Showing posts with label galleries. Show all posts

23 March 2021

March 2021

A Brave New World

Installation view of the 'Garfield Weston' gallery,
MK Calling 2020, with the vitrine my art was displayed in (right)
Picture credit: MK Gallery.

Contemporary Drama

MK Calling 2020 is the longest-running exhibition I've been in so far. This group exhibition, at MK Gallery, opened in February 2020, temporarily closed for lockdown late in March and finally re-opened with an extension until November 2020. In all that time, I managed just two visits in person, as I've being at home every since the first lockdown.

Of course, like many other people, I was hoping the COVID-19 pandemic would be over quickly and wondering when, or if, we would get back to 'normal' life. Initially I was optimistic that I'd catch up with my reading, make art, maybe start designing an online arts course. The reality was that my productivity ground to a halt. Instead of breaking new ground online, my broadband struggled as everyone around me logged on at home. Eventually my creative outlook re-emerged to focus on drawing nearer to home, as I've done in the past.

Installation view during MK Calling 2020,
including the vitrine with my art display
Picture credit: MK Gallery.

Creating New Pathways

However, I was heartened to see lots of other people launch online art clubs and events, making the most of people's extra spare time as they worked from home and spent less time travelling. The availability of events, using Zoom and other online resources, has hopefully squashed a lot of arguments against flexible access, where travelling distance, time and costs have meant that some events have been inaccessible to many. The ability to screen and record events for sharing online, engage with communities via social media, run live interactive events on various platforms and even set up 'stalls' and promote work in international online events, mean that a lot of invisible access barriers have been flattened in the last year. If the arts want to support diversity, then this is one step closer to equal access for all.

In 2021, the availability of vaccinations and the natural optimism of Spring, is bringing hope to everyone. Whilst there is a temptation to simply return fixed locations to share art from, I'm hoping that some of the more distance-learning methods of sharing the arts will be here to stay. Here's to a more fluid and flexible access path to arts and crafts in the future.

Artists are always innovating and a more accessible approach to participatory arts and associated funding could be the start of a more connected era in the arts. If our brave new world has learnt some useful tricks from this pandemic, maybe some long-lasting benefit will have come out of it after all.

Installation view of my artwork
in the vitrine display of MK Calling 2020.
Picture credit: MK Galley / S. Raymond

13 February 2020

MK Calling 2020

24 November 2019

Sketchy Plans 2019

My first sketching event was outside the newly refurbished MK Gallery

A Short History of Drawing Around Milton Keynes

It turns out that 2019 became the year I started running events for a Milton Keynes sketch group. This is a Facebook group that I initially took over from local artist Dave Hilliard, who had run a few events before I showed up. As another local group had ground to a halt after three events, I knew that if I wanted to see more events in the area I had better start running them myself. So I took the opportunity to try and create my first local arts programme for sketching in urban spaces.

My intention was to run a few events using my community engagement experience. I was also aiming to shed more light on the benefits of urban sketching, activities that were proven in more established groups in Bedford, Northampton, London and other areas. Taking a few pointers from Dave, who had been part of the Northampton group, we made a start around the time that the refurbished Milton Keynes Gallery was due to re-launch.

Our first event took place in Margaret Powell Square, which sits just outside MK Theatre and the art gallery. Our second event was inside the galleries, taking advantage of the first exhibition called "Lie Of the Land", which seemed quite appropriate for an urban landscape sketch group.. In August we made it to our landmark fifth event. This means that I have now run more urban sketching events in MK than any other local organiser. I've taken a short break, to attend to other matters, but I hope to get back to scheduling more local events soon.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Suzanna Raymond (@srfirehorseart) on Jul 21, 2019 at 1:44pm PDT

A Day Trip to Regents Park

To make sure I understood the basic model for sketching events, I joined the Urban Sketchers London group in July for an all-day sketch trip around Regents Park. This was a fun, informative event and I even got one of their badges! Their 'Draw London' event ran from 11:00 in the morning until 3:30 in the afternoon. These sketch gatherings were run as free events with no booking required.

As I arrived in Regents Park a little late, due to misjudging how long it'd take me to get to the start point, I was worried I'd miss the group. However, the group leader had stayed by the inner circle gates long past the start time to direct latecomers. As a bonus, I also ended up meeting local contact Sophie, who had started the Bedford urban sketchers group, and she gave me a few pointers. We formed a small group with a guy visiting from Hamburg and London member Elvin, who knew the group leader.

Our group went looking for a spot to sketch from and ended up diving into the Benugo cafe when it started to rain. We had two other sketchers join us at our table. As I wanted to know why everyone was there and what kind of sketchers they were, I was keen to chat to everyone. In the end we learnt a lot about each other while were sketching. After lunch, when we relocated to the next meeting point, I had a similar experience seated next to another sketcher on a bench facing a fountain.

Sitting in a central public space also turned out to be a good way to meet up with people you know, as I spotted graphic novel legends Paul Gravett and Peter from Comica London and Escape books taking a stroll around the Triton Fountain. We had a bit of a catch-up chat before they continued on their way.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Suzanna Raymond (@srfirehorseart) on Jul 23, 2019 at 11:32am PDT

In the end I stayed for the whole thing, including sketchbook throw-downs and group photos. From my point of view the event was a success, as I found out that my events are run in a similar format to that of a more established group. I also found out a lot about how and why these groups are run and what else may work for drawing sessions in my own area.

It turned out, from speaking to others with more experience, that becoming an official urban sketchers group is something that'll have to wait until we have more active members. Otherwise, we seem to be doing fine, albeit with less strict guidelines about what members post to the MK group. I look forward to hopefully enticing more people out of their homes with a sketchbook to explore their local area.

