I was born in 1957 in Stoke-on-Trent to Enid and Harold Bradley. I spent my formative years being raised at the Penkhull Children’s Home and was educated at the local comprehensive St. Peters C of E, where people who thought I had potential encouraged and pointed me in the right direction; Sixth Form College, Foundation Art at the Burslem School of Art, and Stoke-on-Trent Polytechnic where I specialised in Sculpture, leaving in 1980 with BA (Hons).
Since then I have continued to make my work whilst performing a range of tasks that facilitated raising a family and paying a mortgage.
I draw most days, my sketchbooks are an important and fundamental part of my practice. Through drawing ideas emerge and evolve, many notions recurring, until through drawing, and time, they materialise as a 3 or 2 dimensional work.
I work on a range of ideas and themes at the same time. To realise these ideas and themes I fabricate my work using a range of materials and readymade objects that I adapt and repurposed to suit my needs through this I create my objects/artworks.
An ‘off the cuff’ remark, a story, something in the paper or the media or a colloquialism can spark an idea; I juxtapose these influences with my view of the world to make my art.
Sometimes I draw or make an object, and had no idea where it came from, or indeed its context. It is only later when I have had time to reflect and consider, that I understand the link and relevance to my life and work.
I have been described as ‘conceptual’ and an ‘outsider’. I am not comfortable with the narrow definitions of art practice, I do not have a single narrative and I do not believe that my work easily falls into established, convenient categories. Essentially I follow my own path.
Andrew Blake Bradley, 2019
1969 – 74 St. Peter’s C of E High School. Stoke-on-Trent.
1974 – 76 Stoke on-Trent Sixth Form College
1976 – 77 North Staffordshire Polytechnic. Art Foundation.
1977 – 80 North Staffordshire Polytechnic. BA (Hons) Fine Art Sculpture
1980
The First Picture Show.
The Sainsbury Centre.
University of East Anglia.
October 21st – November 16th.
1987
Solo Exhibition.
E.M. Flint Art Gallery,
Walsall. March 21st – April 11th.
Curated by Ms. Jo Digger.
Solo Exhibition.
Lichfield Arts Centre.
June 8th- June 28th
1988
‘Thanks for all the Fish’
National Open Exhibition.
South Hill Arts Centre
Bracknell.
1990
‘Cars Love ‘em, Hate ‘em’.
National Open Exhibition.
Contact Gallery, Norwich.
October 10th – November
3rd.
Walsall Society of Artists
41st Annual Show.
E.M. Flint Gallery, Walsall.
November 7th – December
7th.
1991
Walsall Society of Artists
42nd Annual Show.
E.M. Flint Gallery, Walsall.
November 14th – December
14th .
1992
Walsall Society of Artists
43rd Annual Show.
E.M. Flint Gallery, Walsall.
October 31st - November
28th
1992 / 93
Walsall Open Art Exhibition.
The Garage Arts and Media
Centre, Walsall.
1994
Walsall Society of Artists
45th Annual Show.
E.M. Flint Gallery, Walsall.
October – November.
1996
Walsall Peoples Festival.
July 6th.
Walsall Society of Artists
Marquee.
Walsall Society of Artist
47th Annual Show.
E.M. Flint Gallery, Walsall.
November 8th – December
1st.
1996 / 97
Solo Exhibition.
Pfizer UK Head Office,
Sandwich Kent.
November 1st – February 7th
1997
Solo Exhibition,
The Tace Gallery,
Tamworth,
Staffordshire
May 24th – June 28th.
11th Open Art and Craft
Exhibition.
Stoke-on-Trent Museum
and Art Gallery.
September 13th- December
14th
2011
Art Exhibition # 1.
The White Lion, Caldmore,
Walsall.Garden Open Air
Exhibition
Launch of new garden area
in Walsall Arboretum.
2012
Art Exhibition # 2.
The White Lion, Caldmore,
Walsall.
March 10th to 28th.
2013
Walsall Society of Artists
64th Annual Show.
New Art Gallery, Walsall.
December 6th to January
12th.
2014
Walsall Society of Artists
Summer
Exhibition.
The Lichfield Library, The
Friary
Lichfield.
May 15th to May 29th.
Walsall Society of Artists
65th Annual Show.
New Art Gallery, Walsall.
October 24th to November
30th.
