SANCTUARY|COMRAICH at Mount Stuart

SANCTUARY|COMRAICH

"Short films by Gill Clarke and Lucy Skaer, Ian Bourne and Nina Danino and sculpture and works on paper by Kate Davis are located within the historic interior and collections at Mount Stuart. The exhibition references contemplation and exploration through the practice of the individual artists and collectively brings into focus the intrinsic natural refuge of the 'island' space and the complex cultural strands woven through the context of Mount Stuart."

"The visual arts programme at Mount Stuart, under the direction of and curated by Sophie Crichton-Stuart, aims to promote and facilitate interest in the contemporary visual arts and bring exhibitions of an international standard to Bute and Argyll. It utilises the context of Mount Stuart and the Isle of Bute to create potential to reach a wider audience and provides an exciting opportunity for public artwork as well as accessible educational opportunities.

The Victorian Gothic Mount Stuart is one of Scotland's most exceptional country houses. With a diverse 18th to 21st century landscape, it presents a unique challenge in relation to interventionary contemporary art practice.

The Mount Stuart Trust annually invites internationally respected artists to exhibit and create new work in response to both the Mount Stuart and its surroundings. Commissioned works have included land art, photography, video, film, sculpture, installation and painting. These projects have developed within the context of the archives, history and architecture of the House, gardens and island. The collaborative process of each project enriches the programme, artists' practice, and audience participation, while continuing the tradition of commissioning innovative new work at Mount Stuart."

Progress of line painting on board

Collage on board

Painting white emulsion onto collage

Marking into paint to reveal collage beneath

Coloured emulsion on collage

In this test I wanted to see the effect of painting coloured emulsion onto a collaged board as opposed to white emulsion onto a collaged board

The edge is important

website being updated

Although I designed and built my website, I have been struggling to keep it up to date as it currently requires working in code, and I have managed to forget pretty much all of the coding skills that I learned when on a website course. I have therefore made the decision to pay the wonderful Davie Watson to restructure my website so that it becomes possible for me to update it without needing to type in html code.

I just had a really good meeting with Davie to discuss how the website will be updated and managed, and I am excited that I soon will be able to represent my work better by adding all my recent artwork to my website.

Watch this space!

Ongoing work

I am entering unknown territory and am excited to be experimenting with a new medium...paint!

It

Sculptural installation on 2nd floor of South Block

Open Studio day 1

Thanks to all those who visited me in my studio on day one of Open Studios at the South Block.

I had some really great discussions with some interesting people, and was delighted to get such positive responses to my work.

Was recommended to research Galerie fur Kunst und Literatur in Basel as they often exhibit artists books.

Another recommendation was the magazine Esopus, "a twice-yearly arts magazine featuring fresh, unmediated perspectives on contemporary culture from a wide range of creative professionals. It includes artists’ projects, critical writing, fiction, poetry, visual essays, interviews, and, in each issue, an audio CD.

Published by the non-profit Esopus Foundation Ltd., the magazine has a simple mission: to provide an unfiltered, non-commercial space in which creative people and the public can connect in meaningful, productive ways."

I look forward to another interesting day tomorrow.

Installing work for Open Studios

I have been asked by WASPs to create an installation in one of the communal spaces on the 2nd floor of the South Block. Artist and garden designer, Sue MacKechnie has been commissioned to create a planting scheme, and I want my work to relate to what she is installing.


Having explored the possible options of where to locate my sculptures, I decided on a corner space opposite a planting area created by Sue. There is an area among the plants that encourages people to sit facing what will be my installation. I feel as though the sculptures will have enough space, and will be well lit due to the large windows opposite where my work will be installed.


Although there is a seated area, the space is predominantly a corridor space leading to more studios. I spent some time watching how people move through the space, and used this to direct the layout of my sculptures.

  

I am delighted that Sue has allowed me to use a few of her cacti in my installation. Their sculptural presence fits well with the plaster cast towers.

Installation for Open Studios

I have been asked to create a sculptural installation in one of the communal spaces on the 2nd floor of the South Block studios.

Artist and garden designer, Sue Mackechnie, is designing planted areas within the range of social spaces on the 2nd floor of the South Block studios.

We met today to discuss how our work can exist together, and experimented with combining my sculptures with some of her more sculptural plants.

I am looking forward to more experimentation and play tomorrow and am excited about the result of this collaboration.