Links:

Drawing Around Milton Keynes (Facebook)
Urban Sketchers London chapter

15 March 2019

Drawing Breath in 2019

Sketchy Plans

Bit of a slow start to the year but it's one of those times in life where apparently no-one has a clue what is going on, so we can be forgiven for winging it.

MK sketch group outside the new MK Gallery (Feb 2019)

Milton Keynes Sketchers

A couple of years ago I discussed the idea of setting up an new MK sketching group, as the one I'd joined had ground to a halt after three events. A neighbour gave me space on her Meetup account and I was also invited to take over a Facebook drawing group. Both of these sat relatively dormant until this year when I started to run events in February.

We had our first sketching social event in February, during a few days of unseasonably warm weather. This made for a lovely, sunny first event, where we sketched outside the new Milton Keynes gallery, which was in its final run up to opening in March.

The next event for the group will return to the gallery on 24th March, so that we can have a group tour of the building, catch the first exhibition and socialise in the new cafe.

If you like to join us you can find out more about the group and event details here:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1451140798544828/
Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/Milton-Keynes-Sketching-Meetup/

The New MK Gallery

The MK Gallery has had a fab, shiny new £12m makeover and I'm looking forward to seeing in on its open day on Saturday 16th March. There was a private view on Thursday, which seems to have been very well attended. I'm buzzing for the official open day, which will have lots of free activities to indulge in from 11 am onward. I love free stuff.

The first exhibition looks like it'll be fantastic for fans of urban landscape, like myself.

"#TheLieoftheLand charts how British landscape has been radically transformed through changing attitudes to free time, culture and leisure." - MKG publicity .

There are tons of articles about how the gallery has been redesigned by 6a architects with input from artists Gareth Jones and Nils Norman to create a City Club harking back to the early days of Milton Keynes. Also, the new building incorporates a much-needed cinema and performance space, a stylish new cafe and a refreshed paint job inside and out.

"artists Gareth Jones and Nils Norman have collaborated with 6a architects and graphic designer Mark El-khatib to create City Club, a sequence of new public spaces in and around the new gallery. This includes the foyer and café, plus a playscape, garden and a new façade for the existing gallery building." - a-n News

So pleased to be @MK_Gallery for the opening - what a fabulous space and a brilliant #exhibition ... great signage too! @MKComFoundation @ace_national pic.twitter.com/BsesWqkLNw
— CultureMK (@CultureMK) March 14, 2019

30 November 2017

MK Fifty

Pathfinding

A quick post, in case you've wondered what else I've been up to in 2017, the year that Milton Keynes turned fifty years old.

Soon after the MK Calling exhibition at MK Galley, I had a solo exhibition at Stantonbury Gallery, Milton Keynes.

This exhibition at Stantonbury Campus explored the unpredictable nature of the urban landscape and the winding path of the emerging artist. These paths were represented by a series of works created during and after my Fine Art degree. The images look at the contemporary art world and the contemporary urban world, asking you to enquire about the usefulness of endeavour in the face of the temporary nature of success and the variety of ways achievements are absorbed by and re-purposed by the environment they exist in. These vignettes of decisive moments in the paths creative artists tread, mark the progress across unclear boundaries between achievement and failure, death and renewal.

Works on show included photographic prints from my degree final project. As my sketchbooks had been a popular item at MK Calling, I brought a few of those along to share at the private view.

Whilst this was a small event, it at least afforded me a sense of closure about my degree work, as I was able to show more of my final work to the public. This made up for the lack of a final university degree exhibition, a rite of passage which most fine art degree students expect as a matter of course. My final work had been displayed at the University of Northampton for grading by my tutors but unfortunately the university didn't permit me to share this with my friends and the general public at the time.

You can find a couple of photos about the Pathfinder exhibition on Instagram.

A post shared by Suzanna Raymond (@srfirehorseart) on Jul 9, 2017 at 2:56pm PDT

Image: Untitled (Path), a triptych of photographic prints, mounted on board. Approx. (h. 430cm x w. 230 cm) x 3.

A post shared by Suzanna Raymond (@srfirehorseart) on Jul 11, 2017 at 2:46pm PDT

Installation view of Pathfinder at Stantonbury Gallery. The empty plinths were used to display some of my sketchbooks on the day of the private view but could equally be taken to represent the ephemeral nature of some artworks and artists' careers.

18 April 2017

MK Calling 2017

Celebrating the urban landscape of Milton Keynes.

The next MK Calling exhibition at Milton Keynes gallery previews on April 20th. This show was an open call for artists interested in architecture, construction and links to Milton Keynes. I'll be showing my urban sketches as part of this event, which fits in well with my current work. You can read more about my urban sketching in MK on my new page: https://srfirehorseart.blogspot.co.uk/p/gallery.html

MK is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and the gallery is opening the space again for this show before the site is re-developed over the next two years. When the refurbished gallery re-opens it should have more space and facilities like a cafe.

This spring, MK Gallery showcases new and exciting work by over 70 emerging and established artists in MK Calling 2017. This exhibition is designed to celebrate the breadth of creativity around Milton Keynes and will include a wide range of art forms alongside a dynamic programme of events and participatory sessions.

- from the MK Gallery website http://www.mkgallery.org/exhibitions/mk_calling_2017/

It's great to be showing at the gallery again, with a theme that I'm currently exploring. Everyone is invited and MK Gallery are promising music, food and drink (as well as the art of course) at the preview.

The exhibition runs until 27 May 2017.

7 March 2017

Tarting About

A post shared by Suzanna Raymond | (@srfirehorseart) on Oct 13, 2016 at 9:49am PDT

T'Art Zine

The T'Art show for International Women's Day 2017 has opened at Bones & Pearl Studios, in London. It's a group exhibition celebrating International Women’s Day with participatory zine making!

