PHIL TOY ARTIST & WRITER
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Phil Toy
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Study



Creative Writing - Poetry, Literary Fiction, novel, short story; Installation Art, Painting, Sculpture, Video, Photo-Montage


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Upcoming - Featured Artist Interview, The FLux Review, Edition 12, May 2025

​ MA Creative Writing completed (Distinction) 2023 -
Birkbeck College, University of London

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See previous interview & article published at:


https://issuu.com/artpress/docs/biennial.ed.i/28 



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Study for Devil's Bond Market, 2025

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Categories


give definition

and or
​der....

which may not
be true...




I am currently working on the interplay between my
writing of Poetic

Fiction and my Visual Art. The manuscript of my debut novel, The Sublime Scream of Cass-Leanne Mendez is finished, now in agent query process.

'Toy is interested in systems of knowledge and belief. His practice pivots on the tension between the authority of finite, packaged, received information and the power of intuition, creativity and enigma'. (Kay Campbell in catalogue, 'State of the Art').

'The cabinet of curiosities was a peculiar and personal ordering of objects from science and the arts that was overwhelmed by the advent of that Enlightenment machine, the Museum. The connection back to mysticism and ritual is a persistent and visible element in Toy's work in which he focuses on the presence of irrational, conflicting beliefs in the context of our rational, scientific thought.
(Piers Masterson, 'State of the Art').











Poetry reading, open mic, Under the Red Guitar, Bristol, Dec.2024
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Public Reading of opening chapter of
The Sublime Scream of Cass-Leanne Mendez
Novel Nights, Folk House Bristol, Sept. 2022

Interview for Biennale Edition publication, Peripheral ARTeries, Autumn 2017

Centrespace Gallery, Bristol, group show, 01 Feb - 16 Feb 2017
Scratching the Veneer, Edwardian Cloakrooms, Bristol, 16-22 Nov. 2016
Artist's talk with Tour Exchange, 19 Nov.2016
 Pop up Cinema, (showing 2 short films) Spike Island, 29 April to 03 May 2016;
Video interview for exhibition & archive, April 2016;

Slider - Group exhibition of slides celebrating Artspace 40 - 29 April to 29 June 2016;
Fringe Art Bath, 2 group exhibitions, Austerity & Out of the Archive, Bath Central Library,27 May to June 12 2016.











Member of Writers' Forum Workshop,  London
​Novel Nights Group, Bristol
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Study for Circuit Dance, 2025 
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We Wandered Lonely as a Crowd, 2023
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​Title: Georgian Findings with Ten Commandments, 2016,
 
(Detail)

Found text is from The Book of Money &
​The Book of True Biblical Stories.

(Part of a group exhibition, titled,
 Out of the Archive.)
Title: Georgian Findings with Ten Commandments, 2016/17





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Detail from Bones of Time (See Gallery for full image)

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Hands of Belief: 180 cms diameter, cast in microcrystalline wax from six people of different religions. (Other works, Georgian Findings and Crystal Ball, Seeking the Future, as Usual; (crystal ball, 12kgs lead crystal, with inanimate object in metal.
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Background to my work: An interest in the relationship between beliefs and science, rationality/irrationality, the juxtaposition of order/disorder; how the world is categorised.  What I believe and do creates my identity. What I believe may not be true. ‘Truths’ may be inherited or discovered, some of which are fictions. Categories give definition and order which may not be true but which may be preferable to existential madness. Museological displays often reference how categories are used. My use of plexiglas vitrines reflects this aspect of presenting objects and images.
Categorisation, fragmentation against an interplay between 2 and 3 dimensions are key concepts; a negotiation is going on of being created by categories (structure) and a fragmented world of endless networks and gaps.
Chance as a methodology is likely to play an increasing role.


Processes and techniques: I attempt to use methods and materials in relation to my purpose, theme or the site-relatedness of the project. I have experience of a wide range of materials being familiar with acrylic and oil paint, resins, waxes, plasters, canvas and fabrics in addition to lighting, film and photography. My work is research-based, finding its direction from experimentation, study and reflection.
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The role of chance:
One of my current works consists of 'composing' a piano concert. The skills I have to bring are from Visual Art; not from music. I cannot play or compose music. This will be 
An Installation of Chance of visual imagery with the 'concerto' played by professional pianists.
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CV        Qualifications and training:
MA Creative Writing (Distinction), Birkbeck College, University of London, 2023

M.A,.University of West of England, 2006. Bristol. B.A. Fine Art, Bristol Polytechnic,  1982.

