Saturday 26 March 2016

Artfinder Studio Video Interview

Being a visual language, I normally find that it's best to let art speak for itself. So when Artfinder asked me if I'd like to be their guinea pig, and be the first artist to take part in their new series of informal, videoed, artists' studio interviews, I was a bit wary - but then thought, 'ah, what the hell!'



Like many people, I tend to cringe whenever I see or hear a recording of my self, so when I first watched the video it was through the gaps between the fingers of both of my hands, which were firmly grasping my face. Apart from a few exceptions, most artists are visually articulate but not always verbally – unfortunately, I now realise that I'm clearly not one of those exceptions. I would like to blame it on the fact that the piece had to be edited down to just three minutes – but no, it's just me not being able to think faster than my mouth.


Incidentally, the opening still shot of me was taken by the talented photographer, Paul Michael Hughes, for a feature about yours truely, that will be appearing the new University of Northampton prospectus - which comes out 6th April.

Unseen at The Festival of the Unseen

Unfortunately, because of an unexpected (as they're rarely planned) trip to Accident and Emergency on the day that I was supposed to drop off my artwork to the Hundred Years Gallery, I was unable to actually take part in DARK: Festival of The Unseen, which opened on Thursday in Shoreditch/Hoxton (just north of Hoxton Train Station and the Geffrye Museum). But I did manage to make it to the opening night and catch-up with a great bunch of friends and fellow artists.

So, maybe by not exhibiting in the show, the absence of my work is in keeping with the unseen element of the exhibition. See... it all makes sense now.


The show runs till this Sunday, with art, live music, poetry readings, and performances – so do pop along if you're looking for something fun and engaging to do this Easter Bank Holiday.

Wednesday 23 March 2016

DARK: Festival of the Unseen (Thurs Opening 7:30-10:00PM)

Okay, this is a bit of a rushed blog post on my part, as I've only just found that I'm now actually free, after all, to take part in DARK: Festival of The Unseen which opens tonight at the Hundred Years Gallery in Shoreditch/Hoxton (just north of Hoxton Train Station and the Geffrye Museum). This group art exhibition opens at 7:30pm tomorrow night (Thursday 24th March), and I've not even managed to deliver my entry, 'Jarred', to the gallery yet. I'm hoping to get it there and have it hung by 6:30pm – so no rush or anything!


So please excuse my laziness but here's all the exhibition info that you'll need - painstakingly lifted direct from the gallery's own website:


DARK: Festival of the Unseen - Return of the DRON is the third exhibition organised by Jill Rock in collaboration with Hundred Years Gallery.

Following the success of previous exhibitions, DrONUltImARAtio 2012 and WHITEOUT 2014, DARK is an exhibition featuring the work of 20 artists, and a programme of improvised music, performance and poetry over the Easter Weekend March 25th to 28th. The title is there to be interpreted individually by participants and visitors alike. The fascination in this exhibition is that diversity is at its core, embracing fears and joys, dark and light the symmetries and asymmetries of life. Central to the show is the Dron, an icosidodecahedron, mirrored internally with unaccountable acoustics which becomes Plato’s Cave, an ergasterion for improvised music and poetry. The exhibition of visual work runs alongside the programme of live events .

Participating artists: Anna Burel, Nicky Scott Francis, Jaime Valtierra, Curtis Radclyffe, Joanne Roberts, Martin Lau, Mary Lemley, Jason Gibilaro, Noel Macken, M. Profil, Peter Woodcock, Max Reeves, Helen Elwes, Jolanta Jagiello, Mervyn Diese, Rita Says, Phil Baird, Gudrun Sigridur Harraldsdottir, Elizabet Chojak-Mysko, Li Williams, James White, Maria Lusitano, Neville Sattentau, Jill Rock.

Sound piece by Montse Gallego


OPENING – Thursday March 24th 7:30 - 10:00pm

BLAKE NIGHT – Friday 7 – 9.30pm -an evening of poetry inspired by William Blake by The Blake Congregation, solo flute by Nicky Heinen, celtic harp & songs by Sheila Moylan.

PERFORMANCE – Saturday 7-10:30pm : The Re-Awakening Of James Joyce’s Night-time novel, The Wake, The Sandman Returns to Meet where Term’s Begin, a collaboration between poet and performer Grassy Noel, artist, performer and musician Giles Leaman, improvising ensemble  KMAT, dancer Sofia Figueiredo, and film-maker Mervyn Diese. Piano recital by Gabriel Keen.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON – 4- 6.30pm, RabelaisDADA with Robert Robertson, electronic music by Cos Chapman with dancer Svenja Buhl, open conversation amongst the participants and visitors chaired by Jill Rock, and a closing performance by Mervyn Diese.

Hundred Years Gallery
13 Pearson St.
London E2 8JD 

+44 (0)20 3602 7973