Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2012

Richard Spare
'Goldcrest'   drypoint and watercolour

A breath of fresh air compared to previous exhibitions!  I can only think it is down to a more creative way of thinking when displaying the work and the expertise of coordinator Tess Jaray RA.  The largest gallery has abandoned its' huge paintings and instead there are scores of much smaller pieces forming a wave like pattern along its' length.  Yes, you still experience slight neck ache but there is room to step back, find your own space and enjoy the rhythms of the display without feeling overloaded.

My favourite room as always is the sculpture, installed by Alison Wilding. This too had a new layout with a greater concentration of pieces down the centre of the room, displayed at different heights.  With such a wide a variety of materials and no connection beyond being 3D, the initial impression is more 'junk shop' than RA but look closer and spot the gems.  David Nash's burnt oak with its' velvety texture and pleasing shape,  Lucy Glendinning's 'Feather Child', Dido Crosby's bronze pigmy rabbit and Nuala O'Donovan's layers and layers of unglazed porcelain beautifully arranged to create a basket like form.  So many beauties and then of course the challenging ones like Harriet Aston's brown paper bag with 'moon gold' ....why??

This year I felt there were more textile related pieces and particularly good to see Caren Garfen and Effie Jessop expressing their thoughts with hand stitch.  Two beautiful, cast conctrete posts resembling driftwood and enhanced with fibres - Eleanor Wright, would stand proud in any textile exhibition.

This year I felt it was an an excellent exhibition. Where else can you see the work of Royal Academians and there is plenty of their work on view, hanging next to that of amatuers?     Jen

Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition 4th June - 12th August 2012

Conversations with Water

Conversations with Water

June, the month of festivals and the longest day, we anticipate summer flowers bursting with colour against a backdrop of blue skies and warm sunshine but what has June 2012 delivered?  Rain, rain and more rain. A relief for the south of England in that reservoirs are reasonably full again but for others too much rain has meant severe flooding and all the misery that goes with it. Without a doubt the topic of water in some form will have cropped up in conversations throughout Britain.

'Conversations with Water' is the title and theme for our next exhibition at Farfield Mill, Sedbergh in November.  It was chosen for the connection between water and the woollen mill and not the rain but it will be interesting to see if the wet weather has influenced any of the work!

Exhibition runs from 17th November - 31st December 2012

www.farfieldmill.org

Yorkshire Sculpture Park



Henry Moore

The Yorkshire Sculpture Park, near Wakefield, is a  wonderful day out.  It is set in 500 acres of rolling parkland, spread round a modern hub, housing a restaurant, gift shop and facilities.

Parking is easy, costing £7.50 for the day - that is all - no other charges.  Sculpture is everywhere; Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore leading down to the lake, surrounded by sheep and lambs.  In the gardens near the building, there is a treasure trove of smaller sculptures including Hepworth's 'Family of Man'.  In the Garden Gallery at the moment is the Juan Miro exhibition displayed in four large rooms.

Antony Gormley

There is also, for the fit, a wonderful circular 2km walk through the woods where you can see more sculptures including the work of Andy Goldsworthy and the above piece by Antony Gormley; one of his famous iron figures standing high on top of a tree trunk. 

David Nash

David Nash's 71 huge 'Black Steps' at Oxley Bank rise up from the lake and seem to disappear into the woods beyond.  Made from charred and oiled wood with 30 tons of coal embedded between, the installation is constanly changing with exposure to the Yorkshire weather and day to day wear and tear. 

A highly recommended day out!  Shirley

Eilat's Underwater Observatory Marine Park

As a creative sort of person born under the Zodiac sign of Pisces, I have always been drawn to water and reflections; be it rivers, waterfalls or seascapes.  It's not surprising that on a recent trip to Eilat, Israel, I visited the underwater Observatory Marine Park and delighted in viewing the corals and was fascinated by the tropical fish.

