ARTISTS TALKING

# 31 [14 May 2008]

Dialogue Box is a series of exhibitions to be shown in the window space at the AirSpace Gallery. The series is in response to the importance of the gallery window space; we see this as our access to the community, through the window we can reach those people who would not normally seek out an art gallery as well as reminding those that do that we are here. The work that is produced will create dialogue between people; dialogue about the artwork, the gallery and perhaps its place in our ever changing city.

Exhibiting artists include:

George Benson, Birmingham

2^nd – 9^th June 2008

Benson’s current work concentrates on creating abstract images made solely of colour, form and texture from everyday and found objects. These are currently things

that he has collected throughout his life. Recomposing them and looking at them

from different angles to create subtle, direct images with an absence of complication.

Alison Ballance, London

7^th-14^th July 2008

The proposal, by only being a suggestion of what it could possibly be, is a fragment. We have to look back into ourselves to see what s missing and then the attention becomes focused on that. Fiction is a fragment and therefore neither real nor the truth. It is a reference to reality which becomes real only through the viewer referring it to themselves. I see the idea of the fragment in architectural ruins, failures or incompleteness; attention is drawn to what is missing.

Diana Ali, Nottingham

18^th- 25^th August 2008

Diana is a British-Syhleti artist. She has worked in mixed media painting, photography and installation. She has exhibited in various venues such as, Salford Working Mens Club and Bonnington Gallery, Nottingham. She is currently exploring the visual and the verbal as an art form by involving artists’ responses locally, nationally and internationally. 

More information from the AirSpace Gallery

airspaceinfo@btinternet.com

# 32 [19 May 2008]

Chris Lewis-Jones: 13^th May

To coincide with the Creative Partnership funded ‘Series of Unlikely Urban Texts’ exhibition, where Chris Lewis Jones worked with pupils from the Forest Park Primary School to create art work, Chris delivered a talk about his practice. The audience were shown examples of how his worked progressed through his concerns with cultural identity and his relationship with Cyril Seaton.

# 33 [19 May 2008]

Longhouse PAD

Friday 16^th May saw the launch of the Longhouse Professional Artists Development publication. Artists, organisers and speakers gathered in the AirSpace exhibition space to view and discuss the work and issues that had been raised throughout the project. The exhibition continues until 24^th May and if you come along you can pick up a free copy of the publication produced during the project. The publication illustrates the artists’ responses to the project and gives further insight into the project itself.

David Bethell and Anne Francis of the AirSpace gallery team both took part in the 3 day residency and exhibition, where 9 artists worked with 2 lead artists, local architects and council officers to explore the regeneration of Hanley, Stoke on Trent’s City Centre.  The artists then produced responses and proposals for what they felt could benefit the city whilst working in conjunction with the regeneration.

‘Being involved in the project has given me more confidence in working on public projects and it has introduced me to more people working creatively within the City. It also generated some interesting discussions about the future of art in the city.’

-David

For the launch of the publication Anna Francis has produced a map and invites visitors to the gallery to mark on the map their feelings about the city centre, the things that they would change or keep. The map is gradually filling with responses to the city and offers insight into the general feelings and ideas about the regeneration. Alongside the map sits a pile of postcards that read ‘We don’t need a cinema or an art gallery here ...what this city really needs is a great big supermarket.’ A strong comment on the demolition of part of the Cultural Quarter of Hanley City Centre; old cinemas and buildings knocked down to allow for the construction of what is reputed to be the biggest Tesco in Europe.

www.longhouse.uk.com

# 34 [10 June 2008]

Happy 2^nd Birthday AirSpace

So as not to let the 2^nd Birthday of the AirSpace Gallery go un-noticed a 3 day window piece was shown in tribute to some of what the AirSpace team have achieved.

Some comments from the visitor book were included:

‘Really like the polar bear, nice change to my day.’

‘Best of luck for the future and development of the gallery. Beautiful work, thank you.’

‘Nice to see some fun art in stoke.’

‘Love the vibrating garden.’

‘Absolutely fascinating.’

‘Extremely absorbing and challenging, great stuff.’

‘Look forward to future exhibitions.’

