Dust On The Floor

After working so furiously on artwork it’s easy to forget the components that are swept up, left behind or discarded. I have come to realise that these elements are critical features and can, sometimes be as important as the work itself.

I’ve been working with chalks and the amount of residue dust that settles (literally everywhere!) in the studio is quite surprising. Working with strong yellows and acidic tones, alongside pure white created some interesting colour formations on the floor. Without thinking I had been walking over the dust making my own mark: creating patterns, and the obsessive in me decided to document this.

It’s easy to forget the details of life that make it more intriguing and ultimately more exciting.

I’m fascinated by the images below.....perhaps my next body of work will explore the by-products when making artwork, instead of the original piece itself.    

Next Stage of New Artwork for Exhibition @Salisbury Arts Centre

Added chalk and acidic yellows to develop the paper hangings further.

'Coexist' NEW Exhibition @Salisbury Arts Centre

Developing large scale drawings for a new exhibition at the Salisbury Arts Centre: 

18^th April – 19^th May

Projecting manipulated photographs onto large sheets of paper, then applying various mediums to create an abstracted visual representation of the original image.

All photographs have been taken and altered by myself: this is a fundamental element to the process. The particular photograph featured in the images below was taken in Salisbury near the industrial estate, to the back of the train station. 

Please return to my Blog in the running up to the exhibition as I will continually post my new developments. 

Updates for the upcoming show can also be found at:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/NewRED/127905187279692?ref=ts&fref=ts

Barbican -The Bride and the Bachelors: Duchamp with Cage, Cunningham, Rauschenberg and Johns

 Exciting New Exhibition:

The Bride and the Bachelors: Duchamp with Cage, Cunningham, Rauschenberg and Johns

14 February 2013 - 9 June 2013

Barbican Art Gallery

"Exploring one of the most important chapters in the history of contemporary art, The Bride and the Bachelors: Duchamp with Cage, Cunningham, Rauschenberg and Johns focuses on Marcel Duchamp ’s American legacy, tracing his relationship to four great modern masters – composer, John Cage, choreographer, Merce Cunningham, and visual artists Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns.

Encountering Duchamp and his work in the early stages of their careers, each of the younger artists embraced key elements of his ideas and practice, resulting in a seismic shift in the direction of art in the 1950s and ‘60s. Characterised by the integration of art and life, the work of Cage, Cunningham, Rauschenberg and Johns heralded the advent of Pop Art."




Barbican -The Bride and the Bachelors: Duchamp with Cage, Cunningham, Rauschenberg and Johns

Reflections on ‘Dorothy’ Exhibition @NewRED

As predicted the show had a manic set up (as do the majority of exhibitions I imagine!), with last minute alterations and a late night in the studio the day before the Private View. Despite this however, all our efforts were well received and confirmed by the encouraging comments made by our friends and the public who attended the show.

The exhibition as a whole worked well with our chosen ‘theme’ and title ‘Dorothy’. NewRED  created a surreal but fun environment where the audience could enjoy contemporary art that posed questions but retained a playful continuation alongside its surroundings.

My assemblage piece was a confident conclusion to a 6 month’s worth of work and research. I felt that I responded to the materials well and portrayed the visual image featured in my photographic research in a considered manner.

I can now take my work forward in a positive direction in the knowledge that I have formulated a clear relationship with my practice and the concepts I strive to present. 

I thoroughly enjoyed everything about the ‘Dorothy’ show and maintain that it was our most ambitious exhibition to date. I look forward to experimenting and creating a new work using the knowledge gained from ‘Dorothy’.

NewRED Exhibition

Developments of Own Practice & Up Coming Exhibition

Due to up-coming exhibitions (both group and solo shows) I have been focusing all of my artistic efforts on the development of my practice. I have wanted to create an installation for years now however, I’ve never been completely content with an idea enough to actually allow it to materialise.

After lengthy discussions with my group at NewRED I have finally come to a conclusion with my work that will take on a sculptural form. By taking elements that I’ve learnt from my previous projects I will (hopefully!) manage to create an installation that incorporates all the best bits of my practice.

About a year ago my work became engulfed by found objects: primarily wooden doors that I would drill and then stitch into: creating a strange delicate/industrial collaboration. This work progressed into gritty, urban photography captured after dark. I focused on the local College building as I was drawn to the tall staircase, exposed by glass. At night this glass section is lit up with acidic green/lemon tones that create an atmospheric quality I was desperate to capture.

After all this experimentation I decided to take a step back to analyse what I had learnt. The outcome of this reflection has taken the form of the door and window featured in the photographs. These images represent the initial stages of what will progress into an installational piece, integrating lighting and space. I want to allow the audience to experience the same emotions I did when originally taking photographs of the college: stemming back to the root of this project.

I’ll be updating the blog as my work progresses so be sure to have a peek every week or so.

Also, make sure you keep Friday 19 October 2012 free in your diaries too, it’s the Private View of NewRED Art Spaces new exhibition:

“Come and Meet Dorothy”

We’ve organised for a V-J to play at the Private View, so live entertainment, art, beer and snacks will make for an exciting opening to the show.