What do Alban Low and Ellie Breeze have in common?
Alban Low is a professional illustrator, working a signature calligraphic style for album covers and specialising in impromptu portraits of jazz musicians. He tells me how he has two distinct approaches to his work, depending on the commission. He also describes how he was once invited to sketch in the dissecting room at Guy’s Hospital. This episode is not for the feint-hearted.
Ellie Breeze paints in oils, drawing on material from old family photograph albums to capture lost moments with humour and insight. In this episode I learn the fate of a large double portrait of the bride and groom at their wedding in the 1970s. Her work has been selected for Bloomberg New Contemporaries and has also been shortlisted for the Marmite Prize for Painting.
And what do Alban and Ellie have in common? They both work figuratively in 2d.
Links:
Something To Do With Art – Alban Low
Something To Do With Art – Ellie Breeze
Next week: What do Ellie Breeze and Lizz Brady have in common?
What do Ahmed Farooqui and Alban Low have in common?
Ahmed Farooqui told me how he turned his house over to art – creating Space36 in which he invited artists into his home not just to exhibit there, but to explore anything and everything they found of interest over a period of several months. I found Ahmed’s willingness to challenge himself and make things happen refreshing and energising.
For Alban Low, art is about inclusivity and possibility – organising group shows in which anyone and everyone can exhibit, and frequently taking his art projects out into the street. I wanted to find out how that compares to the curated and selective approach, and was surprised and intrigued to hear Alban say that he would like to see 90% of art take place outside of established gallery settings.
And what do Ahmed and Alban have in common? They both want to see more art in alternative, non-gallery spaces.
Links:
Something To Do With Art – Ahmed Farooqui
Something To Do With Art – Alban Low
Next week: What do Alban Low and Ellie Breeze have in common?
What do BA Zanditon and Ahmed Farooqui have in common?
In my chat with artist BA Zanditon, she shares her love of concrete and tells me why she started collecting hubcaps. I am struck by her desire to celebrate the overlooked and the unloved – and Barbara tells me why this might be so. This was my very first podcast episode, and still one of my favourites.
Talking to Ahmed Farooqui, this is the only time Covid is mentioned in these podcasts, as I didn’t want the subject to overshadow the wider themes of art and creativity. But Ahmed tells me about his recent show at Espacio Gallery and how he has responded to the virus. He also surprises me with his thoughts on mediocrity.
And what do Barbara and Ahmed have in common? They both came to art relatively late in life, and share with me how that has given them a sense of freedom to create work without constraint.
Links:
Something To Do With Art – BA Zanditon
Something To Do With Art – Ahmed Farooqui
Next week: What do Ahmed Farooqui and Alban Low have in common?
Hello and welcome to the blog about my podcast Something To Do With Art. In each podcast episode I share a conversation with an artist to find out what they do and why. The aim of this blog is to share a little bit of background info, and each week I shall be profiling two of the artists and finding out what they have in common.
So to begin with, here are my podcastees and links to each episode (from top left in photo):
Next up: what do BA Zanditon and Ahmed Farooqui have in common?
Head over to soundcloud.com/robertgood_art to take a listen.