I hope these images convey just some of the inspiration and pleasure nature can provide in a thriving sea bed.  The next exhibition by members of Cheshire Textiles at the Howgill Gallery, Farfield Mill, Cumbria, entitled 'Conversations with Water' will be interpreting how water the Elixir of life connects us to our environment.   Sylvia

Japanese Style; Sustaining Design



Prairie sample

Polygami sample

               Japanese Style: Sustaining Design

  Exhibition at Ruthin Craft Centre until 24th June 2012


Nuno textiles





wall mounted samples

This thought provoking exhibition aims to link tradition and crafts with the latest technology and ecological discoveries.  It also shows the value of community craft based projects set up to help local people gain a sense of normality after the devastating effects of the earthquake and tsunami last year.  Rooted in sustainable design there are plenty of beautiful artefacts and architectural ideas on display but it is the main gallery showing the innovative Nuno textiles, under the Artistic Directorship of Reiko Sudo, that is the real delight.

Walking between the long lengths of cleverly draped and suspended fabrics you can see the detail of the designs and how they respond to the human form.  Information panels on the wall provide samples to touch and scrutinize and try and understand how they have been constructed.  Unusual materials are combined, printed on, recycled, sculpted and layered, creating exciting tactile surfaces.  The fabrics are not all new, some date back to the 1990's but they remain fresh and a true source of inspiration.

Gallery two concentrates on traditional crafts showing ceramics, paper, baskets, metal and wooden items that are both functional and beautiful and made to the highest standards.  Take time to watch the papermaking video!
In gallery three is the Hale's personal collection of traditional ceramics from The Tohoku region.

We always look forward to the exhibitions at Ruthin; an enjoyable day out with a good cafe for lunch and an interesting shop selling high quality craft pieces by national artists.  There are a few books and back catalogues as well as cards.  With three galleries and artists studios there is lots to see and enjoy lovely drive through the Welsh countryside.

http://www.ruthincraftcentre.org.uk/
http://www.japanseasonwales.com/



Computer Textile Design Exhibition

'Textiles Transformed' from the Computer Textile Design Group. 

http://www.ctdg.org.uk/

5th April - 17th April 2012

'I helped to set up the Computer Textile Design Group exhibition at Ness Botanical Gardens last week, it was the first time we had held one and was to celebrate their 20th year as a group!

The members are very computer skilled and many of their textile exhibits are full of colour, a very cheerful sight.  The exhibition has created a great deal of interest from the many visitors to Ness who studied each piece of work and made very complementary remarks. Several enquired about membership.' Elizabeth

Sounds a very interesting exhibition showing how computers can aid design but we shouldn't forget that the computer is still dependant on the operator! Nor should we forget that further skills are required to translate them into textile pieces!!  A truly multi skilled group, their exhibition is well worth a visit.

Ness Botanical Gardens, Ness, Neston, South Wirral, Cheshire, CH65 4AY

10.00-4.00pm admission free

Jerwood Drawing Prize 2011

Have you been to any of the annual exhibitions that come under the umbrella of 'Jerwood, Visual Arts'?
Sue has recently visited the Jerwood Drawing Prize 2011 exhibition at the newly opened, Coventry Lanchester Gallery and would like to share her thoughts.

'This wonderful space is showing the contemporary drawings of 60 artists, selected from over 3,500 entries.  The Jerwood Drawing Prize is the UK's largest and longest running open prize for drawing and never fails to promote the ongoing, creative interpretation of the word 'drawing'.

The work varies in scale and content and as always does not disappoint in terms of quality, imaginative interpretation and media used.  Every kind of method is in evidence from painstaking Photorealism, gestural mark making to drawing by machine.   Styles also vary from classical portraiture, geometric abstraction, detailed diagrams and even include writing.  The creative use of media is also inspiring, ranging from hand made books, collage, prints, film and embroidery.

Such a wealth of both minimal and complex drawings really did excite me.  Exquisite pencil drawn tree studies, complex cut-out grid patterns, optical illusion drawing of staples in paper, gestural abstract prints to a beautiful piece called 'Withdrawn' where the threads have been removed from a found garment and only holes remain - leaving a hint of what was.

The exhibition finished in Coventry at the end of March but the next venue is the Burton Museum and Art Gallery, Bideford, Devon.'
Visit the website http://www.jerwoodvisualarts.org/ for more information including an online catalogue.