European Contemporary Arts Practitioner

Weather Affliction and Contemporary Art

The opening of a long-awaited debut solo show GRANDFATHER at AirSpace Gallery in Stoke-on-Trent has seen the whole area swept by heavy snow, converting it into a blank canvas begging for painting.

This has caused a probable decrease in expected numbers of attendance but nonetheless historical and personal records attached to several persons will indicate it’s existence and therefore an undeniable fact.

From the 25 January to 2 February 2013, the exhibition will run from 11am to 5pm everyday except Sunday and Monday when the venue is closed.

This learns another lesson about planning for weather conditions and their impact on contemporary art, and not just from visitor record numbers but also in how the presentation of the work might communicate with the socioeconomic pretenses. It is the same thinking that begs us to question the choice of venue, the selected arts practitioners etc etc.

In this context, the snow which is uniquely European, has almost re-created the atmosphere of a city held in the highest regard by the exhibits leading painter: Warsaw. During the most cherished memories of the capital of Poland, the city has been receptive to fiercely cold conditions that have ironically caused an increase in personal labour, resulting in more painters, sculptors etc to think, to question and to produce to heart’s content.

In a stunning turn of events, though visitor figures are affected, the increased dependency on imagination and consideration of life goals has only increased.

Whereas if this or any other residency was located in an environment with the harshest heat conditions that would naturally cause a desire to explore the world outside ones mind (external growth), the snow has caused an external growth, gathering friends, family, tutors etc together in the hopes of meeting an artistic stereotype: sitting and conversing the questions of the universe.

New Contemporary Paintings

Although produced within the last weeks leading up to the debut solo show GRANDFATHER, the newly exhibited paintings show a depth to artistic control and determination, foreclosing theory and existential texts in favour of lifting a paintbrush and using it for it’s key purpose: to paint.

It would seem daunting to keep throwing around posts about creating new pieces of work which either have or have not fruition-ed but that is just one key lesson learned on this Graduate Residency, to be mentioned at the evaluation meeting soon.

Without applauding ones self, the paintings continue the Surrealist practice of automatic painting, commissioning the painter to imagine imagery out of the mind. Abstracted from real-life, and turning the inanimate animate or the blackly comic into colour has been an astounding experience, contemplating the ability to be in control of ones life and thus their practice.

Speculating the described image below in intentional, allowing for viewer’s to accumulate their own interpretation’s of it’s picture plane:

Painting: Polish Sausage (Kabanos) – see website

A grass green background accentuates two folded rectangles, one pink one purple. Accompanying the oddly abstracted currency notes are three brown saturated pieces of food (the eponymous sausages) that have spawned two eyes. To top the picture, a diluted aqua blue puddle shaped smile sits adjacent to the lower right corner of the piece, producing an overall face that is shadowed by hints of a darker shade of green.

Without penalising or mocking the visually impaired, this description hopefully makes a point that without describing the context of the image, and without producing a photograph of the titular painting, the viewer can imagine it in much the same way as the artist has imagined its improvised production.

For actual images of the work included in GRANDFATHER, please visit the author’s web-link at www.adam-kelly.com

Grandfather

With the opening of the long-awaited debut solo show, GRANDFATHER, one is found with pride and conviction of their actions that have led the beginning to the end of the Graduate Residency a success.

Changes were made, thought processes were visualised, and goals were achieved with thank yous pointed out toward the gallery administrators for their continued support and encouragement.

Officially this blog will not be concluded, and all posts ascertaining to the partnership with the gallery will be maintained respectively. However the residency will officially conclude with the show’s conclusion on Saturday 2 February 2013.

Without providing a spolier alert to viewers, GRANDFATHER has included both previously existing and newly made work, including two sculptures (one temporary).

This residency or any in a general sense can be encourage to those pondering a future in contemporary arts, much like the Professional Futures module of study (known by variable names) at University BA courses. Seeking temporary or permanent employment during the module generated decisive behaviour which would allow the person to consider their prospects. In comparison, a residency also teaches the practice of setting life goals; and without falling into a Nietzsche-esque depression; question the fabric of the subject’s wants and needs.

Now is the time to browse the Degree Shows of 2013 and discover graduates whom are determined and autonomous. Because if there is one underlying concept evident in the title exhibition it is “to keep being creative”.