Following the Sweet 'Art group on Instagram led to me spotting an opportunity to contribute to the T'Art zine that forms part of this year's event. The page I submitted is the same one that has appeared in Girl Frenzy to Crone Frenzy but it will hopefully get a new audience at this event.

The T'Art show runs 7th - 9th March, with an opening event in the evening on the 8th March. See more about what they do at http://www.wearesweetart.com/

The CAS PostIt Exchange

Following up a link I saw on Facebook, I'm pleased to say I have been selected up to take part in the Chapel Arts Studios Post It Exchange. The CAS project, based in Andover, is about putting together artists to collaborate on items they post to each other. The results will be shared on Instagram with the #CASpostitexchange tag. My Instagram name is @srfirehorseart.

The project has just launched in pilot and they're still open to including more artists. More info on the project is on their website: http://www.chapelartsstudios.co.uk/events/event/pilot-cas-postit/

Seventy Percent Admin

As has been observed elsewhere, an artist's life is only somewhat about creating wonderful things, the bulk of it is everything else. That means working to pay the bills, filing, submitting your tax return, DBS updates, insurance, networking and so on. After all that you may be able to squeeze the creativity into the last 30% of your time.

Likewise with my own life. So I've just updated my CV and artist's statement and have applied to another MK Calling exhibition at MK Gallery, this time with some of my urban sketches. Wish me luck!

19 October 2016

Pecha Kucha MK

A photo posted by Suzanna Raymond | Artist | (@srfirehorseart) on Sep 6, 2016 at 11:05am PDT

Creatives Talking

Since recovering from a bout of illness, I've dived back to the fast-flowing stream that is 2016. Last week I attended the local gathering for comics and zine creators and indie publishers hosted by Milton Keynes Gallery.

It was great to have such a buzzing session where everyone seemed to find someone to swap ideas and stories with. The idea was to have a space where the kind of creatives that attended MKomix in 2012 could meet up. We're making use of the existing MKomix Facebook group to keep the conversations going after the event and a similar opportunity to get together should happen again early in 2017.

Pecha Kucha MK

Even though I thought I knew what Pecha Kucha was, having heard the term applied to a couple of gallery events, I didn't realise it had an international and licensed format. Milton Keynes now has an official license to hold Pecha Kucha events, with the interesting twist that the creator of this format and platform used to live in Wolverton, Milton Keynes, where the first talk will be held.

The first event will be free to attend and I will be one of its speakers. My slide show (20 slides, 20 seconds each) will talk about my experience as a new emerging artist. The presentation will cover my creative interests in urban & social landscapes, contemporary art. urban sketching, comics and zines.

The first PK event will be on Wednesday 19th from 7pm, see this link for more details.

17 October 2015

Friezeing Out The Emerging Artist

Friezeing your butt off?

London Art Fairs 2015

As I've been a bit busy recently, I almost missed the fact that we'd crept up to Frieze week again. Yes, it's that time in October when the whizzes at Frieze lure wealthy ~~investors~~ art buyers into Regent's Park in order to part them from their money in exchange for some cultural assets. Frieze London obviously have a sense of humour as there was even a talk asking Can Artists Afford to Live in London?,which is available as a free mp3 for those too poor to attend in person. If you got a free ticket or are an emerging artist working at the fair then well done to you!

If you read my last post you may be aware of the existence of The Cultivist, a new venture who will whisk impatient people with money past the boring queues and straight over to a curator and a glass of champagne, and quite right too. Also, I'm sure that with the proper advice, these same lucky folk can go to some lectures on how to spend money on art and skip the hard part of trying to understand why anyone likes it, after all if it's worth a lot of money it must be worth having, right? No need to spend time thinking about what an emerging artist is developing if you can just pick up something by a recently dead famous artist. Chin, chin!

If you happen to be one of those aforementioned poor emerging artists, you can commiserate with your fellow artists flogging their work, and those curators who taking a break from Frieze, by heading over to The Other Art Fair / Moniker where there are somewhat more affordable artworks and snacks. If that's not your style there are sure to be a couple of other art fairs on in the same block at the Old Truman Brewery.

If you're looking for actual creativity, rather than just shopping, then head over to Sluice, which is back after a year's break from London, This is the one of the art fairs that I've enjoyed the most, as you actually get to talk to other artists and small galleries. Busy curators presumably head over there on Sunday after Frieze shuts its doors, so no one need miss the fun.

And finally, this Twitter exchange, with fab Leeds-based artist Emily Speed, summed it all up for me ...

When curators suggest a meeting at Frieze and you're like, NO DUDE, it's £36 and I'd be paying for my own ticket.
— Emily Speed (@speedina) October 15, 2015

@SRfirehorseart @sluice__ aye, Can I do a studio visit? Sure, my studio is here... reply - oh, well let me know when you're in town next...
— Emily Speed (@speedina) October 16, 2015

Happy 2015 to all you lovely London art fair explorers! :)

9 October 2015

Disma Life and The Emerging Artist

Sign for the closed Madcap arts venue, Wolverton, Milton Keynes.

Business Development Opportunities

Business Development Officers at art galleries and museums were probably on tenterhooks watching the public’s reaction to Banksy’s 5-week Dismaland in Weston-super- Mare. The event slash mass-installation has been a hit to the tune of an extra £20m of business to the seaside town. That may be enough to reassure the galleries that are banking on big names to draw in enough visitors to shore up their funding deficits.

