Painting workshop at Carshalton High School for Girls

On the 29^th June, I went in to work with some Year 10 pupils at Carshalton High School in Surrey.  It was a one day painting workshop where the students were asked to create ‘An Alternative Self Portrait’ and incorporate text into the painting.

I really love working on projects like this! Its really rewarding to see the kids enjoying painting and benefiting from the experience of the workshop.  The teacher had contacted me through the LONSAS website back in April, and asked me to submit a proposal for the kind of workshop I would like to do.

I took elements of my own practice to develop the idea for the workshop.  The students were asked to find an image or take a photograph of something or a place that they felt represented who they are, they were also asked to write a slogan or find a quote that they felt represented them.  These were combined to create a painting on canvas, which they worked on throughout the day.  We also looked at examples in art history of artists who have made alternative self-portraits (Van Gogh’s chair and Emin’s bed), and artists who use text in their work.

A lot of the pupils wrote some really inspiring and interesting pieces of text for their pieces, and they produced some really good work.

Thankyou to Miss Care for inviting me to do the workshop!  And it was lovely to meet all the students in the year 10 class.

Combatting Propaganda....

My artwork usually starts with a thought or idea about something I really feel strongly about, and want to make a comment on.

When I first started to come up with the concept for my new piece 'The Future is Unwritten', I was thinking about advertising and consumer culture.  How in contemporary society we are constantly being sent subliminal messages about what to buy, and how to live our lives.  Advertising is propaganda!

I wanted to create an artwork which offered an alternative to the messages we are so accustomed to receiving everyday.  I wanted to create slogans and messages which ask us to be individual and not just follow advertising instruction, which ask us to be creative in the way we live our lives.  

This piece was a message to myself aswell!  As much as anything the slogans I've used are to remind me to follow my heart and instinct.

'The Future is Unwritten' was showcased at the 11:11 exhibition at East Gallery, 214 Brick Lane.  It opened last Thursday 16th and is open until June 23rd - so you still have a chance to go and see the work and the work of all the other 21 artists in the show.

The opening for the 11:11 exhibition was brilliant, really busy.  Curated by Infinity Bunce, Russell Chater and Richard Stone the show was really well put together with some interesting pieces from the 22 artists involved.  Thankyou very much to the curators for inviting me to take part!

Other artists include:  Rich Simmons, David Bray, Infinity Bunce, John Cake & Darren Neave, Russell Chater, Lorraine Clarke, John Doe, Chris Koning, Josie McKoy, Ben Oakley, Adrian Pritchard, Rugman, Schoony, SNUB23, Christopher Steadman, Richard Stone, The Krah, Lex Thomas, Mimei Thompson, Twinkle Troughton.

Twinkle exhibited her piece 'Prayers over the white cliffs of Dover'.  You can read more about her piece on her blog here

I have been working on 'The Future is Unwritten' for over a year, so it was brilliant to finally see it all together.  I think it will be a piece of work that evolves and changes as I add more slogans to it.  I left the exhibition wondering whether it really does 'Combat Propaganda'....I wonder how people actually perceived the piece?  In the end I decided that whatever the outcome, I'm glad that I am putting artworks into the world that do attempt to do so!

xxx

New piece for the 11:11 Exhibition

I’ve been working away in the studio trying to get my piece finished for the 11:11 show on the 16^th June at East Gallery on Brick Lane.  Less than two weeks to go and quite abit left to do!

11:11 is an exhibition curated by Infinity Bunce, Russell Chater and Richard Stone.  It will feature the work of 11 fine artists and 11 urban artists, you can visit the website  here  for further info.  If you would like to come along to the private view, it is 6-9pm on the 16th June at  East Gallery, 214 Brick Lane.

For the first time ever, I will be exhibiting my new piece: ‘The Future is Unwritten’.  The piece is a wall based assemblage made up of statements and slogans painted onto a collection of found wooden panels.  

I like the idea of using found wood to promote recycling, the panels I’ve used had been left in the streets of London as rubbish, painting onto them and turning them into pieces of art gives them new meaning and value.

The idea for ‘The Future is Unwritten’ was inspired by looking around at a world full of advertising.   We are constantly being told what to wear, what to eat, what to wash with, what car to drive, how to live our lives, we are surrounded by propaganda.  I wanted ‘The Future is Unwritten’ to offer an alternative, it is a call to action and asks us to be creative in our lives rather than following the instructions issued by advertising.