Writing - October 2023, Poetry reading, Under the Red Guitar, Bristol.
October 2022, Poetry reading, Under the Red Guitar, Bristol.
​September, 2022, reading from novel at Novel Nights, Bristol.
November 2021, Poetry reading, Writers’ Workshop Forum, London.

Visual Art 
Solo - Galerie Zeitgeist, Kreuzberg, Berlin 22 June 2018
Group Exhibitions:
Centrespace gallery, Bristol, 01 - 16 Feb; Scratching the Veneer, Edwardian Cloakrooms, Bristol, 16-22 Nov. 2016; Fringe Art Bath, 2 group exhibitions, Austerity & Out of the Archive, 27 May to June 12 2016; Slider - Group exhibition of slides celebrating Artspace 40 - 29 April to 29 June 2016; Pop up Cinema, (showing 2 short films) Spike Island, 29 April to 03 May 2016.
 Open Studio: 2015, Bristol: Spacex Studios, Exeter, 2013; Live/Performance 2011 - On Silence: Homage to John Cage, Concorde Institute, London 2011; ABLE, Sangdee Gallery, Cheung Mai Thailand 2011; Side-By-Side, Bath Arts Studio Gallery, Bath, 2009; 3 Interventions, Spike Island Open Studios: 2008 - Roubles and Camels, (with Ana Bilankov) Galerie Weisser Elefan, 21 Augustrasse, Mitte, Berlin 2007; ArtAffair, Sept 2005 - Things Beginning with 'B'; Hotbath gallery, Bath, 2006; Faust Kunsthalle, Hanover, Germany 2005 - Roadside Picnic, August 2005, Ihme Centrum, public art event, Hanover; 2004 - Jan-Apr, Bad Quality, Travelling exhibition, Millais Gallery, Southampton, UK 2004; Oct- Nov, Love, Warmth & Waterlillies' Mile End Arts Pavilion, London UK 2003; Dec. Awning Multiples show, Bristol 2003; Nov-Dec. 'Pulped', Thelma Hubert Gallery, Honiton UK 2004; 2002 - Cathedrals & Chemicals, (Solo) Falmouth Art College, Falmouth, UK 2002; 2002; 'False impressions?', University of Colchester, Colchester 2002; Stepping Stones, (Solo) Mafuji Gallery, London 2001 ;  Evolution' (Solo) Standpoint Gallery, London 2001; Gene Pool, (Solo) Block 16 Gallery, Hanover Germany 2001; 'State of the Art (Solo), Axiom Centre for the Arts, Cheltenham, UK 1999; Aswas, Holt Gallery, Sherborne School, Dorset 1999;  Love, Religion & Explosives, Church Gallery, Norwich UK 1999; Bag, Bristol 1997; Rathaushalle, Hannover, Germany 1996; - Suspension, Spitalfields Festival, London 1995; Rising Tides, Bristol 1994; De Villa Gallery, Netherlands 1994; Ernst and Young; 1997 Residency, Tuzla, Bosnia 1994; Residency exchange, De Villa Gallery, Enchede, Netherlands; Projects; 2011 - Evolve, Thane Works, London 2006 - Virtual Spaces of Migration, Sept 2007, Bristol Hannover Posnan 2005 - Picnic am Wegesrand, kunst- symposium, Ihme zentrum, Hannover.
Worked with Axis UK as MA Stars Selector: 2007-2010.
Competitions, prizes and awards: 2016 - Grant award Spike Island, Slider exhibition; 2006 - Research & professional development award, Arts Council of England, UK & Berlin; 2001 - International Film and Video festival award, Canada, Campbell River 2001 - Travel/Research award, South West Arts, England, Bristol 1997 - Bristol City & Kulturampt, Hanover exhibition award, City Councils, Bristol/Hanover 1997 - Travel and exhibition award, British Council & London office of Bosnia-Herzogovina, London/Tuzla.
Selected Reviews & Catalogues: Love, religion & Explosives 1999, State of the Art, 2000, Der Spiegel 2002, Bad Quality, Southampton 2004, Kunsthalle Faust Hannover 2005; Artists' Newsletter 2006, Sangdee 'ABLE' 2011, Out of the Archive 2016; Austerity 2016.

Now please go to Gallery ....






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