Along side Mike's pot party, down on the seafront we are getting ready to hang Julie Doucet's lino print illustrations.
Opening on the 23 April, this small, but perfectly formed group of prints were made as illustrations for ‘Chroniques de New York’ by Jean-Francois Jouanne.
Born in 1965 in Montréal, Julie Doucet was educated at a girl Catholic school. Then she began Fine Arts studies, first at the CÉGEP du Vieux Montréal (the equivalent of junior college), later at the Université du Québec à Montréal, where she completed a degree in printing arts. During her studies Julie Doucet took interest into drawing comics, and eventually devoted herself completely to that funny art form. Her comic book, Dirty Plotte began life as a photocopied fanzine. In it Doucet would document in french and in english her day to day life, her dreams, angsts, fantasies. The series was first published in 1991 by Drawn & Quarterly, in the comic book form. Shortly afterwards she won the prestigious Harvey Award for Best New Talent. She left for New York city, where she spent a year related in ’My New York Diary’ In the 1990s, she abandoned the medium of comic books and went back to printing. Woodcuts, linocuts, silkscreen printing, followed by an abundant production of artist’s books. She took part in many group exhibitions and, finally, in 2006 she had her own solo exhibition of her print work at the galerie B-312. Julie Doucet now writes and makes collages. Mostly.
You can see the prints that will be on show here.
http://www.castorandpollux.co.uk/2010/03/print-exhibition-julie-doucet-23-april/
Friday, 16 April 2010
Julie Doucet prints at Castor and Pollux
Friday, 9 April 2010
Paddy Hamilton
After delivering some work to Rye Art Gallery for their Printmaking Show, for the first time we kept going and found ourselves at Dungeness under the shadow of the humming nuclear power station amid decaying fishermans huts, rotting wooden boats, as well as newly spruced up clapboard cribs and new fishing catamarans which seemed far too large to be hauled up on the large beach.
We saw a sign saying open studio and found ourselves in the exhibition spaces and studio of Paddy Hamilton who also came out to talk to us. Paddy moved from Vauxhall central London to the cul-de-sac at the end of the world - Dungeness beach, by the old lighthouse and Nuclear Power Station.
Paddy's studio looks out over the beach to the English Channel where huge skyscrapers of bulk carriers and container ships pass close by, and fishing boats from slightly further back along the beach ply up and down trawling or hauling nets. His work is inspired by the location with relief prints of the people, dogs and prawn fishermen who walk the ridge of shingle outside the studio window. His paintings at the moment are of 'ghost ships' in oils and wax, appearing spookily out of nowhere when the sea mists shift and somehow magnify the ships. He says this new work has found favour in Eastern Europe speaking to something in the Russian character.
Other work is of the detritus of the beach, - fishing huts leaning alarmingly after years of driving wind rain and storms, piles of faded fishing crates, rotting wooden fishing boats and the vans and tractors the beach somehow attracts - many of which stay permanently.
Paddy has turned his garden and pathways into artworks - the path to the studio is bordered by a picket fence narrowing to create a false perspective, paths of plastic flotsom, gleamed from the beach, found objects and a 'grave' made from old paintbrushes.
Two galleries - painted beachuts - are open to the public each with a different feel and Paddy sometimes takes the exhibitions on the road, staying in his deliciously curvy 1960's caravan, aiming to bring a piece of Dungeness to wherever he ends up.
You can see more of his work at http://www.paintings-for-sale.net/
and he has a blog detailing new work and what's he's up to http://paddyhamiltonstudios.blogspot.com/
Monday, 5 April 2010
New Book on artist Patrick Procktor RA (1936-2003)
Monday, 29 March 2010
Mike Levy pots at Castor and Pollux
Long awaited, Mike Levy has been busy unloading the kiln over the weekend. You will recognise his work from visits to the gallery and the Brighton open houses he has taken part in.
http://www.castorandpollux.co.uk/
Pick Me Up at Somerset House
Somerset House presents Pick Me Up, the first contemporary graphic art fair in the UK. The fair will bring together the most exciting graphic artists working today, giving you the opportunity to buy limited edition, affordable graphic art, illustration and design. Nice invitation design by Anthony Burrell. (Which I couldn't get to load here for some reason)
Live printing with London Print Club and a recreation of Rob Ryan studio will be on show from 23 April to 3 May.
Really exciting to see graphic design in this gallery setting.
http://www.somersethouse.org.uk/visual_arts/pick_me_up/default.asp
Eastbourne Festival 3rd - 25th April 2010
Click Here to Read More..
Friday, 19 March 2010
University of Brighton to close 'Art House'
The University of Brighton has announced that at the end of the year all adult arts and design evening and Saturday classes (the Arthouse) will be closed.
Courses being shut down include photography, printmaking, bookbinding, ceramics, silversmithing, illustration, life drawing, carpentry, fashion, web design and so on.
Redundancy notices have already been sent out marking an end of Adult Arts Education in the University which used to be Brighton Art School.
We understand that as there isn't a firm economic case for closing the courses, the decision seems to have been made on prejudice against what is perceived to be 'leisure courses'
Having known both artists and tutors who have taken courses at the Arthouse it seems to be a shame as the courses have encouraged some great artists and is a good community resource for Brighton. It seems to mark the final chapter in the intellectualisation of art where art is now a university course to be written about in an academic way as much as a course where skills are learnt, explored, and developed.
Tom Hickey, Chair of the UCU branch, said yesterday: “We do not understand this decision at all. We were not consulted in advance, and were later told it was because of a large budget deficit. But there seems to be no deficit at all for these courses. To walk away from adult education would be to trample on the commitments that the University has previously given about its role in the community.
Since there is no apparent financial justification for this decision, it can only represent a prejudice against short course provision, and a repositioning of the Faculty. That has a major effect on the relationship between the Arts Faculty and the city. Yet it is a decision taken behind closed doors with no section of the University community consulted about it, and no prior notice to the City Council or consultation with other agencies. It is a serious misjudgment.”
A campaign has been formed http://www.savebrightonarthouse.org/ if you want to learn more or sign their petition.
Click Here to Read More..