In a Spiked article Brendan O’Neill (who also writes for the Spectator) says "Banksy is modern capitalism’s loss of faith in itself made flesh." Yet, however much Mr O’Neill and various critics might like to lambast this particular vein, they seem to miss some key points when they pause to mock. This successful graffiti artist with art world links is simply on the money about what the public want to see right now - Banksy has become the validated Jack Vettriano of street art-meets-fine-art. Key figures in the contemporary art establishment have embraced Banksy's work, as he bridges the gap between popular art and in-your-face 90's contemporary art bling. It makes sense that Damien Hirst, a past master of monetizing the art statement piece, was in the Dismaland show. Yet it’s not all about showmanship, as Banksy represents a socially-aware sentiment with Pop Art overtones that is acknowledged by noted artists like Sir Peter Blake. Emerging artists who are currently weeping into their student loan statements could do well to note where public sentiment and art world interests overlap. The verdict of the average man on the Clapham omnibus carries more weight in an art world returning to holding its cap out for private investment.

Cult Cottage Industry

Jonathan Jones (The Guardian, 2006), arguing against Banky's media-savvy public profile, told us that “Art needs layers of meaning. It needs ambiguity and a bit of mystery.” That statement makes sense for most artists, providing you’re looking for depth in fine art. If you think that it also still means that buyers still prefer landscapes, Pop Art and abstracts then you’re only partly right. My recent quick survey (I asked the sales assistant), at a local art gallery popular with wedding parties looking for gifts and art to take home, had the response that what most of their customers want to buy right now contains a large element of fantasy or something to make them smile. Thus it makes perfect sense that David Shrigley’s tongue-in-cheek work was also featured at Dismaland.

The current economic crisis has everyone running scared, such that edgy art sells well now if it’s also immediately funny, loaded with irony or comforting in some perverse way. One of my non-art friends would rather buy prints of blue-sky beach huts and cute cottages than art reminding her of the gritty realities of daily life. Even wealthy art buyers want the reassurance that they’re cared about when they visit the arts or make an investment. It is with those nervous and affluent buyers in mind that two entrepreneurs have launched an exclusive arts club. The Cultivist offers a service to handhold “people who are affluent and realise they need to do something with art”. This service includes fast-track VIP access to everything arts-related, a bargain at just £1,900 a year with no waiting in line with those who have merely obtained middle-income wealth. It’s a marriage of convenience that many arts business development officers must wish they’d thought of it first.

Arts Emergency

At the other end of the spectrum there are artists banding together to create a community conscience and bring back political comment into art, such as Bob and Roberta Smith’s Art Party campaign. Or you could support access to education for young emerging artists via the Arts Emergency mentoring scheme. If you are an artist frustrated with the skewed economics of austerity Britain, then you could also join a public group like the Manchester-based ‘Artists Against Austerity’, a grass-roots artist led collective, who aim to “come together as a community of artists and creatives to stage a series of events/exhibitions … to engage, reconnect and empower communities to join forces and oppose austerity”. The AAA certainly got their wish when the leading political parties decided to rally their forces in Manchester this October.

The role of protest and representation of the poor is one that some artists have always occupied, one that is easy to sympathise with given the tendency for artists to take on part-time low paid work to support themselves if they spurn more commercial themes in their output. A quick survey of modern art history suggests that artists who highlight the plight of the poor, like Vincent Van Gogh, Gustave Courbet and Käthe Kollwitz, can produce work that gives us beautiful and moving accounts of the human condition. Certainly it is easier to deliver an ugly message when it is presented in an attractive wrapping. Whether these works initiate social change is a separate matter, but they do tend to provoke controversy and that leads to probing conversations on issues, discussions that must be better than just more political whitewash on unwelcome changes in society. If the UK’s recent surge of support for a return to traditional Socialist politics is any indicator of a change of direction, the time of the socially-aware artist may have come round again.

6 March 2015

What an Emerging Artist Does All Day

Shelfie - for World Books Day, 2015

Now, you may wonder why there's a big gap since my last post and that's because I have recently started to explore the murky work of funding.

As an artist, I have had to get to grips with the thorny issue of having a more defined attitude to selling work, rather than just hoping some exhibition visitor will make enquiries. To this end I have been attending a series of workshops run at the NN Contemporary gallery in Northampton. Over three workshops Tracey Clarke, a business development bod for the Crafts Council and NN, has been gently guiding us through the steps we can take to lead us From Art to Commerce.

With the exception of a couple of professional artists who had lost their direction in their practice, most of the attendees had mainly sold via friends or family. What we lacked was a plan as to how to create sustainable incomes.

There is no quick fix, as we found. As artists we need to research our field and be more business-like as well as have the courage to continue perusing our creative paths. After the February workshop I had several things on my to-do list, one of which was to update my blog, so here we are.

As for my bookshelf, that now contains books on funding and business as well as art, not as a result of the workshop but rather due to a part-time job for a charity, which I started at the end of last year. Although charities seem to be largely interested in grant applications and government-led funding, sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and just ask people directly to help your cause. Active fundraising, research and marketing go hand in hand, as Tracey pointed out to all us emerging artists in the workshop. Dealing with funding issues for a charity has certainly helped me think more carefully about how you ask people for money and I aim to have fine-tuned that skill by the end of this year.

Let me know what you think about arts funding. Is it getting better where you are?

Chat to me on Twitter or Facebook.

16 October 2014

London Art Fairs, October - Dec 2014

Frieze London: Big art in a big tent.

Art fairs are one of several great ways to see contemporary art and for buyers to take their first steps to invest in an artist. They can also be good places for artists to gauge current trends, network and meet galleries, depending on the type of fair.

The a-n 2014 degree show guide has this advice on buying work by new artists

At this point I was going to write a bit about Frieze week but I've been very busy recently and there are some good articles in the press:
The Guardian - Why the Frieze art fair works and The best of Frieze art fair 2014 – in pictures
The Independent - Frieze: Co-founder defends 'Ikea for millionaires'

Your big fat London art fair diary

Frieze London & Frieze Masters, October 15-18
Regent's Park / +44 (0)20 3372 6111 / http://friezelondon.com/
Frieze London is the main event to see contemporary art by established artists. This large show is an expensive ticket but has so far been very popular with the public. The project spaces are worth seeking out to see smaller galleries and artist's groups sharing their wares.
Sadly the ticket prices have now reached eye-watering heights, which I find off-putting as an emerging artist. The fair organisers seem unfazed by this, stating in The Independent that "We sell out all our tickets in advance". In fact their Student/Child/evening and Combined tickets have sold out but the other three ticket types still seem to be available when I checked on Thursday evening.

