Belcher cannot be accused of nostalgia or pastoral myth-making but is as vituperative in tone as Larkin"
Raymond Friel, Southfields.London

"…a concern for language and for how it shapes memory and identity."
Anna Crowe, Lines Review.Edinburgh

"Belcher is different again, here showing rough cartoons whose hero is Moogee the Art Dog, wandering through the minefield of the contemporary art establishment. The cartoons are openly hostile rather than merely satirical, the tickboxy culture brutally castigated by Belcher's spleen probably deserving such a good savaging "
Mark Patterson, Nottingham Evening Post 'TYPO' show review 20.10.06

Born Oxford, England, 1959

Oxford Polytechnic Foundation Art & Design 1978-1979
Hornsey College of Art : B.A. Fine Art 1979-1981.
Offered place M.A. Painting Royal College 1982 - No grant aid so missed out!

Had series of successful London exhibitions through 1980's and art used on record sleeves for WEA Records and Creation Records. Interested in the transavantguardia of Italy, New Painting France and the 'New Spirit' of painting as featured at Royal Academy in 1981. Featured in Gilbert & George photo-piece 'Gateway'1986.

Moved back to Oxfordshire 1989 -1992 and worked in downland to create the 'Chalk Downs ' set of drawings.

Exhibited at The Rocket Press in 1991 alongside Ray Howard Jones, Robin Tanner and Edward Bawden
(Rocket Press now Rocket Gallery, Mayfair, London).

Started writing poetry and immediately published in small literary magazines including Southfields,
Slowdancer and Oxford Poetry etc.

Moved to Edinburgh 1994 and created 'McThistle' suite of etchings at Edinburgh College of Art 1994-5.

Joined Shore Poets in Edinburgh and poem used as title of group anthology The Ice Horses in 1996.
Anthology edited by Stewart Conn and included Ian Chrichton Smith and other leading Scottish poets.

Became interested in alt-country music in late eighties and still performs as alter-ego 'Trailer Star'.

Moved to Oxford in 1996 and started online music webzine Flyinshoes which ran until 2004.

Moved to Nottingham U.K. 2002

Tribute to 'Trailer Star' CD released 2003 in aid of Cancer Research U.K.

Trained as teacher at Nottingham University (P.G.C.C.E) 2004

Currently living in Nottingham having trained as teacher at Nottingham University and now freelance designer
and community artist. See Chalkfish Design website.

Also performing songwriter and broadcaster see Flyinshoes Music.

EXHIBITIONS

2006 'TYPO' Group Show Gold Factory @ New College Nottingham
2006 'Paint & Print' Show Harding House Gallery Lincoln
2005 Egerton Studio Group, Nottingham, Open Studios
2004 Egerton Studio Group, Nottingham, Open Studios
2003 Lady Bay Open Studios, Nottingham
1999 Christchurch College Oxford Artweek 3-Jay exhibition.
1992 Bampton Town Hall
1992 Friend's Meeting House , Banbury
1991 Rocket Press, Blewbury, Oxon.
1989 Pyramid Arts, Dalston, London.
1988 Solo show. Square Gallery, Highgate, London.
1987 12 Young Artists. Square Gallery, Highgate, London.
1986 Hornsey Library, London
1985 Actors Institute Islington, London.

PUBLICATIONS

1996 'The Ice Horses' - A Shore Poets Anthology.
( Scottish Cultural Press, Edinburgh)

Reviews of poetry and poems in Lines Review, Edinburgh plus individual poems in following small magazines....Southfields, Slowdancer, Gairfish, Oxford Poetry, Odyssey, Fatchance, Envoi,
Poetry London Newsletter, Bound Spiral, Interactions etc.

POETRY READINGS

2001 BACKROOM POETS, OXFORD : With W.N.Herbert & Joe Butler.
2000 FIRE MAGAZINE reading Highgate London with various writers associated with Fire.
2000 LEDBURY POETRY FESTIVAL : Three Oxford Poets with Giles Goodland & Jeremy Hilton
1999 SOUTHFIELDS MAGAZINE READING : Magic Cafe, Oxford with Richard Price & Giles Goodland.
1996 SHORE POETS : Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh with John Purser & Gillian Ferguson.
1993 DIDCOT FESTIVAL : Didcot Library with fellow Didcot poets Jonathan Davidson & Greg Sweetnam.
1992 SLOWDANCER 28 : Angel Row Gallery, Nottingham with Kirsty Gunn and Mark Robinson.

MUSIC RECORDINGS

2005 Trailer Star 'Threat of rain EP' : 5 track E.P.
( Tstar Records: TSR002)

2003 The Trailer Star Tribute 'Moon Over The Downs'
( Super Tiny Records STR0002)

2002 Trailer Star 'The Dead Skin EP' : 4 track E.P.
( Snake Song Recording Company)

2001 Trailer Star 'The Floodplain demos' : CD
(Snake Song Recording Company)

1993 The High Priests 'Ice Cream Town' B/W 'Black Swans Sink' 7"
(High Records 001. Southern Distribution)