2016
Direct Act Action Gallery –
Walsall.
July onwards
Walsall Society of Artists
67th Annual Show New Art
Gallery, Walsall.
December 2nd to January
22nd.
2017
Direct Act Action Gallery
Sutton Coldfield
1981
8 Murals depicting the
decline of industry in the West
Midlands. Commissioned by Bruce
George MP.
1982
‘Beach scene’ Mural 66’ x 7’
Goscote Lodge Crescent.
Commissioned by Walsall
Council Housing Department,
Goscote Lodge Neighbourhood
Office.
Alice in Wonderland Stage Sets.
Allens Rough Primary School,
New Invention, Walsall.
Directed by Mick Hennigan.
Image of Walsall.
Mural 16’ x 4’ Oil on board.
M.S.C. Youth Training Scheme.
The Glebe Centre,
Walsall.
1982 – 83
‘Hear no evil, see no evil,
speak no evil’ Mural 6m x 6m.
The International Youth Club,
Glebe Centre, Walsall.
Commission the Glebe Centre.
1983
Tales of Mystery and Imagination.
Stage sets. Written and directed by
David Calcutt.
Forest Youth Theatre, Walsall.
Beowulf Costume and Stage sets.
Written and directed by David
Calcutt. Easter Arts Project Forest
Community Association.
1983 – 84
Four musicians. Mural 15’ x 12’.
Commission Palfrey Community
Association.
1984
Barnabus the Banana Bus.
Playbus designed and painted for
The Crypt Wolverhampton Youth
Training Scheme.
1985
Artist in Education. Weather
Mural ’80 x 8’. Palfrey Community
J.M.I. School.
1987
‘Arts Attack’ Sculptor in Residence.
Shelfield Community School.
Walsall Education Department.
May 27th- 30th.
1987 – 88
Timothy Tiger Tooth Mobile.
Mobile Dental Health Surgery.
Workshops in Walsall Schools and
implementation.
Commissioned by Walsall Area
Health Authority.
1988
Artist in Residence.
‘Identity’ Mural and workshops
project. Delves Youth Centre,
Walsall. March 28th – April 25th.
Walsall Community
Education Service.
The Artists View Exhibition
E.M. Flint Gallery Walsall.
Exhibited: Image of Walsall Glebe
Centre mural 1982.
April 15th – May 21st.
Curated by Ms. Jo Digger.
1989
‘Where we live’. Mural 7.1 x 1.3m
and workshops with parents and
children. Green Close J.M.I.
1993 / 94
Building home studio.
Walsall Operatic Society - Little
Shop of Horror.
Lichfield Civic Hall.
Photographer Show Stills.
1995
‘Arohan’ South Asian Arts
Project in Birmingham
and Walsall
Schools. Photography and
brochure design.
Walsall Operatic Society - My Fair
Lady, Lichfield Civic Hall. Lichfield.
Photographer Show Stills.
1996
Help the Aged Auction.
March 9th. 2 works donated
St. Augustine Workshops and
Mural 4’ x 11’ St.
Augustine of England Roman
Catholic School. Handsworth.
Birmingham. June 26th completed
in the September 1996.
1981 – 83
Community Artist.
The Glebe Centre, Walsall
Association, Walsall.
1983
Visiting Lecturer Community Arts.
Walsall College of Art.
Artist in Education Book binding
and paper aeroplanes.
Clothier Street Junior School.
Walsall.
1983 – 1985
Community Artist / Community Arts
Workshop Manager.
Palfrey Community
1984 – 85
Walsall Arts Council.
Hon Treasurer.
1985
Artist in Education.Sculpture
Workshops.
Noose Lane J.M.I. Willenhall.
Walsall.
1986
Assistant Community Director.
Darlaston Community Association.
Assistant Community Director.
Fordbrook Community Association.
Community Director, Forest
Community Association
1992/93
Chairman Walsall Arts Council.
Walsall Metropolitan Council.
From June 1986 until January
7th 2011 worked for Walsall
Council working on a wide range of
creative communications projects.
2001
Head of Communications. Walsall
New Deal for Communities.
2001 – 2011
Established and curated the Atrium
Gallery at the Blakenall Village
Centre, Walsall. A gallery showing
work by local artists, it is now run
by members from the Walsall
Society of Artists.
Established and ran the Blakenall
Vllage Centre Craft Fairs.