Sadly the existence of any other art fairs is overshadowed by Frieze, though they also benefit from galleries and dealers descending on London en masse, as some people visit more than one event and the following list of events reflects that fair-hopping opportunity.

The Other Art Fair, October 16-19
The Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, London E1 6QL / +44 (0)20 7886 3062 / http://www.theotherartfair.com/
Blurb: 'The Other Art Fair is a unique platform from which [undiscovered artists] can independently showcase their work: to gallerists, curators, critics and collectors.'
In 2014 The Other Art Fair contained rows of white-walled stands, with artists apparently roughly grouped according to the type of work on show. In general the work was sometimes engagingly fresh but also predominantly commercial, with the occasional homage to/copy of better known artists. The Other Art Fair shares a ticket and floor space with Moniker, which had a slightly more lively approach to stand design, borrowing Frieze stand typography for its spaces and using a open floor spaces for performances by the bar area..

Sunday Art Fair, October 15 - 18
Blurb: Sunday Art Fair specializes in contemporary art.
35-100 Marylebone Road, Ambika P3 / sunday-fair.com

1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair, October 16 - 19
Blurb: 1:54 is a leading platform for galleries, artists, curators, art centres and institutions promoting African and Africa related projects.
Somerset House, Strand / +442081443694 / 1-54.com

Kinetica Art Fair, October 16 - 19
Blurb: 'Championing innovation, providing a global platform for galleries, curatorial groups & artists working with interdisciplinary new media art.'
"This exhibition showcases interactive, multi-media artwork." - The Independent
In 2014 the ticket price I overheard was £16, which seemed a bit high to me, but the fair seemed popular with families who could put their small children in front of shiny, twirly art objects.
The Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane / +442073929674 / kinetica-artfair.com

Affordable Art Fair Battersea, October 23 - 26
Bills itself as "London’s friendliest art fair" The advertised ticket prices are more than The Other Art Fair but less than Kinetica, make of that what you will.
Battersea Evolution, Battersea Park, London, SW11 4NJ / +44 (0)20 8246 4848 / http://affordableartfair.com/uk/

Sluice Art Fair - last event in October 2013
This fair will be back in October 2015, according to Karl at Sluice.
In the meantime they seem to be getting stuck into #ExchangeRates in Bushwick, Brooklyn / 23rd-26th Oct 2014
/ + 44 (0)1273 488996 / www.sluice.info/ / https://twitter.com/sluice__

Big Deal seems to have morphed into Big Deal! Marvellous MIx-UpsX1, which happened in July 2014, so we've missed it already!
[Big Deal No 5 (2013) was held in the Cavendish St underground car park] / contactus@deal-big.biz / http://www.deal-big.biz/
Big Deal! Marvellous MIx-UpsX1 http://www.deal-big.biz/big-deal-2-shows.html

You can see my blog entries about Big Deal No5 and Sluice Art Fair 2013 on my Facebook page.
These fairs were both free to attend and I'd recommend emerging artists make time for them when they surface again.

For more art fair listings also see ArtForum's listings.

16 June 2014

Art picks for June/July

Art picks and reviews for June/July 2014

Until the end of July is a great time to catch degree art shows and to discover emerging artists. If you're outside London, try go to an event near where you live to see work by new local artists before they are tempted to move away to the big smoke. Or look for exhibitions by emerging artists at local contemporary art venues over the summer.

A Stack of History, 2013.
Fine Art degree dissertation, art history books arranged vertically by size, paper slips.

Degree show guides and showcases.

a-n Degree Show Guide - Flick through this free magazine online or download it
Tips for art buyers - A page of advice from a-n for buying work by emerging artists
Free Range - A guide to a season of FREE graduate Art + Design shows at the The Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane, East London (29th May - 14th July)

Exhibitions June/July 2014

Vikings: life and legend
It's got Vikings, as you'd expect, and I love the British Museum but this is a popular exhibition and so it'll be very busy. However, if you don't like slow-moving crowds (see review below) you may not be in a hurry to visit ...
Blurb: 'Discover the Viking world in this major exhibition – the first at the British Museum for over 30 years.'
Review: 'Vikings at the British Museum is hell. Terrible viewing conditions; like the slowest moving buffet queue in THE WORLD. Disappointed :( ' Emily Speed (@speedina) April 25, 2014
British Museum, London. Until 22 June.
https://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/exhibitions/vikings.aspx

Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs
One of the first pieces of modern art that I enjoyed as a child is The Snail (1953), which usually lives at Tate Britain. Look out for the mini-snail inching its way around one of the bold slabs of colour.
The blurb: 'Henri Matisse is a giant of modern art. This landmark show explores the final chapter in his career in which he began ‘carving into colour’ and his series of spectacular cut-outs was born.The exhibition represents a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see so many of the artist’s works in one place and discover Matisse’s final artistic triumph.'
Top tip: Sunday evenings will be set aside for a quieter exhibition viewing experience, with visitor numbers restricted from 20.00–22.30.
Tate Modern, Bankside, SE1 9TG. (0)20 7887 8888 / Until 7 Sept.
http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/exhibition/henri-matisse-cut-outs

