ARTISTS TALKING

# 87 [17 March 2010]

Chinmoyi Patel presents a sound installation piece entitled ‘B.P & S.P’.  A section of wall is painted in vibrant orange creating a sense of warmth and comfort.  As you begin to listen to the piece through headphones you begin to hear the artist’s voice as you look at the orange space and a multitude of stories unfold.  Chinmoyi Patel is interested in exploring her identity and culture and she does this by taking snippets from reality and adapting them into a fantasy world of storytelling.  The story which unfolds is told in sections of no particular order, and as the story progresses each section of the story becomes clearer as you relate to what has been described earlier in the piece.  Chinmoyi Patel obviously feels strong about her sense of reality and where she feels she fits into this through how she projects herself.    The use of orange that covers the wall, helps to create the warmth that she installs in her stories, but orange can also be symbolised with courage and this is something the artist may be familiar with when asserting her identity and exploring reality through her storytelling.  The piece is very descriptive and they way in which the piece is voiced helps deliver a broader understanding allowing a range of people to relate to what they are hearing.  Even though Indian culture is at the heart of the piece, themes such as family, relationships, childhood and memories are explored.  The change in pitch and pace of the voice telling the story helps to capture your attention and it does give a sense of an adult reading to a child at times, which only adds to the feeling of warmth and exploration of past times.  The piece is sympathetic and sophisticated in its approach and gives a glimpse into the artist’s mind and life which she has been exploring.

# 86 [17 March 2010]

Samit Das challenges the ideas of development and growth within our cities and societies.  The term ‘developed’ suggests the sense of being at the cutting edge or having made a successful transition from one stage to the next.  Das demonstrates what impact development and growth has upon our surroundings and therefore affecting our lives.  Multilayered and focusing strongly on architecture, Samit Das’s work incorporates collage and laser engraving techniques, and could even be considered sculptural as some pieces are three dimensional due to the layering process that is used.  Images of buildings and architecture are numerously layered creating a dynamic expansion across the surface of the piece mimicking the movements of construction in cities such as Bombay and Delhi.  Das plays with the idea of the new waves of development consuming the old and traditional.  With the constant drive for capital gain and expansion, Das highlights how we could be creating our own downfall through the motion of continually striving for more.  His work can appear apocalyptic and this is clear in a photographic piece entitled ‘Goddess’, where what appears to be a sculpture of a Hindu goddess is left smashed on the ground surrounded by rubble. Whether this relates to the infrastructure of Asia, or how religion has been adapted to meet people’s needs in a new society is debatable and could even refer to both.  However what is clear is the emphasis on fast change and how constant development does not remove all traces of what was there before.  It questions whether this trend in development is just a spurt or whether people no longer feel attached and precious towards their traditions and heritage despite being seen as valuable for such considerable time.

# 85 [17 March 2010]

\”home\” is the latest exhibition to feature at Airspace gallery in Stoke-on-Trent.  Kashif Nadim Chaudry, Samit Das, Chinmoyi Patel, Hetain Patel and Harminder Singh Judge explore their identities as well as their cultural and traditional heritage through their individual creative practice.  With each artist being connected to Asian descent, \”home\” highlights the theme of personal identity and development when being associated to multiple cultures and the boundaries and opportunities that can be presented as a result.
Kashif Nadim Chaudry displays strong influences from his family history of tailoring and trade, this being seen through the use of materials in his work as well as the techniques employed to create them.  ‘Sanctuary’ is a sculpture piece which clearly defines the artist’s interest in Islam and the architecture that is also associated with religious areas of Asia.  Wood and cotton are beautifully combined to create a piece which demonstrates gothic and Islamic architecture as well as demonstrating his personal experiences of travelling, religion and traditional textiles.  Even though the sculpture stands approximately 100cm tall, the grandness and importance of the monolithic structures in this piece is apparent.   This relates to the artist’s strong religious upbringing and the level of importance this poses in his life.  The cotton has been carefully dyed burgundy and presented carefully to create a flowing draping effect around the four main structures.  With this particular colour symbolising purity in India, this only emphasises the religious references contained within the piece.  The elegance of the draping cotton is also further accentuated through the use of this particular tone and helps to suggest movement, possibly linking to the artist’s experience with travelling or even suggesting the influence that religion has over people and how this flows throughout their day to day lives.  ‘Enter’ is a textile piece created from machine tufted wool and synthetic fibres.  With the artist’s family having a successive tailoring background, the importance of selected materials and how they are used are clearly important and something the artist feels he wants to carry on in his own work.  You are enticed to explore the varying textures of the materials and the change in shape, colour and texture, especially towards the centre of the piece, only encourages this further.  This could link with the artist’s drive to explore his culture and identity as well as the areas from where this originated from.