Open Studios - Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th July - 1pm - 5pm

It's that time of year again for the Merchant City festival. This year marks the launch of the newly refurbished South Block in the heart of the Merchant City. Now is your chance to meet the artists and have a look at the spaces, as well as join in with the activities in the All that is Solid cafe (see flyer below).

Please come and see me and what I am up to in my studio:

STUDIO 312 

3rd floor

South Block Studios 

64 Osborne Street 

Glasgow 

G1 5QH

I will be there from 1pm - 5pm on both Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th July.

July Newsletter

Every month or so I send an electronic newsletter to contacts on my mailing list. The newsletters give information such as current exhibitions I am exhibiting in, events I am involved in, awards I have received, and my ongoing work.

Here is my July newsletter:

If you would like to be on my mailing list, please send me an email:

helen(dot)shaddock(at)yahoo(dot)co(dot)uk

Palatre & Leclere Architectes brighten up École Maternelle Pajol

Palatre & Leclere Architectes were given the task of transforming a rundown pre-school in Paris’s 18th arrondissement.

Mission accomplished - rainbow colours wash through the building, from its exterior and into the classrooms, whilst playground games are seamlessly integrated into the bold public art of its façade.

It is a great example of what can be achieved with imagination. Lets hope that it leads to many other commissions of this type. After all, a 2009 study at the University of Essex showed that memory, mental agility, reaction times and even physical strength improved when exposed to sunflowers, rainbows and other what-nots. 

Market Gallery Studio Project Residency

I am delighted to have  been selected to take part in the Market Gallery programme. Dates of the residency are yet to be confirmed, but I will keep you posted!


http://www.marketgallery.org.uk/

Scotland and Venice 2013 | Creative Scotland

Scotland and Venice 2013 (02/07/2012) | Creative Scotland

The Venice Biennale is the largest and most prestigious visual arts exhibition in the world. This will be the sixth presentation from Scotland and Venice, a partnership between Creative Scotland, National Galleries of Scotland and British Council Scotland. The 2013 Biennale will be the 55th International Art Exhibition.

The Common Guild is a visual arts organisation based in Glasgow. It was established in 2006 and presents a dynamic, international programme of contemporary visual art projects, exhibitions, and events.

The Common Guild will present projects by three of Scotland’s most compelling and consistently interesting artists: Duncan Campbell, Hayley Tompkins and Corin Sworn. The exhibition will be presented in the Palazzo Pisani, Venice from June to November 2013.

Previous Scotland + Venice presentations have included Karla Black (curated by the Fruitmarket Gallery) in 2011 and Martin Boyce (curated by Dundee Contemporary Arts) in 2009.  The 2013 project will mark 10 years since Scotland’s first participation, in an exhibition that included Claire Barclay, Jim Lambie and Simon Starling.

Amanda Catto, Chair of Scotland and Venice Partnership and Portfolio Manager for Visual Arts at Creative Scotland said:

‘The Scotland and Venice partnership is delighted to announce its plans for the 2013 exhibition. 

‘Since its establishment ten years ago the Scotland and Venice project has emerged as a significant international platform, promoting artists at the highest level internationally and building Scotland's reputation as a centre of excellence in and for the visual arts.

‘The exhibition will showcase the vision, imagination and skill of the artists selected and we are looking forward to working in partnership with The Common Guild, who bring their significant knowledge and expertise to the project.’

Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop said:

“Scotland is a creative and innovative nation, boasting a wealth of artistic talent. The Venice Biennale, as the largest arts festival in the world, is an ideal platform to showcase our talent to a global audience.

“I am sure that the Scottish presence in 2013 will build on the tremendous success of previous years, which saw exhibitions from Turner Prize-winning artist Martin Boyce and nominee Karla Black.”

Katrina Brown, Director of The Common Guild:

“It is remarkable to think of all that has happened with contemporary art in Scotland since the first participation in the Venice Biennale back in 2003. This project will continue to foreground our artists and the wealth and breadth of talent here in a hugely significant international arena. We are very much looking forward to working with Duncan, Hayley and Corin in this context.”

Scotland + Venice 2013: artists
Duncan Campbell is known for his film works that blend archive, documentary material with fictional, imaginary elements. His films, which have been described as “slippery biopics”, have focused on often visionary protagonists, such as car-maker John DeLorean (‘Make it New John’, 2009) or Irish political activist Bernadette Devlin (‘Bernadette’, 2008).

He welcomed his inclusion in the project and added: "I am extrememly pleased to be representing Scotland at Venice next year. For an artist, the biennale represents a unique opportunity: to make work that has currency as well as being part of the general hoopla. I am excited by this challenge. I am grateful to the Common Guild for the compliment they have paid me".

