Manchester Contemporary 2012
I was exhibiting at Manchester Contemporary this weekend with Paper Gallery with a selection of Prints for sale: http://www.paper-gallery.co.uk/70879/635532/paper-artists/alice-bradshaw
Manchester based Paper Gallery specialise in artists working with paper in various ways, as their name would suggest, including Contents May Vary co-director Richard Shields who works with used paper cups, as written about here: http://www.corridor8.co.uk/blog/paraphrase
Other artists working with rubbish presented at Manchester Contemporary include Inguna Gremzde who creates tiny paintings inside the used/found plastic lids of milk bottles.
http://www.axisweb.org/seCVPG.aspx?ARTISTID=15748
Inguna Gremzde (Axisweb) – Small World (2011) oil paint on found plastic, 4cm diameter
“My current practice explores human and nature relationship. In my artwork I examine different possibilities in interpretation of human alienation from nature by hinting at consumer lifestyle as a probable reason.”
Luca Bertola also paints on everyday plastics, in this instance large sheets of bubblewrap – the material of art transportation – but not necessarily used/found material in this context.
http://www.arcadefinearts.com/artists%27%20pages/lucabertolo.html
Luca Bertola (Arcade) – Proof 12#06 (2012) oil on bubble wrap, nails
But my favourite work on display was by Susan Collis – an artist who I have long admired for her use of precious materials disguised as broken, discarded or dirtied everyday objects. The work presented by Seventeen Gallery based in London was new to me and resemble bent carpet plates casually placed on the floor of the booth. Unbeknownst to the viewer unless told so, these are actaully carefully crafted gold leafed sculptures that could easily be overlooked as misplaced rubbish.
http://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/files/image/b82481f5a49234f5-7.jpg
Susan Collis (Seventeen) – Untitled (2010) aluminium and 18 carat gold leaf, 85 × 3cm
Speaking to the gallery representative, I find out Collis has a solo show very soon at the Bethnal Green HQ – conveniently when I’m in the capital for a conference of artists working in museums at the V&A, so I’ll definitely be visiting in a few weeks time.
Susan Collis – That Way and This, 4 October – 10 November 2012, Seventeen, 17 Kingsland Road, London E2 8AA http://www.seventeengallery.com/
Conference: Artists work in the museum: histories, interventions and subjectivity, 12/13 October 2012, V&A: Hochhauser Auditorium, Sackler Centre, http://www.vam.ac.uk/whatson/event/1966/artists-work-in-the-museum-histories-interventions-and-subject-3204/
