Open Studios Cornwall 2016 will run from Sat 28th May – Sun 5th June.
This is the twelfth year of Open Studios Cornwall and the biggest yet – with 259 artists, craftsmen and designers opening the doors of their studios to the public for nine days.
I will be showing a series of small new paintings; opening my new studio at Trewidden for the first time. Full details below, or you can find me on the Open Studios website
Studio 12, Trewidden Garden Studios
Buryas Bridge, Penzance TR20 8TT
Four Cornwall-based artists – Stacey Guthrie, Fiona Léus-Lambert, Christina Romero Cross and Frances Walsh – will be showing new and recent work in a group show at CMR Gallery, Redruth, open from Sunday 26 April to 03 May, 12.00-17.00 daily.
The show, entitled Moving/Image, is a selection of new and recent work that utilises video, sculpture and installation.
Three of the artists – Stacey Guthrie, Christina Romero Cross and Frances Walsh – are recent graduates of Falmouth University, where they studied Fine Art. Stacey Guthrie’s work has recently been shown at Newlyn Art Gallery as part of the Bloomberg New Contemporaries show. Fiona Léus Lambert is an established artist, based in Porthleven, who has shown widely in Germany and the UK. Both she and Frances Walsh have been members of artist-led CMR Gallery for several years.
A grant from Arts Council England for new video work has supported the exhibition.
The work of Christina Romero Cross engages with the miniature and the interior. Romero Cross has described how she is ‘endlessly fascinated by secret chambers and unexpected views of the otherwise hidden, like a glimpse through imperfectly closed curtains to the interior of a life unknown’.
The interactive video installation being shown by Stacey Guthrie is a new piece that explores the cumulative effect of menial work over time. Employing her signature style, Guthrie takes a humorous and darkly surreal look at what happens to one woman when she is literally consumed by laundry.
Frances Walsh will be showing a new piece of work that further extends her recent series of projected, looped and closely observational video recordings – in this case, a quiet study of a child’s attempts to build and light a fire.
A graduate from Städelschule in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, with the title of ‘Meisterschule’, Fiona Léus Lambert formerly worked intensely with Super 8 and 16mm film, editing ‘in-camera’. More recently she has used video and other digital mediums and editing methods. Although ideally her films should be seen in a cinema situation, some, like the new piece in CMR, are conceived as installations. ‘Loss’ is personal piece, but also references classical forms in art.
CMR member and artist Frances Walsh explains “It can sometimes seem that there are perhaps fewer opportunities to show video or installation-based art work, compared to painting or sculpture. But the spaces at CMR Gallery lend themselves to this type of work. With the Moving/Image show, I sought to bring together the work of four female artists that explored different approaches to producing and using the moving image: we are all primarily using digital video projections within installation environments, but the working methods, themes and intentions behind our work are very different. The environment at CMR has allowed each participating artist to have their own dedicated space to show recent and in some cases new work, to new audiences. We hope as many people as possible will come and have a look.”
CMR Gallery and Project Space is located at the top of Back Lane West in the heart of Redruth. Previously used for film and video workshops and offices, it now offers an inclusive and inviting space for artists and the community to share and explore contemporary visual art in all its forms. CMR is an artist-led membership organization and registered charity, and is open to all who share its aims. New members are always welcome – information on how to apply is on the CMR website www.c-m-r.org
Moving/Image is open 26 April to 03 May, 12.00-17.00 daily
Opening night – Saturday 25 April 19.00-21.00
Images reproduced below:
The Sailmakers is a new video installation made for the Fascinate Showcase in Falmouth.
Exploring the work of Penrose Sailmakers, established in 1825 as a result of Falmouth’s maritime activity, and now the last sailmaking service left on the seafront at Falmouth, the work has been developed in response to Falmouth’s international sailing heritage, especially the Packet Service, and the present-day context of the vibrant 2014 Tall Ships regatta.
The approach is a continuation and extension of my interest in principles and approaches of Expanded Cinema, in particular the role of the viewer in projected video installations.
Accompanying the installation is a limited edition newspaper containing stills from the video.
The Sailmakers has been made with support and funding from Arts Council England and Falmouth University.
More info about the diverse digital creativity involved in the Fascinate workshops, conference and showcase can be found here:
http://www.fascinateconference.com/
The Sailmakers
The Attic room, Jago’s Bar
Open 10am – 5pm, Thursday 28 – Saturday 30 August
Preview evening 6 – 9pm on Friday 29 August
A couple of shots of the final installation set-up for the MA Fine Art: Contemporary Practice show back in September, which was given the Sandra Blow award.
Immediately following the MA, with the help of a professional development bursary from Visual Arts South West, I was able to undertake a 1-day Introduction to MAX for Artists course at the London College of Communication, which I hope will enable me to develop this area of work further.
Further work on the installation for the MA Show…
This week and next we are installing the MA Show at Lamorva House, Falmouth University.
It’s proving very productive having time in the space to develop and extend the possibilities of the work; allowing for new potential for ways of presenting the material I have gathered from the Helston Gunsmiths site.
I took some photos to document initial try-outs of part of the installation today, to help me with finalising the layout.
I was one of two artists from Cornwall awarded a bursary from Visual Arts South West and A-N, the Artists’ Information Company, enabling me to travel to the Venice Biennale press week in May.
I reviewed the opening of Jeremy Deller’s ‘English Magic’ at The British Pavilion for Interface, the artists’ review section of A-N.
http://www.a-n.co.uk/interface/reviews/single/3427714
There were many other artists whose work engaged with themes and processes that resonated with me; the trip was incredibly useful for my practice at this stage in my development. I will be posting some more about the Biennale on this blog over the next few months.
My primary focus was on contemporary approaches to video installation, so my highlights included Jesper Just’s ‘Intercourses’ (Danish Pavilion), Richard Mosse’s collateral show for Ireland, Ryan Trecartin’s installations in the Encyclopaedic Palace at The Arsenale and ‘The Workshop’ by Gilad Ratman in the Israeli Pavilion.
Gilad Ratman
Jeremy Deller
The Greek Pavilion
Ryan Trecartin
Jesper Just
Sarah Lucas
Bedwyr Williams
Collateral shows
We are gearing up for our final show at Falmouth. MA Fine Art: Contemporary Practice students will be showing their work in Lamorva House, Wood Lane Crescent, Falmouth TR11 4QS.
Also in Lamorva House will be the work of MA Curatorial practice students. Across the road on the Wood Lane campus, MA Art & Environment will be in the ‘goldfish bowl’ (Sculpture studios) and Garden studios, whilst MA Illustration will be in the BA Fine Art 1st year studios.
Private View: 6-9pm Tuesday 3rd September (all welcome)
Open to the public: 10am-5pm Wednesday 4th-Saturday 7th September
A couple of stills from my recent shoot at Helston Gunsmiths; the first stages of development of my final MA project.
The MA Fine Art: Contemporary Practice show will be held at Lamorva House, Wood Lane, Falmouth University.
Private View on Tuesday 3rd September, then open daily Wednesday 4th – Saturday 7th September.
Work In Progress 