# 84 [3 February 2010]

\"home\"

presented by AirSpace Gallery13th February – 27th March, 2010 | Opening Reception Friday 12th February, 6-9 pmAirSpace Gallery – 4 Broad Street Stoke-on-Trent Staffordshire UK ST1 4HL| Open Tues - Sat 11am - 5pm

Featuring: Kashif Nadim Chaudry, Samit Das, Chinmoyi Patel, Hetain Patel, Harminder Singh Judge

\”home\” is a group exhibition looking into how, when set in a comparable context with artistsfrom South Asia, British artists of South Asian descent view their own origin and literal physicalsense of location, alongside more figurative investigations and manifestations of the self andidentity, locality and vicinity, foreign and foreignness, home and origin.

# 83 [23 December 2009]

Brian Holdcroft – The Process of Rendering Something Sacred

As part of Dialogue Box
AirSpace Gallery Window

This work examines nature and landscape myths and questions how our sense of place is as much a product of memory. Through the recollection of events and stories landscapes are established that extend across time and space and are shaped in the mind. Establishing a continuity with the past they add to a collective understanding that provides a reassurance of identity.


www.brianholdcroft.co.uk

# 82 [9 December 2009]

Creative duo roam the West Midlands on photo trail….

Rhonda Wilson and Lorna-Mary Webb are the creative and organisational forces behind Rhubarb-Rhubarb - widely regarded as Europe’s premier International Photographic Portfolio Review - based in Birmingham.  In early 2010 they’re hitting the road to meet new and emerging photographers who wish to make more of their talents.  They’ll be covering all corners of the West Midlands region and are keen to see what’s out there.

The event is open to all photographers based in the region and is free of charge.

Photographers get a thirty-minute portfolio review session with Rhonda, Rhubarb’s Creative Director, or Lorna-Mary, Company Manager.  Both have reviewed far and wide internationally, at photo festivals held in the UK, USA, China, Korea, Poland, Denmark and France among others.

“The aim of the tour is to see the work of photographers who wish to make their photographs more visible, get advice on the images in their folios and outline some of the forthcoming events and schemes being operated by Rhubarb-Rhubarb. Among these is our annual bursary scheme, giving photographers the chance to attend one of our major national or international review and seminar events.

“In 2009 the winners also had a show at Wolverhampton Museum and Art Gallery and two of them were chosen, one from the West Midlands and the other from the UK, to accompany me to Fotofest's Meeting Place 2010, in Texas, to show their work.  It’s always exciting going to look at work and there are always some spectacular finds out there in the region.” says Wilson.

The 2009 event was fully booked and saw the duo visit 6 venues across the region, seeing the work of over 40 photographers, helping them to move their practice forward.

2010 Roaming Rhubarb dates and venues;

Wednesday 10th February 2010 – Solihull Arts Complex

Thursday 11th February 2010 – Airspace Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent

Wednesday 17th February 2010 – Artrix, Bromsgrove

Wednesday 24th February 2010 – Light House Media Centre, Wolverhampton

Thursday 25th February 2010 – Herbert Museum and Art Gallery, Coventry

Those interested can visit www.rhubarb-rhubarb.net

For bookings contact Sean McGarry on admin@rhubarb-rhubarb.net or call 0121 773 7889

# 81 [9 December 2009]

CHRISTMAS CARDS

New for 2009 and available now; a range of Christmas cards featuring new limited edition artwork by AirSpace Gallery studio artists.

The cards are available in two sets with four different cards in each set, these cards give acontemporary slant to the christmas card, and have been created to help support the continuing exhibition programme for 2010.

