Tuesday 30 October 2012

Inspirational Hepworth

I was fortunate enough to be able to visit the 'Hepworth Wakefield' with my half term Study Visit.


This stunning building was nominated for the recent Stirling Prize. It is built into a weir, and generates all its heating from the water rushing past its foundations. The structure and forms are very unusual - I suspect Hepworth may have had something to say about it! The play of light and shadow is very effective.

View of the river running past the gallery, and below, the weir from inside the gallery
 
The Gallery spaces are large and light and purpose built to show off working maquettes and finished Hepworth sculptures


The sculptures were crying out to be drawn, and proved to be very inspirational forms

 
 
Combined inspiration from an exhibition in Leeds, and a Hepworth sculpture
 
The first two pages are currently being translated into etchings, hope to show you on the next post.
 
My visits to galleries in the Northern Cities was a real eye opener, the architecture is stunning and the exhibitions are hard to beat. We will return to see more.

Wednesday 24 October 2012

The First Cut - Manchester Art Gallery

Last weekend I took a group of Sixth Form students on a tour of galleries in Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool. We had quite an itinerary and saw some truly amazing shows. The galleries in this area have clearly benefited from large investments, and have employed outstanding curation teams.

Manchester Art Gallery's 'The First Cut' was such an exciting and inspiring show that I would urge everyone to somehow go there and see it. Most of these photos are from the main gallery space on the top floor, but pieces are displayed throughout the gallery. Further pieces are also on display at the Museum of Costume. We were blown away...

 
The works shown portrayed the best of radically innovative and imaginative creativity that exists in the contemporary art world.

Andy Singleton

The scale of some of the pieces was just astonishing, the piece, above, was the full height of the gallery space.

Mia Perlman
miapearlman.com/CUT_PAPER/cut_paper

The hours and hours of commitment behind the pieces was awe inspiring, we had huge respect for the craftsmanship behind the creation of such beautiful work.

Nicola Dale
http://www.nicoladale.com/the-making-of-sequel.html

All made from paper and books.


The creative hanging meant that you can wander through this copse of gently rotating 'trees'.

Manabu Hangai

Go, soak up the beauty, be inspired.

Sunday 14 October 2012

October Walk

My new altered book project is providing the opportunity to follow up ideas, marks and themes tentatively explored in the past

 

 


Thinking as drawing, exploring and experimenting, thinking out on the page.