I’ve always been inspired by the ideas and slogans of the Situationist International, an activist/political group originating from Paris in the late 1960s, this piece takes a direct influence from their philosophy.

The collection a month or so ago, there are now 14 panels

I LOVE TYPOGRAPHY!!!  and a while ago I decided to bring it in to my work much more.  My choice of fonts in this piece is inspired by Victorian leaflets, broadsides and circus posters.  Much of my current practice looks at previous generations and the style of typography used in this piece ties in with that theme.

Half way through painting this piece I started thinking ARGHHHH this is really prescriptive, and all abit too nice….  I didn’t want to create something that seemed like I was telling everyone what to do, so I began to incorporate quotes from other people, song lyrics, and my own thoughts and reflection on the piece.  The quotes and lyrics have been carefully selected, the words of activists such as Joan Baez, Joe Strummer, and John Lennon have been used so far.  ‘Boredom is Counter-revolutionary’ is a famous quote of Guy Debord’s, the founder of the Situationist International.  ‘The Future is Unwritten’ is the title of the Julian Temple documentary about Joe Strummer, and also one of his lyrics, I thought it was the perfect slogan to borrow for the title of my piece.

So please come along to the show if you can!  I'm really excited about exhibiting the new piece and would love some feedback!  I'll be posting some pics from the show and of the completed assemblage as soon as its all up on the wall.

xx

MoMac show in Gloucester

My work was recently selected by curators Roberta Moore and Lisa MacKenzie, for a MoMac pop up show in Gloucester.


It was really exciting to be involved in such a big exhibition, I would have loved to have gone! But the exhibition was only on for two days and coincided with my solo show.  Roberta has just kindly sent me some images, afew of which are posted here.  You can also follow the link to view a full slide show of the exhibition.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/49388273@N07/show/


There were several Debut Contemporary artists in the exhibition, including Chantal Powell, Tahnee Lonsdale, Patrick Colhoun, Miss Annabelle Dee, Rosie Emerson and Estelle Grandidier.  Other artists in the show include Freya Douglas Morris, Stuart Semple and Paul Robinson.

Some of the wooden panels from my assemblage: 'The Future is unwritten' 

Not sure who these paintings are by but they look quite amazing!

Some of Tahnee Lonsdale's work

Pics from the auction on May 4th

Afew pics from the charity auction at Debut Contemporary.  All of these images are courtesy of Debut Contemporary and can be seen as part of the full set on their flickr stream.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/debutcontemporary/sets/72157626651544960/

The aim of the auction was to raise funds for the Jennie and Jessie Gunhammer Lupus trust, over 10,000 was raised which will help to facilitate the first ever walk in clinic at St Thomas's hospital.

All of the Debut Contemporary artists donated works for the auction.  I was really pleased when my 'Door of Opportunity' print sold, it was nerve wracking being in the room whilst my work was being auctioned!  But bidding happened...thank god!!!! and it sold for a good price - all of which is going to the trust.

Hugh Edmeades of Christies was the auctioneer, here he is with my print!

Art Sale photos

So far The Art sale/auction has been a big success!!!  It was a really good opening night with lots of bids placed into the box, and a steady stream of people throughout the weekend.  

Bids have yet to be counted and bidding doesn't officially finish until midnight tonight (2 hours to go!!).  I've had a few sneaky peaks in the box, but I'm trying to do it properly and wait to look through all the bids tomorrow morning once the auction has officially finished.

Its brilliant to have such a positive response to the exhibition and the concept of the show, thankyou so much to everyone who came along over the weekend!  Afew of my prints have now sold out, lots of catalogues sold, the remaining ones will be available to buy through my website soon.

Please do get in touch if you are reading this before midnight on Sunday and would like to place a bid!

Below are a selection of pics from the show, courtesy of Alex Carlisle.  More pics to be uploaded to Facebook and Flickr soon!

xxx

Art Sale featured in local newspaper

There is only a few days to go until the big Art Sale and auction....!!!!  


I am nervous but excited, and also manically busy trying to get all the last minute things done!  The printed catalogues arrived the other day and they look really good.  I decided I wanted to bind them myself with red ribbon....this is taking AGES, and perhaps wasn't the most time efficient decision to make!  But I think it will be worth it in the end, I'll be posting pics of them soon.


I was also really pleased to discover that the local newspaper, The Courier has written a lovely feature about the auction.

If you would like any further information about the Art Sale and auction taking place on Friday of this week please email me at tinseledwards@hotmail.co.uk

Also if you scroll further down my blog there is an entry which contains all the relevent info.

Thankyou! x