RIVERSIDE ARTISTS GROUP LONDON | CATALOGUE OF METROESCAPES, LALIN, SPAIN, AUGUST 2014

Metroescapes

Works from the Riverside Artists Group (RAG), 8-29 August 2014

Museo Municipal Ramón María Aller Ulloa, Lalín 36500 Pontevedra, Galicia, España/Spain T +34[986]-7840 04 E museo@lalin.org W www.casasmuseo.es/casas-museo/galicia-18-eng.htm

The Riverside Artists Group was formed in 1986 at the Riverside Studios in Hammersmith. Its raison d’être is to support and promote practising visual artists based in West London.

RAG is run by member artists and provides a network to exchange ideas and information, enabling the group to organise exhibitions in the UK and abroad Artist Profiles, Additional Works For further information on RAG, member artists in this exhibition and other members of the group, visit: http://www.riversideartistsgroup.com

Contents

Message from the Curator, Lalín 4 6 Introduction 7 Susan Bazin 8-9 G. Calvert Brian Deighton 10-11 Máire Gartland 12-13 Heather Gordon 14 Aude Grasset 15 Pauline Harding 16-17 Graham High 18-19 C. Morey de Morand 20-21 Jane Oldfield 22 Maria T. Pastor 23-24 Sajid Rizvi 25-26 Jim Sitch 27-28 Sanja Stamenic 29 Chris Stevens 30 José Suárez 31-32 Sun Yinjie 33 Greta Wakil 34-35 Stephen Williams 36-37

Message from the Curator, Lalín

Ninguna sociedad del pasado produjo ninguna expresión cultural sin la participación del artista.

Walter Gropius*

El Museo ‘Ramón Mª Aller’ de Lalín da la bienvenida, por segunda vez, a ‘Riverside Artists Group’ de Londres.

Este grupo de distintas nacionalidades, que tienen por nexo común su amor por las artes, se presenta en Lalín en agosto del 2010 con una exposición colectiva bajo el título de “London Colling”.

En esta ocasión, nos acercan bajo el título de ‘metroEscapes’, 31 propuestas de 19 artistas: Yinjie Sun, Chris Stevens, Sajid Rizvi, Jane Oldfield, Heather Gordon, José Suárez, Graham High, Aude Grasset, Pauline Harding, Maria T. Pastor, Stephen Williams, Jim Sitch, Brian Deighto, Greta Wakil, Susan Bazin, C. Morey de Morand, G. Calvert, Máire Gartland y Sanja Stamenic.

Procedentes de España, Inglaterra, China, India, Irlanda, Francia y Serbia La exposición, representada por las distintas nacionalidades y las distintas tendencias artísticas es una buena muestra de la universalidad del arte. Seguro que todas aquellas personas que se acerquen al museo lalinense, tendrán la posibilidad de contemplar una gran variedad de estilos fruto de las inquietudes en que se mueve Riverside Artists Group.

Tenemos que agradecer la interesante labor que están realizando, la calidad de las propuestas presentadas y que tengamos esta segunda oportudidad de deleitarnos con su trabajo.

Damián Paío

No society of the past produced a cultural expression without the participation of the artist.

Walter Gropius*

The Ramón Mª Aller Museum of Lalín welcomes for the second time the ‘Riverside Artists Group’ from London.

This group of different nationalities with their love for the arts as a common nexus previously presented at our museum a joint exhibition titled ‘London Calling’ in August 2010.

This time, the artists in the group approach us with works under the title ‘metroEscapes’ — 31 projects by 19 artists drawn from Spain, England, China, India, Ireland, France and Serbia: Yinjie Sun, Chris Stevens, Sajid Rizvi, Jane Oldfield, Heather Gordon, José Suárez, Graham High, Aude Grasset, Pauline Harding, Maria T. Pastor, Stephen Williams, Jim Sitch, Brian Deighton, Greta Wakil, Susan Bazin, C. Morey de Morand, G. Calvert, Máire Gartland and Sanja Stamenic.

The exhibition, represented by the different nationalities and different artistic trends, is a good example of the universality of art. We are sure that all those who will come to Lalín’s museum will have the chance to see a good variety of art, the result of many different expressions of the interests (or concerns) that motivate the Riverside Artists Group.

