REAR WINDOW
2 3 5
ST MARYS GUILDHALL
EXHIBITION STATEMENT
4
PIPPA CORDALL
6
MARK JACKSON
BEN JACKSON
7
CHARLIE LANG
8 9
GEMMA SHAKESPEARE
ELEANOR YOUNG
ST MARYS GUILDHALL
This unique building was a major residence, possibly the property of Henry II constructed for the crown-wearing ceremonies of Christmas 1157. It was used for royal wine storage after 1228 before being acquired by St Marys Guild in 1251/2. St Marys Guild used the property as its Guildhall until 1547, but may have let out the north range for commercial use. The Bluecoat School took over the lease 1614-23 and major alterations were carried out. Our exhibition explores relationships, and aims to draw attention to how we all fit in amongst each other, we feel having the courtyard just outside, just like in the film, further encourages the audience to think about how they feel they fit in to society.
EXHIBITION STATEMENT Influenced by Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 ‘Rear Window’, the exhibition is based on the notion of how we perceive one another, or, indeed, one’s self. Working either broadly or autobiographically the six artists present an insight into how we might see the lives around us. The work encourages the spectators to contextualise themself to the world surrounding them. Taking situations from everyday life, the artists transform the usual into the unusual by commenting on social issues and taboos. The contemporary artists work across a broad range of mixed media, including sculpture, paint, video and performance. Using psychology as a way of identifying how we might perceive one another, Gemma Shakespeare’s autobiographical work reflects manipulation and confusion, depicting a changing sense of reality. Benn Jackson also discusses manipulation by focusing on what can be seen in the ordinary when presented in a particular shape or form. Charlie Lang also plays with the audience’s perception, creating a set of shapes that appear differently from certain angles, mixing paint with sculptural aspects. Playing with the possibilities of paint and sculpture, Pippa Cordall also looks at how we might perceive life and other people around us, using philosophy and psychology to m ake sense of what we see. Eleanor Young also looks at the people around her, more specifically her friends. Using mixed media, she draws attention to things that are taken for granted, presenting taboos in an abstract way. Mark Jackson also considers the people around him, concentrating on particular feelings of isolation and entrapment; he explores this through performative aspects, involving the spectator. This visually inspiring exhibition takes a ‘rear’ or backwards perspective, offering a fresh outlook on subjects that the spectator can relate to.
PIPPA CORDALL
Reflecting on the Greek myth ‘Sisyphus’, Pippa comments on how we might perceive our own lives as well as others within contemporary society. Her larger body of work essentially addresses how we choose to live. In particular, the idea about embracing life as either ‘heavy’ or ‘light’. That is, humans who live in a ‘robotic’ dimension and rarely consider existence. And the other: those who lust for meaning. Sisyphus addresses this by juxtaposing heaviness with shallow actions. The myth tells that Sisyphus upset the Gods and was banished to a lifetime of repetitive labour. He would haul a boulder up the hill until it rolled back down and he’d begin again. By pondering this narrative, the artist hopes that we consider our actions and contextualise ourselves to the surrounding world.
BEN JACKSON
In my own body of work I am interested in how children see the world fundementally different to how adults do, With this interest I also incorporate my own personal humour in my work. My style of work relates to my context as I illustrate adult situations but drawn as though a child has drawn it, which adds to the humour. Seeing something ordinary can change very fast if you zoom into certain aspects, you start to see situations which can shock, make you laugh or are still just plain ordinary. With this piece I aim to create confusion with the spectator and make them question weather what they see is really there.
MARK JACKSON Working around the use of digital and 35mm film photography Mark Jackson captures portraiture as a main project but works around other genres of photography. Implementing his use of the camera the photographs are transferred into screen printing into multiple layers where a sense of double exposure is evident. The current exhibition Rear Window Mark uses the camera as an all seeing eye of personal invasion capturing photographs of those around him from certain points of view where as the main character in the movie is trapped in a confined space.
CHARLIE LANG
I want my art to communicate a love of painting to other people and to be powerful and enthralling. Working primarily on large scale canvases, I explore the relationship between the canvas and the viewer and I have found it to be a very interesting area to specialise in; how a canvas can be so shocking and hard hitting, it can engulf the onlooker. Constantly trying to achive this sense of power in my work, I continue to try and improve my skill set so these ideas can become a reality.
GEMMA SHAKESPEARE Creating a flash back context, whilst investigating the sense of smell in order to initiate memory and reality. A collection of portraits of ill placed brush strokes, heavy charcoal markings and expressive oil drips whilst maintaining a traditional manner or portraiture. The mixed media portraits host an ‘event’ of poorly constructed clay models to embellish how people manipulate one another , even som etimes in an unwillingly maladaptive way. Considering this piece as a psychologically charged formation of identity. In relation to an ink blot test, a display of personal characteristics and emotional functioning.
ELEANOR YOUNG My work aims to encourage the spectator to contextualize themselves, and to consider where they place themselves in relation to society, culture, events, and their own history. It is an exploration of the relationships we have with ourselves, and both the connection and disconnection we feel with our environments, from whole cultural landscapes to minute raw elements. The intention of my work is to encourage a reconnection between the viewer and their surroundings; it is an attempt at documenting social culture, and analysing it for clues about why we behave in particular ways, the choices we make, the history that informs this behaviour, and where it is leading us. Its primary objective is to create an awareness of where we place ourselves, and how we fit in with the people around us.
REAR WINDOW