On Show

 

On Show

The first time I had a solo art exhibition, I felt that I had allowed a part of my soul to be on show. I was more nervous than I had felt on my wedding day. To show your art in a public place has to be an exercise in trust.

'I Dream', one of my artworks on display at the moment.

Therefore to be asked whether you do this for a hobby is a very hard question to reply to. I suppose that if I wanted to produce artwork that was guaranteed to sell in my home town of Whitstable, I would be creating images of beach huts, fishing boats and sunsets. These would then be bought as mementoes of peoples visits here, accessible and easy to live with. But I don’t feel any artistic urge to create these images. I create art from a deep place within me, I feel driven to respond to this urge by ‘doing art’.

Detail from 'Cathedral secrets'.

Art for me can be felt as a meditation. I understand that we all express ourselves in different ways, but for me, it is through creativity that I feel connected to the real world, not the world that is portrayed in the news, but the physical and emotional world around me. I wonder whether art is seen as a pleasurable activity that you don’t have to earn an income from, therefore, not real work but a hobby.

My Painted plank of wood, on show in the studio.

Personally I have yet to hear of any other professions that are so expected to give their time for free. As an artist I have been asked to run free workshops, give work for auctions etc. Yet, never have I seen a barrister, accountant or other professional asked to do the same. In fact, it is interesting to note that I have never been asked to do any work voluntarily as a designer. It would be unprofessional, at the very least to do so. Perhaps that is it, as long as artists are expected to do things for free and willing to do so, then they can expect the hobby reference. Art is all powerful and anyone can create art. Good art takes practice, lots of it, to master the skills required of observation, recognition, application etc. It will take a change of attitude to art in general for this to be appreciated. As long as we fall into the segregation of art either as hobby or big money art, such as Saatchi’s collection with work by Tracey Emin, Damien Hirst etc, then I believe artists may remain generally meek and willing to give their time and products, often one off artefacts for free. Either that or its revolution time!

Disquiet Beauty

I went to Rochester yesterday to see an exhibition in which a friend is exhibiting. The exhibition is called ‘Disquiet Beauty’ and it explores the ‘notions of beauty and alienation, attraction and repulsion and the otherworldly in their use of materials and form.’

Now I would be surprised if anyone suggested that these artists are doing this for a hobby, but I bet there is someone who will. The work is highly crafted and exquisite in its detail. Cormac McManigan, a college friend, had created jewellery pieces of bronze cast into the shape of Stag Beetles, there were works from Kate McGwire and Tessa Farmer there too.

 

 A Kate McQuire piece, made from many pigeon feathers lined up alongside eachother.

Tessa’s work I had seen before in Ashford, at the Stour Valley Arts gallery a year or two ago. I was fascinated by it then and in this exhibition she still has her intricate, tiny fairies flying on bumble bees and attacking wasps, but they also are seen grooming some of the Victorian curiosity exhibits from the nearby Guildhall Museum.

A drawer of moths from the Rochester Guildhall collection.

Kate McGwire has exhibited in the last year in Canterbury at the Beaney Museum. I was disappointed to have missed that, but very glad to see her work for real in this exhibition. She is a sculptor who uses bird feathers.

I loved this piece, by Kate McQuire, it reminded me of a horizon line, with dawn approaching.

She lays them out in a very fluid way, so that they look like they are moving en masse. The framed wall pieces are just beautiful, but it is a shame to have that wonderful iridescence of colour on the feather behind glass, but I expect that protects them, from light, dust and curious fingers too.

Framed feather formation by Kate McGuire.

The pigeon feathers that seem to powerfully rise out of the drain/soil pipe into the gallery is a great piece.

 

Kate's largest feather installation piece, in this exhibition.

I have seen this installation in photographic images in other settings. She must be extremely patient and have real artistic vision to reinstall her work in different areas. But it is the contrast that makes each piece so special and site specific. There is two other artists work on display, but I will leave their work a mystery for anyone reading this to discover for themselves. The exhibition is on until the 3^rd of January 2015 at Rochester Art Gallery and Craft Case.

Display

Rochester was a good place to visit over the half term; it was where I had spent my time at college for 4 years from 1987-1991 and more recently for another 2 years, working part-time on my MA.

 

Rochester Castle and wall silhouette, with sun setting.

Rochester has a castle and a cathedral, city walls and a great history. It was built on the main route through from Dover to London at an important crossing of the river Medway. It has the feel of a transitory place, people pass through; there are many gatehouses, avenues of trees and other significant thresholds and ways. The main Rochester Bridge that crosses the Medway from the London Road is beautifully decorative and has large metal reclining lions on it, similar to those at Trafalgar square and also some much smaller standing lions holding shields, high up among the metalwork.

The decorative detail on the bridge is quite something; I wonder whether such symbolic forms would be added to a new construction, I don’t remember seeing anything on the newer river crossing; the bridge carrying the M2. I recognise the form of both bridges, just as I recognise the silhouette of the castle keep and the castle walls but sometimes the detail gets overlooked with familiarity.

 

Setting sun, glowing through fallen leaves in the castle grounds.

That is why I appreciate visiting exhibitions and seeing work on display. It is a reminder to look again, ‘Disquiet Beauty’ certainly allowed me to do this. I had always been fascinated to see stag beetles, we often see them in our garden and they are a bit frightening when they ‘buzz you’. As Mac said in his TV interview they are prehistoric creatures and his beautiful bronze casts replicate that strangeness that is recognisable, almost familiar, but also very, very odd. 

Mac's stag bronze cast jewellery pieces: brooch and pendant.

 

We have been visiting other artists on the East Kent Open Houses trail. Last weekend we drove to Conyer to see Hugh Ribbans’ creek-side studio and wonderful work. He was allowing visitors to have a go at printing on his large press.

Having a go at printing using the magnificent press.

Similar to Rochester Bridge, it was ornate in its decoration. The metal had been cast, not just to do the job in hand, but it had fierce looking dolphins across its top, snake and arrow forms on its front panels and a curious looking gold coloured crescent moon holding a lever in place.

The 'Reveal', very exciting, a joy for all printmakers.

This was not a machine to be used by a man making art for a hobby, this press meant business. Hugh has, in the past used a steam roller to roll over his lino-cuts and create prints. This perhaps is the stuff of revolutions! Watch this space, and if you see me, please don’t mention the ‘h’ word.   

(I completed my MA in September 2014 and recorded the last two months of it in another blog called www.thesaltwayfarer.blogspot.co.uk

Please feel free to look at that anytime, as it is from that, that I am where I am now.)