A Passion for Paint: The Life and Work of Barrington Tabb

by Jonathan Benington

The Barrington Tabb story is one of quiet but stubborn perseverance against the odds. For nearly fifty years, Tabb's work has been dedicated to everyday subjects: working-class terraces, the docks, railway brides, canals and smoking factory chimneys. Having worked in industry for twenty-five years, he was very familiar with these places, athough his working-class background proved an obstacle to his artistic ambitions. Almost totally self-taught, he never lost faith in his natural talent, however much he was discouraged by friends, family and fellow artists. He has no great desire for money or fame. He is intoxicated by the smell, the feel, the colour and the texture of paint. Guided by his instincts alone, he handles his expressive medium with all the gutsy passion of a Vincent Van Gogh or a Lucian Freud.Yet his work remains totally original, for he brings his imagination into play and the end result is never a mere descriptive record. His art is felt and experienced, imbued with a sense of th

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007