Have you always been an artist?
I read somewhere recently: ‘Don’t be an artist unless you absolutely have to’. I have been a furniture designer; a teacher; a stage carpenter; a lecturer; a puppeteer and a one-man band (called Major Jump). I have worked on films and radio productions. I was Choir Master and Musical Director on the BBC2 production of Marvellous (which won two BAFTAS). I have made several albums and toured with comedy band Roaring Jelly for 12 years (1,500 gigs). I moved from Derbyshire to London and married a red-haired actress called Buffy Davis, who had sex in the shower on Radio 4’s The Archers. I became a sculptor and have had exhibitions in the UK, Chicago, LA and Tokyo. You can probably tell that — ‘I had to be an artist’, but I do find it difficult to write an Artists Statement — once, when I was asked to write one by an online gallery, I sent them a copy of my bank statement!

What really matters to you?
Over recent years I have become very concerned with climate change, and last year I displayed my climate sculptures at an exhibition, The Industrial Revelation, I put on at The Steam Museum in Brentford. An album of my climate songs is on Spotify called We’re in a Jam, Wot’s the Plan? Buffy and I ‘self built’ and designed our Eco house in Barnes with a heat pump, rainwater harvesting and heat recovery ventilation.

Do you have a favourite artist?
To me art is about many things, but most of all about how to think. It is ideas and thinking in different ways that I am passionate about. My latest project is an installation about the brain and how we can choose to think creatively. It is called Imagination is more important than knowledge, which is a quote from Einstein. He is my favourite ‘artist’ — he was a wise genius because he knew about the importance of imagination.

Why I enjoy being part of Barnes Artists
Barnes Artists is a wonderfully diverse group who have inspired many and given me the opportunity to show new work. The next exhibition we are planning is all about trees, at St Mary’s Church in Barnes, from 1st until 9th July (don’t miss it!). I am also selling at the Woodland Fair on 24th June on Barnes Common to raise money for the maintenance and management of our beautiful common with its rare plants and grassland. Barnes is fast becoming the art place to be. As well as the now well established Barnes Artists group, we have my favourite Arts Centre; The OSO by the pond. I like to think I had a hand in persuading the council to give over part of the building for community use and in the last few years the team, under Lisa and Simon, have established a thriving diverse art centre. You must go! Now that’s enough about me - tell me about you?

See some of Dereks work on the common
Shrine to Mother Earth (By the Methodist Chapel)
Slow, Swan Crossing sign by Derek Pearce & David Pearce
(Have you got the joke yet?)
Byanystretchoftheimagination OSO Arts Centre