It has been a bit of a week. I have been moving into a new studio (by coincidence back at St George's in Esher where my 'Papertrails' residency last year was based), emptying a store where lots of my work and loads of our personal possessions were kept and also installing my work from this year's project at the Lightbox in Woking. I have also been delivering (and helping hang) work for an exhibition at the Guildford House Gallery. Its all been rather hectic!
The exhibitions are the culmination of a project which has involved artists who use found materials or reuse discarded ones. (This project has been the main subject of this blog.) The exhibition at Guildford House Gallery is an overview of different approaches to materiality as shown in the work of a range of artists and designers whereas the Lightbox has selected five artists to make installations of work throughout the building and courtyard between now and May 2009. My slot at the Lightbox was the first and the reason that I have been a little uncommunicative in the blogging world. My Lightbox installation: 'Translations' has grown out of a residency at the gallery where I have been working teaching paper-making, bookbinding, printmaking and other good things to a group of 8 to twelve year-olds. Some of the work shown has been made collaboratively and the rest including a fairly large wall based piece is my own reaction to the particular place and theme of materiality and transformation. I have a sense of anti- climax now that it is got to this point, partly because there isn't a specific event launching that particular bit of the work but also a huge sense of relief. The work looks good there; it could do with a bit of lighting, but they are working on that!
For more information about everyone else's work see the websites below. Over the next few months Lucy Fergus, Nick Sayers, Tim Gentry and Paul Matosic will be making their installations at the Lightbox too and some of them and Cas Holmes will be working or will have worked with other groups at schools and colleges.
www.guildfordhousegallery.co.uk