Marina Abramović: 512 Hours
At the start of 2014, I'd said that the exhibition that most intrigued me was the prospect of seeing Abramović at the Serpentine Gallery and a possible takeover of Kensington Gardens. As the first performance approached we heard that Marina felt intimidated by her prospective British audience, saying "The British are sarcastic. They make fun of everything.", and that has been bourne out responses in various articles have ranged from the unexpectedly emotional through to rebellious irritation at being directed by the artist and her assistants. This hasn't scared off visitors though and the queue to take part apparently starts very early and stretches into Kensington Gardens, with some people bringing chairs for their wait.
Top tips: Entry is free of charge and on a strictly first-come, first-served basis. There is no advance booking. Due to the limited capacity, visitors may be expected to queue outside, so bring water, sunscreen and an umbrella for the time you may be required to wait. Galleries open 10am - 6pm, Tuesday - Sunday, plus bank holidays
Serpentine Gallery, London W2 / 44 (0)20 7402 6075 / Until 25th August.
http://www.serpentinegalleries.org / Look out for 'A.G.N.E.S' if you fancy an interactive experience on the website.

RA Summer Exhibition
A vast sprawling exhibition in the main galeries of the RA, the show annually shows a wide range of work, mostly for sale. The joys include seeing work by well-known contemporary artists, the lows include sore feet as you reach the end. Judging by the reviews on BBC Arts, this year's most interesting curated room will probably be that by Cornelia Parker, who has selected around a black and white theme.
Blurb:'The largest open submission exhibition in the world'; 'Held without interruption since 1769, the Summer Exhibition displays works in a variety of mediums and genres by emerging and established contemporary artists.'
Top tip: If you want to buy something to take home you might also like Not the Royal Academy (below)
RA Main Galleries, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD / 020 7300 8000 / Until 17 Aug.
www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibition/15

Twixt Two Worlds
'This display maps the pivotal moment in cinema history when still photography evolved into moving images' A Whitechapel Gallery collaboration with the Contemporary Arts Society, using magic lanterns, slides withr pioneering cinema imagery and contemporary artists to revisit the history and techniques of early film.
Whitechapel Gallery, Gallery 7, London E1 7QX / +44 (0)20 7522 7888 / Until 31 August
http://www.whitechapelgallery.org/exhibitions/contemporary-art-society-twixt-two-worlds

Not the Royal Academy
A Salon des Refusés for some of the artists who didn't make it into the RA Summer Exhibition but nevertheless have commerically viable work. Worth a look if you want to see more traditional work suited to a domestic setting.
LLEWELLYN ALEXANDER GALLERY, 124-126 The Cut, Waterloo, London SE 1 8LN UK (Opposite the Old Vic Theatre) / Tel: 020 7620 1322/1324 / Until 16 Aug.
http://www.nottheroyalacademy.com/

BP Portrait Award
Another popular open submission prize and exhibition. Mostly representational art and I rarely agree with the first prize selection, tending to prefer the runners up, but I still love to go and see what is thrown up each year. The travel prize is also always interesting.
Top tips: Admission Free, open late Thursdays and Fridays.
National Portrait Gallery, St Martin’s Place, London, WC2H 0HE / 020 7306 0055 / Until 21st Sept.
http://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/exhibitions/bp-portrait-award-2014/the-exhibition.php

Outside London

Bristol - Jeremy Deller: English Magic
Jeremy Deller's English Magic tours to Bristol in April, for the second leg of its trip around England. This time the exhibition's local links will include include new installations and commissions made in direct response to the museum’s own collections; including paintings of the Bristol Riots of 1831 by William James Muller and a display of taxidermy, handpicked by Deller.
This was one exhibition I was very glad to visit at the William Morris Gallery, as I couldn't get to the Venice Biennale and I wanted to see English Magic in person. Jeremy Deller makes the kind of work I'd like to be making myself. I need to find my own way there, so I take work like his as an inspiration that the art world still supports artists making socially-inclusive artworks.
Top tip: See the events list.
Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, Queens Road, Bristol, BS8 1RL. Until 21 September
http://www.bristol.gov.uk/page/leisure-and-culture/jeremy-deller-english-magic-exhibition

Mondrian and Colour
Blurb: 'See over 50 works spanning Mondrian’s journey, many from the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, which holds the largest collection of Mondrian’s paintings, along with exhibits from museums and private collections in Europe and the USA.'
Turner Contemporary, Margate, Kent CT9 1HG / + 44 (0) 1843 233000 / Until 21 Sept.
http://www.turnercontemporary.org/exhibitions/mondrian-and-colour

Mondrian and his Studios
The partner exhibition to Mondrian at the Turner Contemporary (above)
Blurb: 'This brand new exhibition, which commemorates the 70th anniversary of the artist’s death, provides fresh insights into Mondrian’s practice and explores his relationship with architecture and urbanism.'
Tate Liverpool, Liverpool / Until 5 October.
http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-liverpool/exhibition/mondrian-and-his-studios

11 June 2014

Art Fairs, Jun - Dec 2014

London Art Fairs, June - December 2014

Signs you're at an art fair.

Fairs

Affordable Art Fair Hampstead Heath, 12 - 15 June
Lower Fairground Site, East Heath Road, Hampstead, London, NW3 1TH / +44 (0)20 8246 4848
http://affordableartfair.com/uk/
The Affordable Art Fair hosts emerging and contemporary galleries. Artworks priced from £400 - £4000. There's an emerging artist showcase too but this is limited to artists from University of the Arts London (UAL) art colleges.

Masterpiece Art Fair, Jun 26 - Jul 2
South Grounds, The Royal Hospital Chelsea, London SW3 / +442074997470
http://www.masterpiecefair.com/
Art, antiques, design.

