The New Art Gallery Walsall
June to September 2011
Cover image: Mark Titchner, I’ll choose my fate, 2011. Digital print on vinyl. Courtesy of the artist and Vilma Gold, London
Garman Ryan Collection, The New Art Gallery Walsall
What’s On June – September 2011 Exhibitions
- Toby Ziegler: The Alienation of Objects - Brian Griffin: The Black Country - Leo Fitzmaurice: You Try To Tell Me But I Never Listen - Mark Titchner: Be True To Your Oblivion - Edgar Martins: This is not a House - Structure & Material: Claire Barclay / Becky Beasley / Karla Black - Samuel Palmer: Towards the Light - Eduardo Paolozzi: General Dynamic F.U.N - Make Room: Interventions in the Garman Ryan Collection
Until 9 July 2011
Window Installation, Floor 1
The Artists’ Studio will be filled with charcoal dust and the aroma of oil paint this summer as Birmingham-based artist Barbara Walker moves in and starts her residency. Barbara will continue to develop her series of paintings and drawings which explore how clothing is used by specific groups of men as a status symbol within their communities.
Jon Burgerman is renowned across the globe for his unique drawing style, colourful characters and dry sense of humour. He was recently commissioned to create a new piece of work specifically for The New Art Gallery Walsall which reveals the trials and tribulations of being an artist: having an idea, juggling deadlines, burning the midnight oil, checking your emails, having a snack and going international! Jon is currently based in New York City.
Open Studio Event: Saturday 18 June, 2-4pm. Free all welcome. www.barbarawalker.co.uk
www.jonburgerman.com
Bob and Roberta Smith & the Epstein Archive is supported by
Structure & Material is supported by
Toby Ziegler is supported by
Edgar Martins is supported by
The gallery is accredited by
Jon Burgerman, I Stare Out of the Window, 2011, Installation at The New Art Gallery Walsall. Courtesy of the artist
Barbara Walker, Same Difference (After Lorna), 2008. Charcoal on paper, 2008, 96 x 70cm. Courtesy of the artist
Visit our website: thenewartgallerywalsall.org.uk Join the blog, Facebook us or just follow us on Twitter.
Mark Titchner is supported by
Artists’ Projects Jon Burgerman I Stare Out of the Window
Artists’ Studio Barbara Walker
Toby Ziegler, The Alienation of Objects, 2010. Installation view, The New Art Gallery Walsall. Courtesy the artist, Zabludowicz Collection, Simon Lee Gallery, London and Max Hetzler, Berlin Photo: Hannah Anderson
8 April – 18 June 2011 Floor 3, Galleries 2, 3 and 4 Toby Ziegler’s sculptural installation consists of new sculptures and readymades inspired by found images of historical art objects; an Iberian stone head stolen from the Louvre for Pablo Picasso; a neo-classical sculpture of a panther, a pair of Staffordshire pottery dogs; a Hellenic sculpture of a hermaphrodite couple and a classical Venus. All of these objects have been damaged or lost definition through the passage of time. Ziegler’s process further distorts and amends their form. He begins with low resolution photographs found in books and on the internet.
These images too have lost or gained information and narratives over the years. He then uses 3D software to re-model the objects in three dimensions, and working from these digital projections, fabricates them in oxidised aluminium polygons riveted together to form a skin. Ziegler is interested in the ways in which we receive and interpret information, for example; the transmission of images or artefacts across historical periods or different media. His works play up the losses and alterations that are incurred when an artefact is communicated across these breaches. The Alienation of Objects (2010) was commissioned by the Zabludowicz Collection.
8 April – 18 June 2011 Floor 3, Gallery 1 “I grew up in the Black Country and it gave me everything I ever wanted in life in terms of inspiration for my work”. Brian Griffin, 2010 Brian Griffin is one of the UK’s most established photographers and is renowned for his portraits of musicians, actors, political figures and the business community. However, growing up in the 50s and 60s in the Black Country, surrounded by industry, has left an indelible impression on the artist, to such an extent, that this new body of work restages his childhood memories of living amongst the factories on Stocking Street, Lye. A display of works from The New Art Gallery Walsall’s collection selected by Brian accompanies the exhibition – as well as archive material from various Black Country sources and Brian’s personal family archive.
