My practice as an EcoArtist is rooted in a lifelong commitment to working with the natural and built environment by bringing together communities and organisations from all walks of life to take practical action. Often working in particular places and incorporating material from those places in my work, I use print, lens-based media, installation, scientific evidence and appropriate techniques to foreground the assault both on our natural life support systems – trees, climate, ecosystems – and on the other-than-human who share this precious planet with us.
I build my creative practice on a 35 year career as a social entrepreneur in local environmental regeneration during which I established and built a number of not for profit organisations including Keep Britain Tidy, Groundwork, the Mersey Basin Trust as part of the 25 year regional Mersey Basin Campaign, the National Centre for Business and Ecology and the Community Technical Aid Centre in Manchester UK.
The driver for my practice is the sixth great extinction ushering in the Anthroprocene Era crystalised by Gustav Metzger’s 2015 Worldwide Call for Action to Remember Nature. Inspired by Metzger, you can find out more about him and his influence on me in this Podcast I made with Jo’s Art History Podcast.
Based in Rusholme, Manchester, jointly with, and inspired by, my life partner Helena Kettleborough, and academic at MMU School of Management, I have established the Centre for Connected Practice and initiated Creative Rusholme.
You can see research paper submitted for my Masters here: Phil Barton’s Submitted Research Paper which explored the development of Ecoart which is interactive with nature and place on the one hand and the public and communities on the other.
Read Phil’s Remember Nature Manifesto. He has proclaimed it at The Whitaker, Rossendale (4th November 2023), Launceston Town Square, Cornwall (4th November 2021), The Street, Central Saint Martins (4th November 2019) and Islington Mill, Salford (4th November 2017).
“In the realm of Eco Art, Phil Barton stands as a dedicated practitioner, weaving a profound commitment to the natural and built environment into his creative endeavors. With a lifelong dedication to fostering collaboration across diverse communities and organizations, Phil Barton employs a hands-on approach to environmental issues, urging practical actions to address the pressing challenges faced by our planet.
This interview delves into Barton’s unique approach, examining the intersection of art, science, and activism, and the pivotal role it plays in raising awareness and inspiring positive change. “This interview delves into Barton’s unique approach, examining the intersection of art, science, and activism, and the pivotal role it plays in raising awareness and inspiring positive change.“
Joana Alarcão (November 2013)
As from 2021, Phil Barton has used the seal above to sign his print and other paper based works. Made up of two overlapping symbols – the Chinese red dragon symbol which he first knew playing Mah Jong with his father as a teenager and the Greek capital letter Phi from his given name.
The red dragon represents the animal kingdom, including humanity, and the character zhōng also means centre, middle, achievement. The letter phi, as well as forming the first syllable of his name, is used to represent the golden ratio, section or mean and is a symbol for wave functions in quantum mechanics and Schrödinger’s Equation.