Behind Closed Doors Curated by Neil Irons Opening times: 11 – 13 October 2013 12-6pm Private view: 6-9pm, Friday 11/10/13. Artworks Project Space 114 Blackhorse Lane Walthamstow London E17 6AA. A selection of works by artists based at the Barbican Arts Group Trust Blackhorse Lane Studios, Behind closed doors – a meeting, conversation or event held in private, something that is hidden, a secret or private intention, something intimate. What goes on behind closed doors fascinates and intrigues and although we are all known best only to ourselves, today we share more than ever what was once private or hidden. Through mainstream and social media we have all become more open and then at the same time worry about our lack of privacy. Have we abdicated ourselves from the private? Is transparency and sharing the new moral imperative? Artists having been bearing their souls for a long time now- placing their innermost feelings and beliefs into their art and displaying it before an audience they can only hope are sympathetic. Does this mean everyone who tweets or posts their photos on facebook now are artists? If the intension is to make art then it must be so? Privacy Intimacy Exclusion Privacy in art takes on many forms challenging viewers’ interpretations, accusing feelings of voyeurism or intrusion. Private moments such as in William Stok's piece – Sleeping Beauty invite the viewer to consider themselves within the artwork -an intruder in a familiar yet private moment. Both Jonathan O'Dea's Transfiguration and Franki Austin's Tree house invoke private spaces, utilising radically different methods they have produced imagery that suggests private realms demanding of quiet contemplation. In Valerie Large's piece 3G the viewer is faced with cut up and rearranged calligraphy suggesting private and intriguing ideas. Not all that an artist produces is for public viewing, often artists make work for themselves, as a means of exploring ideas or to work something through. Katrin Mäurich’s work Small black II – was one of a series of works she had never intended to exhibit– a truly private artwork. Ross Hansen’s very finely worked drawing Summit Photo looks at the way society is now displaying its private moments in a playful way. Intimacy in art can be quite different from the private, it suggests a degree of mystery, an invite to a conversation with the work or a shared private moment. Perhaps in the main it is used in terms of scale or outlook. Often the intimate and private meet in an artwork such as Julie Cave’s Tender Hearted or Jonet Harley Peters’ Budding Grove Vipers Bugloss, both abstract pieces that pull the viewer into an intimate space steeped in a private moment, the former a painterly exploration and the latter a geometric design digitally printed onto ceramic tiles.
Further intimate spaces can be found in the works of Elizabeth de Monchaux, Helen Maurer and Barry Sykes. Using an intimacy of scale these three artists have produced art that speaks about how it was made revealing hidden views and utilising three very different methodologies. The structures in the wall mounted sculptures of de Monchaux Untitled and Sykes 3 Old Student Works Of Mine From The Late 90's, On A Shelf With A Satsuma are intricate in execution whilst being polar opposites in approach to materials. Maurer’s Upstream Reeds video is accompanied by its subject matter an intimate still life. The works by Charlotte Gerard Party Time, Denise Hickey Eyes for Glttering Objects, Charlotte Hodes Bathers; Floral White and Daniella Rizzi Everyday 1 – Crocs were selected to illustrate the intimacy of their practise and a certain playfulness and mystery to be found within their art. Portraiture is one of the most intimate and yet at the same time public forms of art, the depiction of a face or human figure being easily being the most accessible way into looking at art. However Duncan Evans' Seated Figure and Pauline Evans Girly and Matthew Krishanu's Two Priests all examine figuration from an intimate viewpoint, whilst Tam Joseph's Laughing Legend with a Stratocaster use of art historical and popular culture merges two iconic images subverting the intimacy of portraits. Lucile Montague brings together all three strands examined by the show, In the Doll’s House appears private and intimate and at the same time hints at the frustration of exclusion in the seated figure reading a newspaper. The final grouping of artists look into those conversations that remain behind closed doors with artists and activists voices bringing them into the open. Francesco de Manincor The Great Tomorrow, Neil Irons Spaces Available and Jean Pierre Mas Built on Sand all explore notions of environmental catastrophe in their works. At the same time Michelle Reader’s Bombus Lucorum and Sandie Sutton’s Under Milk Would work with recycled materials in their sculptures inviting the viewer to question their involvement in the ecology and degradation of our world. Behind closed doors - a selection of works from the artists at Blackhorse Lane Studios brought into the open. The artworks in the exhibition are for sale - prices on application. For more information contact – Neil Irons – 07751 495 853 mail@neilirons.co.uk Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/blackhorselanestudios Further Information: Barbican Arts Group Trust - Artworks Project Space From it's origins in Sycamore Street London EC1, Barbican Arts Group Trust has a thirty-nine year track record of studio provision and public benefit. Barbican Arts Group was formed by artists to create studio and exhibiting space in the Barbican area. It received charitable status in 1984 in recognition of its community and educational work undertaken through exhibitions, public art projects, open studios and schools projects. Barbican Arts Group Trust moved east in 1989, with assistance from Greater London Arts and established Hertford Road Studios, and in 2008 added another studio block at Blackhorse Lane E17. The Artworks Project Space has established itself as a venue for innovative exhibitions and projects. Further information see - www.barbicanartsgrouptrust.co.uk
Artworks
Franki Austin
Tree House
Pencil on paper 45 x 63cm
Julie Caves
Tender Hearted
Acrylic on canvas 50 x 80cm
Elizabeth de Monchaux
Untitled
Aluminium 46 x 46 x 37cm
Francesco de Manincor
The Great Tomorrow – part 1 Venice (detail)
Pencil on paper 102 x 72cm
Duncan Evans
Seated Figure
Ink, charcoal on paper 84 x 59cm
Pauline Evans
Girly
Acrylic on paper 140 x 100cm
Charlotte Gerard
Party Time
Monoprint 78 x 93cm
Ross Hansen
Summit photo Media: Date: 2013 Size:
colour pencil on paper 17.4 x 22.2 cm
Jonet Harley_Peters
Budding Grove – Vipers Bugloss
Ceramic tiles 38 x 38cm
Denise Hickey
Eyes for glittering objects
Mixed media assemblage
Charlotte Hodes
Bathers: Floral White
Cut printed papers with drawing 119 x 85cm
Neil Irons
Spaces Available, Emil, Joe and Claude go paddling
Watercolour 67 x 38cm
Tam Joseph
Laughing Legend with Stratocaster
Oil on board 50 x 80cm
Matthew Krishanu
Two Priests
Oil on canvas 35 x 25cm
Valerie Large
13G
Ink on paper 30 x 30cm
Jean Pierre Mas
Built on sand
Photograph 52 x 42cm
Helen Maurer
Upstream reeds
Video installation 30 x 100 x 30cm
Katrin M채urich
Small black II
Acrylic on board 30 x 30cm
Lucile Montague
Inside the doll’s house
Pastel on paper 60 x 75cm
Jonathan O’Dea
Transfiguration
Found objects paint on board 40 x 40 x 20cm
Michelle Reader
Bombus Lucorum – working drawing
Recycled materials
Daniella Rizzi
Everyday 1 – Crocs
Photopolymer etching 60 x 70cm
William Stok
Sleeping Beauty
Ceramic and found objects 30 x 30cm
Sandie Sutton
Under Milk Would
Milk cartons wire 30 x 30 x 150cm
Barry Sykes
3 Old Student Works Of Mine From The Late 90's, On A Shelf With A Satsuma
Mixed media