We have to be thankful for the interesting work being done, the quality of the propositions submitted and for having this second opportunity to enjoy their work.

Damián Paío

*Text translated by Nathalie Frances. The quotation from Gropius was rendered from the original into Spanish and is paraphrased into English.

Introduction

The idea for MetroEscapes emerged from commonalities real or imagined that were experienced or explored during and after the Riverside Artists Group exhibition, London Calling, which took place at Museo Municipal Ramón María Aller Ulloa, Lalín, 9 July-13 August 2010.

London Calling served as an open-ended invitation to those who saw it in Lalín to explore the British metropolis in all its mind-bending and—perhaps simultaneously—profoundly inspiring diversity. Many of the artists who took part in London Calling have elected to exhibit again in MetroEscapes. Some in the intervening years have returned for individual appearances at the museum as artist resident, solo exhibitor or simply as visitor with family or friends. Such is the pull of Lalín that it has induced individual or collective desire for partaking more of Galicia’s treasured legacy of private houses turned into precious sites for sharing of the region’s rich and enriching cultural heritage. We are reminded that this museum, one of several in this category of Spain’s ‘house museums,’ owes its existence to three illustrious scions of Lalín, the aviator Joaquín Loriga Taboada, the painter José Otero Abeledo aka ‘Laxeiro’ and the astronomer, priest and mathematician Ramón Mª Aller. The garden belonging to the late nineteenth century building, we are told, features the first astronomical observatory of Galicia, opened by Aller, who owned the house. From individuals of such varied backgrounds comes this astounding gift of a venue for continuing explorations of the sensory and the visual.

The title of the MetroEscapes exhibition with its word play on its parts—’metro’ from metropolis, ‘scape’ with or without the ‘e’ conjoined from landscape or from escape—suggests a spectrum of ideas, imagery, practice and, on a wider plane, philosophy. A previous RAG exhibition in London at the Institute of Physics similarly inspired members to produce an amazing body of work centred on its theme/title, Stars in Your Eyes.

Curator Damián Paío captures the essence of this free-wheeling creativity in his quotation from Walter Gropius (1883-1969), an architect who earned world renown and yet could not draw, channelling his talent instead into other concerns of human life, society and space deemed equally vital for culture’s relentless march toward posterity. In that sense the works brought together in MetroEscapes are as much about urban experiences that will be familiar to Lalín audiences as about visual conversations engendered in London’s singular milieu.

Sajid Rizvi

Susan Bazin E susan@bazin5.com

Release, 2014 acrylic and oil bar on canvas, 100cm x 100cm

G. Calvert E g@gcalvert.com

In My Hands I, 2014 pastel and acrylic on canvas, 100cm x 100cm

G. Calvert E g@gcalvert.com

In My Hands II, 2014 pastel and acrylic on canvas, 100cm x 100cm

Brian Deighton E briandeighton@me.com

Slough of Despond I, 2014 acrylic and bleach on dyed canvas, 100cm x 100cm

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Brian Deighton E briandeighton@me.com

Slough of Despond II, 2014 acrylic and bleach on dyed canvas, 100cm x 100cm

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MĂĄire Gartland E mairegartland@hotmail.co.uk

Tricolore—Long Road, 2013-14 oil on canvas, 100cm x 100cm

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Mรกire Gartland E mairegartland@hotmail.co.uk

Hung Out to Dry, 2013-14 oil on canvas, 100cm x 100cm

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Heather Gordon E gordon.ha@gmail.com

Dance of death, 2014 oil and pastel on canvas, 100cm x 100cm

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Aude Grasset E aude@audegrasset.com

Mandala, 2013 acrylic on cut board, 100cm x 100cm

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Pauline Harding E paulineharding0@gmail.com

Changes in Colour, 2014 acrylic on canvas, 100cm x 100cm

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Pauline Harding E paulineharding0@gmail.com

Pivot, 2014 oil on canvas, 100cm x 100cm

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Graham High E highsculpt@btinternet.com

Surge, 2014 mixed paints on canvas, 100cm x 100cm

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Graham High E highsculpt@btinternet.com