20/21 British Art Fair, Sep 10 - 14
Royal College of Art, Kensington Gore / +442087421611
http://www.britishartfair.co.uk/
'British art with a focus on Modern and Post-War but also featuring contemporary work'

Frieze London & Frieze Masters, October 16-19
Regent's Park (Frieze London is near Gt Portland Street, Frieze Masters is at the Camden end) / +44 (0)20 3372 6111
http://friezelondon.com/
Frieze London is the main event for contemporary art by established artists. This large show is an expensive ticket but has so far been very popular with the public. The project spaces are worth seeking out to see smaller galleries and artist's groups sharing their wares.

The Other Art Fair, October 16-19
The Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, London E1 6QL / +44 (0)20 7886 3062
http://www.theotherartfair.com/
'The Other Art Fair is a unique platform from which [undiscovered artists] can independently showcase their work: to gallerists, curators, critics and collectors.'

Big Deal , TBC for 2014
http://www.deal-big.biz/
[Big Deal No 5 (2013) was held in the Cavendish St underground car park] / contactus@deal-big.biz

Sluice Art Fair - TBC for 2014
This fair appears to be taking a break in 2014 in order to fundraise? / + 44 (0)1273 488996
http://www.sluiceartfair.com/
A fair for artists and small arts organisations to network and showcase their work around Frieze week. In 2013 this event included a few small galleries from New York.

Affordable Art Fair Battersea, 23 - 26 October
Battersea Evolution, Battersea Park, London, SW11 4NJ / +44 (0)20 8246 4848
http://affordableartfair.com/uk/

You can see blog entries about Big Deal No5 and Sluice Art Fair 2013 on my Facebook page. These were both free to attend and I'd recommend going when they surface again. No dates as yet, as I'm still waiting to see info on their 2014/5 events.

This guide was partly compiled from entries on Artforum:
http://www.artforum.com/guide/calendar=special&filter=8

20 May 2014

Art picks for May/June

Art picks and reviews for May/June 2014

May - July is a great time to catch degree art shows and to discover emerging artists. If you're outside London, try go to an event near where you live to see work by new local artists before they are tempted to move away to the big smoke. Or look for exhibitions by emerging artists at local contemporary art venues over the summer.

Fine Art degree exhibition by Suzanna Raymond, 2013.

Degree show guides and showcases.

a-n Degree Show Guide - Flick through this free magazine online or download it
Tips for art buyers - A page of advice from a-n for buying work by emerging artists
Free Range - A guide to a season of FREE graduate Art + Design shows at the The Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane, East London (29th May - 14th July)

Exhibitions May/June 2014

Richard Hamilton at Tate Modern
Blockbuster retrospective of 'one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century'.
Blurb: 'Tate Modern presents the first retrospective to encompass the full scope of Hamilton’s work, from his early exhibition designs of the 1950s to his final paintings of 2011. This exhibition explores his relationship to design, painting, photography and television, as well as his engagement and collaborations with other artists.'
Review: I enjoyed trip to this show but I should have left a bit longer for the installations, which beg for some camera phone 'selfies' (unfortunately photos are not allowed in the exhibition). The work invites you to feel that you are participating in completing it, a quality that I love in contemporary art.
Top tip: Think of something witty to say or sing when you get to room 4 (This is Tomorrow)
Tate Modern, Bankside, SE1 9TG. (0)20 7887 8888 Until 26 May.
http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/exhibition/richard-hamilton

Bailey's Stardust
More than 250 portraits from his entire career, from around the world, and views of East London from 1961-2.
Blurb: 'Featuring over 250 images, personally selected and printed by Bailey, the exhibition offers an unmissable opportunity to experience the work of one of the world’s greatest image-makers.'
National Portrait Gallery. (020 7312 2463) Until 1 June.

Women and The History of Art
A late addition on my part, as I've just seen this Guardian article. If you're fascinated by Amanda Vickery's BBC2 TV Series 'The Story of Women and Art' then you'll probably be interested in these contemporary portraits of female artists that have been airbrushed from conventional art history.
The Fine Art Society Contemporary, 148 New Bond Street, W1S 2JT. Until 6 June.
http://www.faslondon.com/fine_art_society_contemporary/exhibitions/current/annie_kevans.html

Vikings: life and legend
It's got Vikings - what more do we need to say and I love the British Museum but this is a popular exhibition and so it'll be very busy. However, if you don't like slow-moving crowds (see feedback from @speedina below) you may not be in a hurry to visit ...
Blurb: 'Discover the Viking world in this major exhibition – the first at the British Museum for over 30 years.'
Review: 'Vikings at the British Museum is hell. Terrible viewing conditions; like the slowest moving buffet queue in THE WORLD. Disappointed :( ' Emily Speed (@speedina) April 25, 2014
British Museum. Until 22 June 2014
https://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/exhibitions/vikings.aspx

Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs
One of the first pieces of modern art that I enjoyed as a child is The Snail (1953), which usually lives at Tate Britain. Look out for the mini-snail inching its way around one of the bold slabs of colour.
The blurb: 'Henri Matisse is a giant of modern art. This landmark show explores the final chapter in his career in which he began ‘carving into colour’ and his series of spectacular cut-outs was born.The exhibition represents a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see so many of the artist’s works in one place and discover Matisse’s final artistic triumph.'
Top tip: Sunday evenings will be set aside for a quieter exhibition viewing experience, with visitor numbers restricted from 20.00–22.30.
Tate Modern, Bankside, SE1 9TG. (0)20 7887 8888, 17 April – 7 Sept.
http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/exhibition/henri-matisse-cut-outs

RA Summer Exhibition
A vast sprawling exhibition in the main galeries of the RA, the show annually shows a wide range of work, mostly for sale. The joys include seeing work by well-known contemporary artists, the lows include sore feet as you reach the end. Judging by the clips on the BBC, this year's best curated room will probably be that by Cornelia Parker, who has selected around a black and white theme.
Blurb:'The largest open submission exhibition in the world'; 'Held without interruption since 1769, the Summer Exhibition displays works in a variety of mediums and genres by emerging and established contemporary artists.'
Top tip: If you want to buy something to take home you might also like Not the Royal Academy (below)
RA Main Galleries, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD / 020 7300 8000 / 9 June — 17 Aug.
www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibition/15