‘Well worth a look.’

‘Really fun, loved it.’

‘Thank you for the opportunity to create.’

# 35 [10 June 2008]

Dialogue Box- George Benson

Dialogue Box has seen its first exhibition; George Benson’s striking work ‘the colour of music’ has brought colour to the AirSpace window for just over a week. A great start to the series and we have really enjoyed having it at the gallery.

“It was great to see the completed installation of ‘the colour of music’ at Airspace Gallery as it’s been a hectic couple of weeks. I had my second child only three weeks ago, so the build of the installation and everything else wasn’t really started until a week before the final date. People will agree however that having a tight deadline can sometimes spur creativity!

I’m not the best carpenter but the box container for the records came together quite well in the end with the liberal use of wood filler and white paint, however it wasn’t completely ready until the day before so I hadn’t tested the records in situ. I rushed to Ikea (hell) to get some stand support to raise the box up on to eye level and (due to space constraints) assembled everything in my back garden.

I looked up at the sky …… it could rain at any point so I had to finalise the order of the records as quickly as possible otherwise everything would get very wet. The next hour was spent taking 1000 records on out of their sleeves and carting them downstairs to the garden ready to put in the box. With one eye on the clouds above I arranged the records into their array of colours. Lots of tweaks later everything was deconstructed ready to be installed the next day.

The installation at Airspace was much smoother especially with the able support of Dave and Andy although the records needed lots of spacing as they had mysteriously shrunk during transit. However the final piece looks great, amazing even. The double aspect of the window provides a dual aspect to the work, changing its perspective as you walk past. The contrast on the window to the architecture of the building also really works to provide an interesting focus and setting.

It was difficult and stressful at times but I’m really proud to have completed the work and have it exhibited here. It looks fantastic and the people at Airspace are lovely.”

- George Benson

www.gwbenson.co.uk

# 36 [16 June 2008]

AirSpace Gallery

Would like to invite you to our next exhibition ‘Raw Material’ works by Liz Lock and Mishka Henner

The exhibition is open the 16^th June – 21^st June 11am – 5pm.

The Preview is on the 17^th 6-9pm

On entering the 21st century, much emphasis is placed on the need for
northern towns and cities to develop aspirational identities to attract
outside investors and succeed in the global marketplace. Having worked in
the north of England for the past four years, Lock & Henner came to North Staffordshire
between October 2007 and April 2008 and found a landscape scarred by
economic forces that have left deep psychological and physical wounds.
Throughout our series, motifs associated with vulnerability and a coming of
age appear alongside motifs of role-play and faith.

Raw Material was commissioned by Arts Council England West Midlands and is
an exploration of North Staffordshire, a territory rich in cultural and
artistic heritage seeking to forge a new identity in a post-industrial era.

Best Regards

AirSpace Gallery

# 37 [27 June 2008]

AirSpace  contemporary art gallery is celebrating it’s second birthday by announcing 12 months of imaginative and innovative shows and exhibitions in the heart of Stoke on Trent.

The programme begins next week with a subtle and beautiful exhibition of contemporary lensless photography by women.
 

TITLE: Look; differently

DATES: Preview 1^st July 6pm -9pm, 1^st July – 12^th July

OPEN: Tuesday to Saturday 11am – 5pm

By IRIS

an International Women’s Photographic Research Resource, internationally recognised as an innovative, leading-edge visual arts and culture centre, based at Loughborough University.

Artists

Lisa Reddig

Alessandra Capodacqua
Heidi Crabbe   
Katy Flaherty

Undergraduate artists
Chloë Butler (please note the ë)
Sarah Elson

In this age of glossy, push button high-tech gadgetry, it’s a refreshing change to come across a widely used photographic tool which is essentially a box with a hole in it. It’s a camera, and these particular models are often home made. The pictures are taken by simply opening the tiny hole, (made by a household needle) by removing a bit of black tape, and waiting until the exposure is completed. This can take anything from a few minutes to several hours.

Curator of the exhibition and visiting lecturer on the BA photography course at Staffordshire University Mort Marsh, explains “Pinhole photography, is the antithesis of Cartier Bresson’s ‘decisive moment’, not that instant captured between each taken breath, but more the long languid exhale after close contemplation.”

