Phil Bartle and John Bagnall, two Consett based artists will be holding an exhibition of comic art in October at Consett Heart in John Street.
Their work will be available to view from Friday 18th – 31st October 2024 and is definitely a must see.
Both John and Phil are known in the area as artists and this latest collaboration may prove to be their best yet.
John who was born in Liverpool, grew up loving comics from American and classic British publications like the Beano and Dandy.
Art school brought John to the north east at the age of 18 to study Fine Art at Newcastle University; attracted by the fact that one of his music heroes Bryan Ferry had studied there in the 1960s.
After working as a graphic designer for many years in Durham, while becoming part of the burgeoning UK small-press comics scene he began having his work published in the UK, USA and Australia. He also self publishes his comic book work to this day in titles like ‘Knitting with Coalsmoke’ and ‘Dusty Sideboard.’
Feeling a call to to priesthood and then completing his studies in Spain and Rome, he was ordained in 2015 and became parish priest of St.Patrick’s Consett in 2016.
Consett and County Durham have been an inspiration to John, particularly its industrial past and its working-class culture and warm humour.
Phil was born and bred in Consett and he too was and is a great fan of comic book art, including The Broons.
Reading and enjoying the same publications growing up, Phil’s art reflects, as does John’s the ordinary everyday life of a town in a most amusing, clever and endearing way.
Many of us will have prints or even originals of Phil’s work proudly displayed in our homes, as they beautifully present and capture a time and a place for the people of Consett; depicting scenes right from our early childhood at school or at the park, to the ultimate Consett nightspot, known as Botto’s!
John drawings and stories similarly depict a northern town – even though it is imaginary – sometime in the past, called Slackdale.
Some original works will be for sale during the exhibition, as well a selection of John’s comic books. The company of Bartle and Bagnall will offer all who visit the exhibition a pleasurable and amusing slice of the past.
Don’t miss it!