Not the Royal Academy
A Salon des Refusés for some of the artists who didn't make it into the RA Summer Exhibition but nevertheless have commerically viable work. Worth a look if you want to see more traditional work suited to a domestic setting.
LLEWELLYN ALEXANDER GALLERY, 124-126 The Cut, Waterloo, London SE 1 8LN UK (Opposite the Old Vic Theatre) / Tel: 020 7620 1322/1324 / 10th June - 16th Aug.
http://www.nottheroyalacademy.com/

Outside London

9 April 2014

Art picks for April/May

Reduce your chance of sunburn, smog inhalation and increase your culture power by slipping into any of the following exhibitions on in London from April onwards.

Visitors at the Tate Modern cafe, April 2013.
Wall image by Richard Hamilton,
Photograph for the cover of Living Arts Magazine 1963
Private collection
© The estate of Richard Hamilton

Martin Creed

At the Hayward Gallery for his first UK retrospective. A very interesting artist whose work has started to grow on me in the last couple of years, as I've stumbled across more of his pieces that I enjoy. His work started to influence the way I think about my own artworks, so I'll try and make time for this one as well.

Hayward Gallery, London SE1 (020 7960 4200). ~~Until Apr 27~~ Extended to 5th May.

http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whatson/martin-creed-79080

Vincent van Gogh: The Sunflowers
Another London blockbuster exhibition of popular art but I prefer to see this artist's work in small doses. I do like the link up between two museums though and hope that trend continues.
National Gallery, London WC2. (020 7747 2885) Until Apr 27.

Richard Hamilton at Tate Modern
Blockbuster retrospective of 'one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century'. I enjoyed my recent visit but I should have left a bit longer for the installations, which beg for some cameraphone 'selfies' (unfortunately photos are not allowed in the exhibition).
Blurb: 'Tate Modern presents the first retrospective to encompass the full scope of Hamilton’s work, from his early exhibition designs of the 1950s to his final paintings of 2011. This exhibition explores his relationship to design, painting, photography and television, as well as his engagement and collaborations with other artists.'
Top tip: Think of something witty to say or sing when you get to room 4 (This is Tomorrow)
Tate Modern, Bankside, SE1 9TG. (0)20 7887 8888 Until 26 May.
http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/exhibition/richard-hamilton

Hockney, Printmaker
The Independant says 'A rewarding exhibition which firmly establishes, if it was needed, Hockney as one of the most innovative and imaginative print-makers of our time.'
Blurb: 'Timed to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the artist’s first print this show celebrates David Hockney’s long and fruitful career as a printmaker.'
Dulwich Picture Gallery, SE21 (020 8693 5254) Until 11 May
http://www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk/default.aspx

Bailey's Stardust
More than 250 portraits from his entire career, from around the world, and views of East London from 1961-2.
Blurb: 'Featuring over 250 images, personally selected and printed by Bailey, the exhibition offers an unmissable opportunity to experience the work of one of the world’s greatest image-makers.'
National Portrait Gallery. (020 7312 2463) Until 1 Jun 2014

Vikings: life and legend
It's got Vikings - what more do we need to say and I love the British Museum.
Blurb: 'Discover the Viking world in this major exhibition – the first at the British Museum for over 30 years.'
British Museum. Until 22 June 2014
https://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/exhibitions/vikings.aspx

Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs
One of the first pieces of modern art that I enjoyed as a child is The Snail (1953), which usually lives at Tate Britain. Look out for the mini-snail inching its way around one of the bold slabs of colour.
The blurb: 'Henri Matisse is a giant of modern art. This landmark show explores the final chapter in his career in which he began ‘carving into colour’ and his series of spectacular cut-outs was born.The exhibition represents a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see so many of the artist’s works in one place and discover Matisse’s final artistic triumph.'
Top tip: Sunday evenings will be set aside for a quieter exhibition viewing experience, with visitor numbers restricted from 20.00–22.30.
Tate Modern, Bankside, SE1 9TG. (0)20 7887 8888, 17 April – 7 Sept.
http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/exhibition/henri-matisse-cut-outs

Pages

23 March 2021

A Brave New World

Contemporary Drama

Installation view during MK Calling 2020,including the vitrine with my art displayPicture credit: MK Gallery.

Creating New Pathways

13 February 2020

24 November 2019

A Short History of Drawing Around Milton Keynes

A Day Trip to Regents Park

15 March 2019

Sketchy Plans

Milton Keynes Sketchers

The New MK Gallery

30 November 2017

Pathfinding

18 April 2017

Celebrating the urban landscape of Milton Keynes.

7 March 2017

T'Art Zine

The CAS PostIt Exchange

Seventy Percent Admin

19 October 2016

Creatives Talking

Pecha Kucha MK

17 October 2015

London Art Fairs 2015

Happy 2015 to all you lovely London art fair explorers! :)

9 October 2015

Business Development Opportunities

Cult Cottage Industry

Arts Emergency

6 March 2015

16 October 2014

Your big fat London art fair diary

16 June 2014

Art picks and reviews for June/July 2014

Degree show guides and showcases.

Exhibitions June/July 2014

Outside London

More useful links

11 June 2014

London Art Fairs, June - December 2014

Fairs

20 May 2014

Art picks and reviews for May/June 2014

Exhibitions May/June 2014

Outside London

9 April 2014

Outside London

Installation view during MK Calling 2020,
including the vitrine with my art display
Picture credit: MK Gallery.