Will Barras

Will Barras

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“Darling, We’re Leaving!” - a solo exhibition by Will Barras.

Living and working London, Will Barras is an artist and illustrator best known for his work with the Scrawl Collective, a collaboration of artist’s centered around Bristol, UK. He was chosen alongside Steff Plaetz and Mr. Jago as one of the original three artists for the agency, noticed by the project for his representations of fluid movement using unique compositions and line work. He has been hailed as one of the artists that best represent the skate and snowboard lifestyle and has commissioned several board pieces as well as clothing graphics. His attention to the emotional aspects of this movement is recognized through his sense of exploration in painting.

Continuing to develop work for the skater and BMX community, Barras also spends his time divided between working with the Animation Production Company Bermuda Shorts and commissioning independent gallery shows.

Opening Night Recap Will Barras

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If you are looking to be seduced, look no further. The answer is Will Barras' "Darling, We're Leaving!"  at Fifty24SF Gallery. Will Barras releases moody phantasms from his brush, luring life from board and canvas as a series of smoke and shadows, synapses and sensual beings. City ambrosia permeates each of his works like a new romance. He never associates himself with one particular subject for too long, ranging his work from the subject of wilderness to the more subversive topics of nurses and abstracted appendages. Barras’ has a sharp, observing eye. He knows which street character to paint in epic proportion, which driver to shrink into leathery dull seat, and which car to melt into tidal fog.

The most outstanding quality about Barras’ work is not necessarily the clarity found from fog and smoke, but his ability to work within the parameter of paper and make his characters and strokes break away from the beaten path. -Jenny Ma

Will Barras Interview by Jeremy Fish

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It's that time again...the month is coming to a close...meaning Move #19 has moved on, but as they say "when one door closes, another opens"... Anyway, from inside a cloud of paint fumes and some reggae beats (oh, the joys of de-install), we're comin' at you with an exclusive interview with Will Barras.  And for those of you who have gotten lost in the frenzy of autumn, Will Barras' newest exhibition, "Darling we're leaving!" opens November 5th.  And it's already shaping up to be a spectacular show.

Hear from Will Barras as never before, interviewed by beloved member of the UP family - the one and only Mr. Jeremy Fish.

JFish: is it true there is another will barras who raps about science? (i love that story) if you guys had a fist fight over the name, who would win?

WBarras: It is true, he's always first to everything internet related , but then he is a scientist.

When the Hedron Collider started up, he wrote a rap about it, it's not exactly a banger, but it is educational. It made it into the papers and for one day, everyone thought I was launching a career as a rapper.

I have always loved that you play cricket, though I haven't ever seen any drawings I thought were inspired by the sport.  Ever draw any inspiration for your work from the game?

I dont know, I've kept it quite seperate, it's like escapism from work and I guess I havent worked out anything interesting yet.

Maybe this time...I'll bring some bats with me and we will see what happens.

Last year when we were in italy I hounded you to buy a motorbike and drive off back to england through the Italian countryside.  Since then I know you finally got a bike, any good stories so far?

I did get a bike, a friend was selling an old Yamaha, I went on one road trip to Bristol, only a couple of hundred miles but far enough with no rear suspension, then it started making a chronic whining noise and it's been in a garage for the whole summer. When I think about it it seems ridiculous and impracticle, but when I'm on it , its amazing...I'm hoping I've pre-empted a mid-life crisis...

Years ago, we were together on a mural tour through eastern Europe.  Seems like you have been back to Warsaw and done a couple of things since.  How do you like that part of Europe and the art scene there?

I've been back to Wawsaw to see Pavel (Swanski) and made a painting with him and then a big long wall with him, Chaz and M City, I do love the place, I dont know, I think it's the people there, really friendly, I think it's good because we're rolling around with Pavel and his mates.

I am a pretty huge Will Barras fan and have been since long before we met.  I have always loved his eye for simple things, his way of drawing things in motion, and the lovely ladies he draws.  Anything new these days as far as subject goes?  Do you find yourself drawing anything out of the ordinary?

Nothing wildly different, still a lot of vehicles and girls. I've been messing around with fabric and trying to learn different ways to paint, maybe a few ghosts and animals (some of your influence i think!).

Random: When you hear the name Tito do you think of Michael Jackson's brother, or an Italian gerbil?

Definitely a gerbil, driving a Vespa Ape.

What is the story behind the title of this show? "darling we're leaving!"

Well its just a title now, because artwork doesn't exsist yet. It's like the start of a journey, it's the desire to just take off and escape from everyday life.

I know for a long time you balanced a good deal of commercial illustration with your gallery work.  Are you still doing a lot of commercial stuff?  If so, is there anything you can talk about?

I haven't done so much recently, works been a bit thin on the ground, I've been painting and doing office murals, and holiday resorts in Tunisia... I Drew a toilet-powered Delorian for a young comedian called Jermaine Fowler

and i did some Oakley sunglasses with a drawing of Bo on them...