Flood zone, 2014 mixed paints on canvas, 100cm x 100cm

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C. Morey de Morand W www.cmoreydemorand.co.uk

Going Beyond, 2014 acrylic media, pigments and marble dust on linen, 100cm x 100cm

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C. Morey de Morand W www.cmoreydemorand.co.uk

Proustian Space, 2014 acrylic media, pigments and marble dust on linen, 100cm x 100cm

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Jane Oldfield E jane@janeoldfield.co.uk

My Ridgeway, 2014 acrylics and oils on canvas, with integral wooden frame, 100cm x 100cm

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Maria T. Pastor E lolacastor@yahoo.co.uk

Rice Paddy Terraces in Yunnan, China, 2013 acrylic on canvas, 100cm x 100cm

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Maria T. Pastor E lolacastor@yahoo.co.uk

D.M.T, 2013 acrylic on canvas, 100cm x 100cm

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Sajid Rizvi E info@sajidrizvi.net

Metrosocial II, 2014 acrylic, oil pastels and paint on canvas, 100cm x 100cm

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Sajid Rizvi E info@sajidrizvi.net

Loose Ends, Dead Ends, 2014 acrylic, oil pastels and paint on canvas, 100cm x 100cm

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Jim Sitch E jimsitch@banksian23.demon.co.uk

Twelves, 2014 acrylic on 9mm medium-density fibreboard (MDF), 100cm x 100cm

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Jim Sitch E jimsitch@banksian23.demon.co.uk

Vortech*, 2014 acrylic on 9mm medium-density fibreboard (MDF), 100cm x 100cm Artist’s statement: The term Vortech is a literal compression of the two words ‘vortex’ and ‘technology’. The picture illustrates my passion for the link between creative emotions, colour and the modern age. Like oil on water reacting to a drumbeat, ‘Vortech’ plays out its own tempo, filling the subconscious with visual sounds. When you look into Vortech, your mind will vibrate *

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Sanja Stamenic E sstamenic@yahoo.com

Spanish Rose, 2014 charcoal and dry pastel drawing on canvas (varnished), 100cm x 100cm

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Chris Stevens E chrispstevens@mac.com

Happy Days, 2014 oil, charcoal and encaustic on canvas, 100cm x 100cm

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Jose Suarez E xosesu@hotmail.com

The bird song, 2014 oil on canvas, 100cm x 100cm

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Jose Suarez E xosesu@hotmail.com

The owl run, 2013 oil on canvas, 100cm x 100cm

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Sun Yinjie info@sunnyartcentre.co.uk

Tree of Heaven, 2012 oil on canvas, 100cm x 100cm

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Greta Wakil E gretawakil@yahoo.co.uk

Spring in the City, 2013-14 acrylic on canvas, 100cm x 100cm

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Greta Wakil E gretawakil@yahoo.co.uk

City Limits, 2013-14 oil on canvas, 100cm x 100cm

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Stephen Williams E swlastword@hotmail.com

Imaginary Landscape - Book and Dreamer, 2013-14 acrylic, cardboard, plastic and paper on canvas, 100cm x 100cm

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Stephen Williams E swlastword@hotmail.com

Imaginary Landscape - Cement Rose, 2013-14 acrylic, cardboard and object on canvas, 100cm x 100cm

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Riverside Artists Group Catalogue Conceived, Designed & Edited by Sajid Rizvi Translation of Spanish Text: Nathalie Frances Catalogue design implementation: Prizmatone Design Distribution: Saffron Books/Saffron Distribution/SAFNET RAG Team 2014 Máire Gartland [Chair, RAG] José Suárez, Spanish Exhibitions Working Group Jane Oldfield, Treasurer Anton Harding, Secretary Aude Grasset, RAG Website Sajid Rizvi, Information & Publicity Greta Wakil, Membership Pauline Harding, Minutes Secretary Heather Gordon, Riverside Studios Working Group Martin Ireland, Mailing List

Copyright © All rights reserved 2014. Copyright in individual elements — original images and artists’ texts — rests with the respective artists. For permissions contact the artist concerned or contact Riverside Artists Group www.riversideartistsgroup.com

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