Mort, who has been involved with IRIS since 2003, firstly as a student, and then employed to oversee the development and re-branding of the project, has selected work for this exhibition from graduates and undergraduates from both Loughborough and Staffordshire University. She goes to say “pinhole photography is a unique way of exploring subject matter, because it takes much longer to produce and allows the artist to become more involved in the object or view. There’s also an element of risk, in that there is no viewfinder so the results can be surprising and unexpected”

There are 17 items in this show, from 6 artists, and the work ranges from the very small 3 x 5 inches up to larger 12 x 12 inch pieces.

# 38 [30 June 2008]

Raw Material- Liz Lock and Mishka Henner.

As a finale to the Place, Space and Identity project in Stoke on Trent, the AirSpace Gallery hosted an exhibition of documentary photographs of the events that took place, the people that were in involved and a recording of thoughts of Stoke on Trent throughout the project. The artists were Liz Lock and Mishka Henner, commissioned as part of the Place, Space and Identity project.

From first walking past the AirSpace window you felt the sombre atmosphere that would greet you inside the gallery. Derelict buildings and melancholy portraits are an all too familiar sight in the city during the regeneration. People looking to the past to what the city has lost and is still losing; but you do not have to look to closely to see that hidden amongst the sombre imagery are some light hearted photographs that hint towards the future and a brighter city. Artists dressed in wrestling costumes remind us of what the people of Stoke on Trent are good at and what they enjoy and the cast of The Wizard of Oz in costume tells of the numerous theatres the city boasts.

Although the overriding reputation of Stoke on Trent says that we are 10 years behind other cities, and we cannot help but feel that the regeneration seems to be taking away our history, we are still an existing city. The people of Stoke on Trent are living here and moving forward, glimpses of light speckle the city, from a football team moving up to the premier league to an art gallery bringing in international contemporary artists. Perhaps it is time that Stoke on Trent ceases looking back to what we have been and starts looking forward to what we can be.

# 39 [30 June 2008]

Constructed Opera becomes Permanent Feature

With a bombardment of art exhibitions, public art interventions and music and video events across the city the Axis Festival and AirSpace Gallery have given Stoke on Trent a glimpse of how fun and inspiring art in the city can be.

We saw everything from fly posters, wrapped lamp posts and gallery exhibitions to live art in shops, installations in bars and guerrilla video art on the Victoria Hall.

Following the success of the visual arts programme it has been requested that one piece of temporary work become permanent.  In the same spirit as Anthony Gormley’s statues at Crosby Beach were cherished to such an extent that they were eventually declared a permanent feature; the Victoria Hall in Hanley have requested that Rebecca Huxley’s ‘Place, Movement and Sound’ remains permanently on the windows leading up the stairway towards the rear of the building.

Commissioned by the AirSpace Gallery as part of the diverse Axis Festival Visual Arts programme Huxley’s work consists of giant geometric shapes taped onto large windows. Described as a ‘constructed opera of line and pattern’ the work is reminiscent of stained glass windows, capturing the light and projecting coloured shapes inside the building.

# 40 [30 June 2008]

9 go to Tatton Park

Friends and family of AirSpace gathered at the gardens in Tatton Park to see the first Tatton Park Biennial. A light stroll around the gardens led to the discovery of installations hidden within the flora and fauna. A pleasant surprise to see David Blandy first on the list of artists; Blandy exhibited in one of AirSpace’s AirVideo events in 2007 Although disappointing was that we were unable to see the work due to a limited screening timetable.

Other memorable sights were Heather and Ivan Morison’s Escape Vehicle; an impressive construction made from wood found at the park that offered the serving of a drink of tea for visitors; and Tessa Farmer and Sean Daniels’ Nest of the Skeletons and weird but wonderful animation hidden in the fernery.

Not wanting to waste the beautiful day we settled down for a glass of wine and barbeque (home made treats) before a closing ceremony of kiting, rabbit hole rounders and a Frisbee off!

For some interesting action shots see www.annafrancis.blogspot.com