Monday, 29 June 2009

Charaka Satyam Danaher


I discovered Danaher's beautiful porcelain installation in an old issue of Ceramic Review I bought yesterday at the Aylesford potter's market. Each ball represents a family soul and the floating ones signify the dead family.

Please visit her website on http://www.familyconstellationuk.co.uk/livingdead2.htm and view some more images of the wonderful installation which was displayed at Oriel Queens Hall Gallery in Pembrokeshire in November 2008.

Sunday, 28 June 2009

Michael Jackson Sculpture

I started work early on Friday morning, Guy had a rather good idea to make a Michael Jackson tribute sculpture that would be presented in the gallery on Saturday morning. The sculpture is not for sale.
Here is the paragraph that I accompany the sculpture with;
This is not a piece of sorrow or mourn. It is a celebration of Michael Jackson's music career and fame, and respect for his music and life as a pop icon. The constant reference to black and white and the mirrors suggests the difficulties he had with race and skin and the issues of his appearance. The bouquet presents a gift of honour and the crown salutes the title he achieved as the 'King of Pop'.

The iconic imagery of Michael Jackson is represented through this pose and the discarded white glove inclines us all to lay his memory in peace.

Wednesday, 24 June 2009

Tessa Farmer

I found out about this artist through Helen Nodding's links on her webpage. They are quite morbid sculptures but fantastic all the same. I remember seeing an article in Vogue a few years ago with these images.

Helen Nodding



This great little piece is presented within a decaying brick wall, like a tiny forest suspended on a cliff hundreds of metres above ground.

Visit http://storiesfromspace.co.uk/data/html/menu.html and browse her 'Pueblo de las Calaveras' in Victoria Park, London. She created tiny worlds within our own, I find the way she lights them breathtakingly fairy-like. This piece in particular reminds me of Peter Pan's Neverland.

Laura Adel Johnson


The June 22nd blogpost on 'www.blog.freepeople.com/art' introduced this fantastic artist Laura Adel Johnson (http://lauraadeljohnson.blogspot.com/) I am already following her blog, which has some more photographs of her 'twinkle' artworks. I would definately suggest a look.

Tuesday, 23 June 2009

Listing

Galleries/Exhibitions I must visit;

Radical Nature at the Barbican

Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2009 (again, with my mum)

Tate Britain

Tate Modern

Exhibition Week


Today was the second to last day in preparation for the exhibition which is opening tomorrow evening. Most of the sculptures are in place, all photographs and paintings are mounted and on the wall and we are almost ready to open! It's all looking great, we had a lot of visitors in the gallery throughout the day today, mainly friends of Guy and Victoria (my boss and his girlfriend) and a few lovely artists and photographers who are exhibiting their work.

I mainly worked on painting the backboards and temporary walls a lovely shade of 'art-gallery' grey. Also a little retouching of the mosaic tiles that had fallen off in transit or grouting missed areas.



During my lunch break I took a cheeky trip to Cass Art shop and bought a huge A2 sketchpad, a tiny handbag sized sketchpad and a set of staedtler fineliners. Shopping in an art store to me is like a child in a toyshop or shoe shopping to any normal woman!

This week I have downloaded around twenty podcasts, mostly Tate Events but a few lectures by senior staff at UAL colleges. I have also been looking most mornings through several blog sites and google searching 'environmental art' and 'natural art blogs'

Monday, 22 June 2009

Summer Work


I have continued working for Guy beyond my work based learning term, on the run up to his exhibition which is launching this Wednesday and Thursday, I shall be there for both nights. I have been in the studio working on Ringo Starr's commissioned garden sculpture and a small mosaic piece for a local primary school. Below you can see the progress I have made;



The two pieces above are a yin yang that are the center piece of Ringo Starr's garden sculpture.