Corin Sworn creates atmospheric installations that weave fiction and history through film and objects. She is currently artist-in-residence at St.John’s College, Oxford, in association with the Ruskin School.
Sworn said of her participation in the project:
“The prospect of working in Venice feels both formidable and thrilling and I look forward to seeing what work I can make for this dramatic and intriguing atmosphere.”

Hayley Tompkins  makes intensely delicate paintings and painted objects that she describes as being sampled from the world as we know it. She was short-listed for the 2004 Becks Futures Prize.Tompkins said:

“I am delighted to exhibit at next year’s Venice Biennale, and to be working with The Common Guild. I look forward to imagining a new work and seeing it installed in such unique and historic surroundings, a mysterious place like Venice. It's a wonderful opportunity for any artist.”

The 2013 exhibition continues The Common Guild’s commitment to dynamic internationalism, and builds on the organisation’s reputation for presenting artists’ work in interesting and engaging ways through world-class contemporary art experiences and discussions. It will involve new works by the three artists in diverse forms and materials.

Studio 58: Women Artists in Glasgow since World War II

Studio 58: Women Artists in Glasgow since World War II

Mackintosh Museum

Glasgow School of Art

7 July - 30 September 2012

 

Studio 58: Women Artists in Glasgow since World War II is an exhibition and accompanying publication examining the period between World War II and the present day when women artists in Glasgow have been at the forefront of the art scene in the city. The title of the exhibition comes from the studio located on the top floor of the Mackintosh Building which historically was the dedicated work space for women students.

In recent years, a number of highly regarded women artists have emerged from the Glasgow art scene, including Turner Prize nominees Christine Borland, Cathy Wilkes and Karla Black.  Studio 58 will contextualise the work of contemporary women artists in Glasgow through documenting and displaying the little known and under-represented lineage of women's art in the city from 1939 onwards, within the frame of the city's art school where all of the artists included in the exhibition either studied or taught.

The most well known period, 1890 - 1930, has been documented in several publications and the recent exhibition 'Glasgow Girls' (2010), however the post-World War II period has not been subject to the same level of analysis. Studio 58 is organised around four thematic strands:  landscape/still life, body/self, printed matter and photography/film and will focus upon the work of over 50 artists active from the late 1930s onwards.  The artists include Margaret Morris, Mary Armour, Ivy Proudfoot, and Kathleen Mann, as well as those that followed them including Joan Eardley, Margot Sandeman, Bet Low and Sam Ainsley and younger artists such as Cathy Wilkes, Claire Barclay, Victoria Morton, Hayley Tompkins and Karla Black.

Studio 58 has been curated by Dr. Sarah Lowndes and features many seldom viewed works loaned from private collections and the collections of Glasgow Museums, The Hunterian Museum, The Glasgow School of Art Archives & Collections and Glasgow Women's Library.
The exhibition and catalogue is supported by The Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow Life and the Glasgow Society of Women Artists.

Preview: Friday 6 July 6-8pm

Mud Wrestling - Transmission's annual member's show

MUD WRESTLING

03 July - 28 July 2012
Preview: 30 June 2012, 7pm

Transmission's annual member's show

KALEID 2012 London

It's great to see that some familiar GIAB faces are going to be participating in KALEID 2012.

Colour in Flux

I am currently researching colour, and have found a wonderful book called Colour in Flux, a catalogue to accompany the recent exhibition of the same name at Weserburg.

The exhibition on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Weserburg explores how artists since Jackson Pollock have dealt with free-flowing paint. Works by the most important representatives of Abstract Expressionism and Color Field Painting will be compared with works by younger artists. Highlighting the exhibition will be new works developed in situ by Katharina Grosse, K.H. Hödicke, Peter Zimmermann, Nicolás Uriburu, Rainer Splitt, and others.

In the late 1940s, the American painter Jackson Pollock ventured a simple and at the same time seminal experiment: he laid a canvas on the floor of his studio and began applying paint to it from above. Bent forward and making movements that incorporated his entire body, he poured and dripped acrylic and ordinary paint across the painting surface. This technique, which came to be known as Action Painting, subsequently inspired entire generations of artists. One began to understand color as a flowing material with specific physical features and to use it artistically. This was consciously done counter to well-rehearsed visual habits and as a new challenge to the senses and the mind.

