It was Holloway Arts Festival (organised by Rowan Arts) last week, I volunteered at the Mayton Street festival (craft workshops, performances etc), the festival made a space for neighbours and the local community to get to know each other and it was fun, admittedly my knitting skills didn’t develop any further. It was great to see the street being reclaimed by the residents and local community. How refreshing it would be if roads were closed and used in this way more often and we could think of them other than as just thoroughfares.
Visited I know a place exhibition at Flowers (Kingsland Road) earlier this week. Definitely worth a visit I was drawn to the title of the exhibition, unusually the exhibited works and title of the exhibition complimented each other. What seemed to bring them together as well as a strong feeling of the familiar or unfamiliar was a sense of wonder. I wanted to climb into one of Jane Edden’s Ideal homes and go to sleep.
http://www.flowersgalleries.com/exhibitions/4206-s…
The Emergent Art Show went well, I think, it all happened so fast! The show was very diverse particularly liked Nathan Eastwood’s Room at the top. The text that accompanied Eastwood’s image within the catalogue spoke of the role of the artist. I took it to mean that while your not being an artist you are still an artist, which I have been thinking about a lot recently; the artists persona or temperament.
At the private view I felt redundant, as if my paintings were embarrassed of my being there. I half expected them to give me a nudge and ask me to leave. Do I mean the artist feels empowered, deity like whilst in the process of creating, but once ‘finished’ impotent? I hope not. At times when I am painting, I feel like a slave, or a puppet to the paint and struggle with the act of painting. Sometimes I forget to struggle and ‘paint’ instead. This honesty brings a confidence to my practice that replaces the question of ‘failure’ or ‘success’.
Met up earlier this week to discuss group exhibition, which will be part of Islington Exhibits in July. Was good to see other peoples work, and feel other peoples enthusiasm. Was reminded (again!) that yes quiet studio time is precious, but too much can be isolating, and its just as important to get out and meet others being creative.
Some of my paintings have been selected as part of a group exhibition, Emergent Art Show by Platform C at The Vyner Street Gallery, London.
Private View: Thursday 2nd June – 18:00 – 21:30
Dates: Thursday 2nd June – Saturday 4th June 2011
Selected artists are: Lyndsey Searle, George Little, Hayley Harrison, Nathan Eastwood, Luna Jung-eun Lee, Elizabeth Dismorr, David Vassie, Debbie Locke, Duncan Mckellar, Rosie Morris, Matthew Gee, Daisy Clarke and Sunyoung Hwang
Private View tomorrow excited and nervous …
A space to express (struggles & success)
A space to share and communicate with others
A space to discuss exhibitions & talks I attend, and what I have read, and the important of these to my practice
I have been meaning to start this for a long time. Going to one of Core Gallery’s DIY educate talks last week gave me a much needed push. This is a space for me to be comfortably clumsy and inquisitive. It is also a space to share what I learn on the way.
I hope to feel more comfortable and less clunky as I go on …
