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November 2024

Wednesday 06/11Friday 08/11

Feister gathering

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February 2025

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Monday 17/02

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March 2025

Wednesday 12/03

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Monday 17/03

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Colin Marsh Paintings at the Herbert

Looking out from the Windows of the cafe at the Herbert Gallery are two pictures from a set known as – ‘Boom Town Terminals’ by Coventry artist Colin Marsh.

Mother and Children with Colin Marsh at rear

One of the ‘Boom Town Terminal’ picture just behind the ‘Mother and Children’ statue outside the Herbert

Colin Marsh

Colin Marsh - Boomtown

Colin Marsh - Boomtown

The two pictures that face outwards from the cafe are two of four done by Colin Marsh with the assistance of Mark Treadgold (his care assistant and unofficial art technician).

 Mark Treadgold assisting Colin Marsh

Mark Treadgold assisting Colin as a unofficial art technician.

Colin and his assistant Mark Treadgold became good friends of our Vice Chairman, Paul Maddocks. Colin Marsh was born in Coventry in 1973. He had a difficlt birth which left him unable to move his arms and legs. He had a challenging childhood but his parents brought him up to be a fine young man and an artist. Being only able to use his mouth to draw did not stop him from producing some amazing and thought provoking artwork.

The two pictures you can see from outside the Herbert were commissioned from artists based at Coventry’s Artspace studios where Colin was working after leaving Art College. The work was commissioned for the opening of the first phase of the redevelopment of the Herbert in 2005. The works are called ‘Boom Town Terminals’ and they bring together images of Donald Gibson’s cutting edge 1950s precinct desiign with images of Coventry people of the same era preserved on cine film in Coventry History Centre.

Colin produced many sketches of the designs for the four drawings, how they would look in the location and how they would from Bayley Lane. The pictures facing outwards have faded a little but the other two facing into the cafe have not been affected by the ultra violet light from the sun. The four pictures all have the same look; black felt tip pen on a white canvas with the occasional bits of colour highlighting a small area (after Modigliani).

Colin arranged for a good friend, Jon Ford, to make the frames and the stand to house the works of art; it was all commissioned as part of the Insight project supported by the Arts Council England.

Colin Marsh - Boomtown

Colin Marsh - Boomtown

Colin Marsh - Boomtown

Because Colin had difficulties, Mark would move the large canvases around and like all good art technicians helped in the production of the artworks. He is even featured in one of the pictures, with a blue square on his ‘T’ shirt.

Colin did a fine arts degree course at Coventry University which was followed by a Fine art Drawing MA course in 2005. Colin moved to Wimbledon in London to further his art career. Unfortunately, a while after Colin had moved to London Mark, died in his sleep due to heart failure.

Colin has done many one man art shows and talks. He has focused on his own life and his body. His work is sometimes very challenging, such as being served up as a meal, or turning into a chrysalis.

Colin Marsh paintings

Colin Marsh paintings

Colin Marsh and Paul Maddocks

Colin Marsh and Paul Maddocks sitting in Trafalgar Square in London.

Colin Marsh CD Covers

Colin has also been designing CD covers for Dan Whitehouse a English folk musician.

Paul Maddocks tells us that he is still in touch with Colin Marsh and met up with him in London recently to visit exhibitions at the National Portrait Gallery and the Royal Academy. We thank Colin Marsh for some of the images displayed on this page. Colin is hoping to visit Coventry soon to see how his artwork has stood the test of time. 

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