Jackson Pollock, Reflection of the Big Dipper, 1947, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Geschenk von Peggy Guggenheim © VG Bild-Kunst Bonn, 2011

What followed were innovative concepts that supplemented, fundamentally reconceived, or revised Pollock’s stance. Morris Louis, Sam Francis, and Helen Frankenthaler addressed the basic physical conditions of color in flux in highly different ways. Lynda Benglis countered the “male” gesture of Pollock’s drippings with a more voluminous, “female” version made of polyurethane foam. Andy Warhol satirized Pollock’s floor painting in his Oxidation Paintings. And the American Larry Poons let paint run vertically down canvases in order to apparently bow out of the production process as author. Artists in the 21st century are also taking up this broad spectrum of color concepts. What they are interested in are new, at first glance more investigative, observant, unemotional approaches that in remarkable actions at times tie the flow of color back into everyday life. They work in part with video recordings and performances. In an almost Pollockian snapshot in time, Tony Tassett squirts chocolate syrup into the air, and Patty Chang physically exposes herself to paint being flung through the room in her Fan Dance.

Kristof Kintera, Red Is Coming, 2007, Courtesy Galerie Jiri Svestka

Color in Flux in principle juxtaposes two artistic approaches: color as a means of artistic expression in terms of modernism and the more conceptual, experimental, even antipainterly treatment of color, in particular by younger artists. Yet despite—or even because of—these differences, it time and again comes to references and dialogues among one another, but also to the younger artists deconstructing, ironizing, and questioning their older counterparts. What is striking about this is that similar phenomena can obtain extremely different meanings. In the end, what is left is an energy-laden and captivating contrast of various artistic stances that all have one thing in common: the conscious handling of color, which as material, medium, and carrier of meaning above all turns itself into a theme.

Callum Innes: Works on Paper 1989 – 2012, Ingleby Gallery

Callum Innes: Works on Paper 1989 – 2012

Ingleby Gallery, Edinburgh

 

28 April 2012 - 14 July 2012 

Callum Innes’ works in oil paint on canvas grace the walls of many museums worldwide, and have been the subject of numerous exhibitions and publications for over two decades, but for just as long he has made many, though much less frequently seen, exquisite and surprising series of works on paper.

An individual series of Innes’ watercolours were exhibited at the Kunsthaus Zurich in 1997 and another in New York and Basel in 2011, but the Ingleby Gallery’s exhibition for Spring 2012 is the first ever survey to look in detail at this aspect of his work across a period of nearly 25 years.

In all his work Innes brings the potential of alchemy to abstract painting, applying and dissolving pigment, painting and un-painting, holding a line between control and chaos. In his works on paper these possibilities move effortlessly from one work to the next, building up a body of closely connected series.

At the heart of this exhibition are three new such series: a line of five pastels, treated like a kind of reverse sculpture, with fat sticks of chalky pigment ground back to dust and worked into thick pages of handmade paper; a sequence of 18 watercolours in which pairs of pigments are dissolved into each other, layer over layer, into veils of translucent light; and a series of ten tall, vertical sheets of waxed butcher’s paper, carrying oil paint dissolved into skins of solid and liquid colour. This exhibition matches these major new series with selected works from the artist’s archive, showing a rare consistency and continuity of ideas and application.

Ten things not to say to an artist

Wolfgang Tillmans at The Common Guild

Exhibition: Wolfgang Tillmans A New Installation, with Works from the Arts Council Collection
20 April 2012 — 23 June 2012
Venue: 21 Woodlands Terrace, Glasgow, G3 6DF

As the onion makes its way into the unknown, maybe to become an onion ring, or to be sliced, diced, or fried, I look out of the huge windows of the gallery at the rain pouring over Glasgow, before returning again to the array of images scarred over the gallery walls.

In true Tillman's style, the show has a mixture of large and small photos and a diverse range of imagery.

The initial images I saw downstairs were sculptural; as the photographic paper was folded the image was transformed into an object reminding me of Jim Lambie's folded metal pieces.

Tillman comments “I love the piece of paper itself, this lush, crisp thing. A piece of photographic paper has its own elegance, how it bows when you have it hanging in one hand or in two and manipulate it, expose it to light – I guess it is quite a gestural thing.”

Tillman's images can also be extremely painterly, as in the large image of the pink/beige/cream surface that faces the folded works.

Porsgrund Porselænsfabrik BARISTA

My design for porceline coffee set was nearly selected to be produced by Porsgrund Porselænsfabrik.