Brian Griffin, Cradley Heath Speedway Rider, 2010. Archival pigment print, Courtesy of the artist
Toby Ziegler The Alienation of Objects
Brian Griffin The Black Country
The Black Country was first exhibited at Collège des Bernardins, Paris. The exhibition has been supported by the Owen Family Trust, Walsall Museums and Galleries Development Trust, Multistory and Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council.
In Conversation Saturday 4 June 2011, 2pm Brian Griffin will give a tour of the exhibition and share his passion for the Black Country. Please reserve your free place by calling 01922 654400
Mark Titchner BE TRUE TO YOUR OBLIVION 8 July – 10 September 2011 Floor 3 and Window Box Mark Titchner works in a wide variety of media, often combining new technologies with more traditional craft techniques. An overarching interest is the ways in which communication engenders belief. Text commonly features within his work and he draws from a wide range of sources including song lyrics, advertising slogans, corporate mission statements and political manifestos. Newly commissioned works will be shown alongside key works from the artist’s past practice. Amongst the brand new works will be a video portrait of Nicholas Bullen, a founding member of Napalm Death, and an enormous banner that combines digital image manipulation with the raw structure of a breeze-block wall. The exhibition is presented as part of Home of Metal, a celebration of the music that was born in the Black Country and Birmingham. Created and produced by Capsule, the project brings people together to share their passion and to explore Heavy Metal through exhibitions, film screenings, live events, a conference and family friendly activities. Four decades since Heavy Metal was unleashed onto an unsuspecting world, Home of Metal honours a truly global musical phenomenon. For the full season and detailed event information, please visit www.homeofmetal.com Preview: Thursday 7 July, 6-8pm. All welcome. In Conversation Saturday 10 September, 2pm Join the artist for an informal tour of his exhibition. Please reserve your free place in advance by calling 01922 654400.
Mark Titchner, Ergo Ergot, 2006. Wood, steel, motors, electrical and mechanical components, DVD loop, monitors and speakers. Courtesy the artist and Vilma Gold, London
This exhibition has been supported by the Henry Moore Foundation. Mark Titchner, I Saw a Light, 2010. Steel and fixings. Zabludowicz Collection. Courtesy the artist and Vilma Gold, London
30 September – 24 December 2011 Floor 3, Gallery 1 This extraordinary body of photographic work was originally instigated by a commission from The New York Times Magazine. The artist was asked to create a photo-essay that reflected on the collapse of the US housing market. Shot initially in 16 US states over a period of one month, the work focuses on carefully researched locations, exposing the full extent and impact of this worldwide crisis. Martins has created a compelling series of images of neglected and abandoned houses, apartments, office buildings, golf courses and ski resorts. The subjects are effectively contemporary ruins, and the artist knowingly plays with these associations to create dramatic, poetic and often theatrical compositions.
