined in this map of Iraq. Oddly, the shape of a flying shoe with a bit of ankle roughly replicates the real shape of Iraq. Now you know the geography better you can speak with greater knowledge about the country. And just remember - when demonstrating your point of view; throw green custard - not brown shoes.