Available to buy at the gallery or online at

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/4-FINE-ART-XMAS-CARDS-AIRSPA...

and

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/4-FINE-ART-XMAS-CARDS-AIRSPA...

# 80 [9 December 2009]

Each artist has explored the idea of looking at life from another perspective and the level of contrast that can be seen through the work on display puts a real emphasis on how fixated we can be with regards to the perspective we have become comfortable with.  Hopefully this exhibition will allow the viewer to see their everyday life in a different way and encourage us to look at our surroundings for what they are.

Stacey Booth

# 79 [9 December 2009]

.  ... Images showing a funfair closed and a building in ruins also draws to this theme.  The change in politics can also be noted as anti-BNP graffiti messages are spray painted onto walls and a man displaying an England t-shirt whilst smoking a cigarette poses for a shot.  With our society now a multi-cultural one, these photographs show how certain people want to be patriotic or feel like they still belong to some form of British identity whatever that may be.  The viewer can relate to incidents occurring during the Thatcher era and points out to us that even after two decades, we are still in similar situations to the ones we were struggling with then.  It raises the question to whether our society has progressed at all.
When I first read the description for Robert Johnson’s work, the aim being to bring elements of blues music and Zen practises together, I will admit I didn’t know what to expect.  When entering the space where Robert’s work can be seen you are immediately drawn to the layout of area.  The first thing to catch your attention is the broom resting against the pillar in the centre of the room and from here you start to notice the careful positioning of the works.  You are invited to study each piece carefully just through the careful layout and the calmness that is created.  As you walk through the doorway you pass a chair facing towards the corner of the wall and in front of it is a diddley bow.  You then start to notice each painting where blues music is represented through the dark tones, almost creating the night feel of a blues bar.  There is a lot of energy within these paintings, yet they are not chaotic in their style.  In contrast to these is the painting of a landscape where a single string has been stretched across the canvass and secured at either end.  This playing with the idea of the diddley bow, but also addressing a much deeper idea based around Zen practises.  The use of diddley bows symbolises with the Zen idea that all content should be stripped away to reveal a neutral zone where we can then explore and experience things on a much deeper and richer level.  The single string of the diddley bow is that neutral zone, and the many sounds that can be created from this one string, opens up to us the idea of deep self exploration and a search for truth rather than settling for constant representations.  Robert Johnson’s passion and interest in this area certainly shines through and he manages to portray a lifestyle of blues and the search for truth and peace. ...

# 78 [9 December 2009]

...Anwyl Cooper-Willis makes her impression on the viewer through her imposing installation situated between the main gallery areas.  The inspiration for this piece was based on the idea of control and propaganda being created through architecture.  Her installation consists of what can be described as the front of a bold, powerful building, possibly linked to German architecture.  The focus is on drawing our awareness to the level of control and manipulation over us and how objects such as buildings can have a big effect upon us.  In order to state power and government these buildings are created and consist of large imposing structures that are used as a way of protecting the power which has been obtained; these everyday sites acting as a threat or reminder with regards to who owns who and how we must be compliant. 
Anwyl has addressed this subject well as her installation is threatening in its presence and the large silver/grey pillars almost resembling prison bars, reminding us of how restricted we can become under government and law.  I particularly like the use of materials as the artist has used card and paper, which beautifully symbolises just how fragile and short-lived power can be.  The structure of the piece is weak and unstable and it will not stand forever the same as the power and fear that is associated with it. 
Chris Hill’s photography is documentary in its style and tells the story of everyday people through a single image of their life.
 There is no particular focus on one culture, class or area, the photos seem to have been taken in random areas and draw attention to the progression of British identity and society.  Certain images elaborate on a person’s role within society.  A car mechanic is shown standing in front of a car on a vehicle lift at a garage, then two men, who could possibly be related can be seen in work clothing standing next to agricultural machinery.  In another image a woman can be seen standing behind a counter at a store.  These images demonstrate to us the people behind our community who help to run and maintain the necessities that we take for granted.  The style of these photographs is very similar to the type of photography that could be seen during the 1980s.  The use of black and white, for me, emphasises the documentary aspect to these images and a theme of recession can be noted throughout them.  This can be linked to the economic struggles during the 1980s and this is reflected through the images depicting a punk or metal gig and the football supporters at their teams match. ...