this is the barn wall (at blackthorpe), all four metres of it (although it doesn't look it), the barn wall which i encountered a while back, where i would have to display (and since have) my art for the new 'artworks' exhibition.
there is so much surface 'activity' and 'incident' in this stretch of barn wall already that i feared the new works i had been quietly making would soon disappear into its rustic, aged surface. yes, two or three large, colourful paintings would work well in this location but all my 2011 work (a prerequisite for this exhibition, which is good) are all about twelve inches square (or smaller).sometimes, you just have to commit to your artwork and hope it will work out in situ (i did 'do' a wall plan). so, not wanting a wall of repeats, i ended up putting in work from three different but related series - green woods, broken earth/circle/relics and the earth/bound panels. wood and all of its derivatives are the uniting factor. i didn't fully break away from the format of the square, but i have intervened in subtle ways...
[my artworks hung above the patchwork barn 'tideline']the private view (or preview evening) was well-attended with over five hundred people milling through the exhibition over the course of a couple of hours. i talked to new people about my work and i bumped into other people i knew who i hadn't seen for many years - it was all good.here are two photographs taken before the PV, of some new work mentioned in two previous posts, on going green, again and on a broken art.
out of the wood/shed III, 2011, paper, oil & pigment on wood, 150mm x 150mm
broken, 2011, mixed media paper relief, 300mm x 300mmin the absence of a more neutral wall/interior i did feel (ever so slightly) that my work was drained of it naturalistic colours.so, given that i have no bold, graphic or colourful works to show off here, instead i will share some photographs of other works in the exhibition which blipped on my radar.
mike ashley's paintings are inspired by winter walks in the countryside, often transitioning between figurative and abstract elements in a vigorously worked yet gestural painted surface.
gill levin's work is concerned with structures, both manmade and natural. she states it is the 'spaces between' that interest her most as a painter, and on closer inspection they coalesce into rythmical, patterned abstractions.
eileen revett has continued with the universal theme of time in this new series of large woodcuts, 'analog'. these are hand-printed on japanese paper and the delicate repetition of gouged marks suggest a contemplative, meditative process in their making.
anthony jones embarks on a mission of artistic time-traveller, envisioning how an abstract painter might work in the presence of the renaissance artist and mathematician piero della francesca. similar to mark rothko and italian frescos, anthony has developed his own visual responses to art history.
katie millard's new series of abstract paintings, while seemingly a departure from her more widely-known norfolk landscape watercolours, look to be playful magnifications of expressive swathes of colour in response to nature and the elements.
roger gamble's very striking acrylic paintings also reduce the figurative landscape to its most abstract & formal elements - a pop art sensibility with colour combined with wry observations of our modern times....both roger and anthony have made me want to re-evaluate my relationship with colour, since in 'real life' i am drawn to colours and geometric patterns (even the garden shed is styled on mondrian), but it never materialises in my own artwork. this is probably because i am still working through my experiences of the rural landscape, which nearly always take the essence of the materiality of time as the central concern (it's a subject difficult to ignore)....i was thinking (of the dark wood barn wall) that some of my work is akin to camouflage, they they would quite effortlessly blend into the real landscape, that a type of environmental reality is constructed, although they stop short of being completely true. however, in the end, i have to create my own reality.or, put another way, a conventional landscape painting is an open window to a memory, it invites you to travel back to the original moment. i would like my work to create the moment in the presence of the work, right here in the 'now'. the visual associations, although perhaps drawn from prior experience, create a brand new visual experience, not a picture of a past event. i create very tactile, textural works in recognition of a sensory world, one that the pace of technology (esp. of communication) seems capable of eradicating. am i a luddite? of course not. we will create ambitious new sensory gardens in the concrete & glass jungles to appease the deprived.....'painting from nature [...] is a sort of diversion; creates a balance. i would say that landscapes are a type of yearning, a yearning for a whole and simple life. a little nostalgic. the abstract works are my presence, my reality, my problems, my difficulties and contradictions.'gerhard richter, 1985…artworks exhibition, blackthorpe barn, rougham, suffolk, 10 september to 2 october 2011 (10am – 5pm, open daily). there is also the ‘artworks shop’ where i have some of my papier mache bowls (also relics of a sort) on display.Artworks is a professional art group of thirty contemporary East Anglian artists. Each September we have a group exhibition at the medieval Blackthorpe Barn, set in the heart of rural Suffolk.…
the bumper christmas art show
400+ affordable artworks by 40 artists... here are some pictures from the current exhibition at the harleston gallery...
the warm colours and energetic brushwork in this small painting in the downstairs café gallery immediately caught my eye: 'willow tree' by the notable painter gill levin, oil on board. gill levin trained at the chelsea school of art and was taught by the artist prunella clough. gill is also a well-respected and nationally known jazz musician - perhaps that musical influence is evident in her painting style...
as you will see, the walls are filled with art of all styles and genres: nature studies, urban scenes & rural landscapes, bold, expressionistic works in oils & acrylics, surreal & refined portraits, mixed media pop pieces & geometric abstracts on paper and canvas... on the shelf above is displayed a row of small, decorative pots by the acclaimed ceramicist clive davies...
just around the corner is a large, impressive landscape painting by norfolk artist david page, 'ploughed field at gudja, malta', oil on canvas. page's more recent works depict the working patterns of an agricultural landscape, a pictorial history of the land keenly observed on the norfolk suffolk border. below this painting is a series of small ink & acrylic paintings by the very collectible artist dee nickerson, nickerson's colourful, narrative paintings convey with a gentle humour aspects of life in the countryside and all its inhabitants...
a small corner in one of the upstairs galleries...
centre left is a very intricate, stitched textile work by christina greathead, which seems to reference biomorphic or water-like forms. just glimpsed to the right are some very quirky & humorous mosaic wall-pieces by the artist jayne wurr - the large mirror above the fireplace is a stunning work of supremely-crafted kitsch. wurr's close attention to colour, pattern and structure is much influenced by her previous background as textile designer...
i like the sombre, muted hues in this small, delicate painting, 'water lilies' by miles fairhurst, oil on canvas. fairhurst is very well known for his atmospheric, east anglian landscape scenes, much inspired by the victorian painter edward seago. fairhurst's paintings have been widely exhibited & collected, in the uk and internationally...
a wall of mosaic pieces by the artist bazil leith. classical roman & byzantium influences hybridize with more arcane & pop imagery in these works. bazil has a distinguished background in the commercial art world, having been the original prop maker, animator and director for the wombles & paddington bear, amongst others...
another gallery wall chock-full of paintings, prints & drawings, in the adjacent upstairs gallery...
even the humble stairwell has some art on the walls...everything on view, naturally enough, is for sale and any artwork can be purchased and taken away immediately - perhaps some of these have already sold..?did i mention i have some artwork in this exhibition too? a few collagraph prints, some small framed paintings on paper and a couple of larger works on canvas - but this is not just about me...there's wall to wall art in a range of sizes, formats and media, with styles & prices to suit every possible taste & budget - a required christmas shopping experience for both the discerning art collector and for anyone with that difficult to buy for relative or friend... all works on view are original artworks which have been created solely by the artist; there are no giclée or mass reproduction prints here...there is much more to see and you are warmly invited to just gaze for a while but perhaps you might also be tempted to buy - it's art that's just in time for christmas, but also art that's not just for christmas... this bumper art exhibition is up until christmas eve......bumper christmas art showover 400 affordable artworks by forty regional artistsat the harleston gallery, norfolk5 november to 24 december 2010...