Edgar Martins, Untitled (Atlanta, Georgia), from the series This is not a House, 2009. Courtesy of the artist
Edgar Martins, Untitled (Atlanta, Georgia), from the series This is not a House, 2009. Courtesy the artist
Edgar Martins This is not a House
Structure & Material Claire Barclay, Becky Beasley, Karla Black An Arts Council Collection Exhibition curated by Katrina Brown and Caroline Douglas 30 September – 24 December 2011 Floor 3, Galleries 2, 3 and 4 This exhibition brings together three artists who each use an abstract, allusive vocabulary of object-making to investigate the way we create meaning through form. Their chosen media and techniques are very different, though in each case familiar materials are made unsettlingly strange. Unlikely sculptural materials such as cosmetics, sugar paper, blackboard paint and brass hinges, or craft in the form of carpentry and tapestry, are co-opted by all three artists to diverse and distinctive effect. From elements that are sometimes meagre or over-familiar, new forms are created that are authentically mysterious and highly evocative. A Hayward Touring Exhibition from Southbank Centre, London
When the photo-essay was finally published in summer 2009, it was subsequently withdrawn from the website of the magazine, due to the artist’s decision to digitally reshape a select few images. It then incited a heated debate in the heart of the journalistic and artistic communities, prompting a re-evaluation of our understanding of photography and its fragile and difficult relationship with the “real” and a further exploration of the impact of digital media in journalism. This Exhibition has been supported by the Gulbenkian Foundation (UK branch) Karla Black, Persuader Face, 2011. Installation detail Longside Gallery, March 2011. Courtesy Galerie Gisela Capitain, Cologne. Photo: Jonty Wilde
Leo Fitzmaurice You Try to Tell Me but I Never Listen
The Garman Ryan Collection On display all year round
Leo Fitzmaurice, You try to tell me but I never listen, installation detail, 2011. Courtesy of the artist
The Garman Ryan Collection is a personal collection of art and artefacts given to Walsall by Sir Jacob Epstein’s widow, Kathleen Garman and her close friend, sculptor, Sally Ryan. This intimate display includes works by many famous artists including Van Gogh, Lucian Freud, Monet, Constable and Picasso. For more information about the gallery collections and Jacob Epstein, visit thenewartgallerywalsall.org.uk
Bob and Roberta Smith
& the Epstein Archive
The exciting conclusion of Bob and Roberta Smith’s residency with the Epstein Archive will see the complete transformation of the Archive Gallery on Floor 1. The new gallery space, which opens in September, will include new archive displays alongside a large wall painting by Smith which will interpret the stories and themes of the archive in a unique way. Bob and Roberta Smith’s sculpture Eppy Daddy Battle Bot will be on display throughout the summer. The sculpture, which celebrates Jacob Epstein’s battles with the art establishment, is inspired by Epstein’s Rock Drill and imagines him as a 3 metre high wooden robot.
Leo Fitzmaurice collects, contains and re-edits the visual noise that forms part and parcel of 21st century life. For this exhibition he will transform the Floor 4 gallery space into a sea of colour through the use of mass produced printed material. By carefully layering the printed matter, Leo will re-animate the abundance of advertising information which we subconsciously register and recognise.
Interventions from the Epstein Archive can also be found throughout the Garman Ryan Collection on Floors 1 & 2. Please note that Bob and Roberta Smith’s Epstein Archive Gallery on Floor 1 will be closed from the 24th of May.
Bob and Roberta Smith, Eppy Daddy Battle Bot, 2010, Mixed media, Courtesy of the artist
17 June – 1 October 2011 Floor 4
23 April – 25 June 2011 This exhibition explores the work of Samuel Palmer (1805-1881) in relation to the themes of light and literature. Described as a visionary landscapist, Palmer played a key role in the development of Romantic art. Bringing together works from The British Museum, London, The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford and The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, the exhibition highlights the importance of this underappreciated artist via an innovative thematic approach: emphasising how Palmer’s exceptional talent for luminosity, mysticism and love of poetry combine in equal measure in his sublime sunsets, captivating sunrises and enchanting twilights. In Conversation Saturday 25 June, 2pm Elin Morgan, Exhibition Curator talks about Samuel Palmer and Towards the Light.
Behind Closed Doors
Vincent Van Gogh, Sorrow’ 1882. Pencil, pen and ink. The Garman Ryan Collection, The New Art Gallery Walsall. Van Gogh’s iconic image of his lover and model Sien was once used as a cover for a book on suicide
Towards the Light
Samuel Palmer, Opening the Fold or Early Morning 1880. Etching. The Garman Ryan Collection, The New Art Gallery Walsall
Samuel Palmer
Eduardo Paolozzi
General Dynamic F.U.N. 2 July – 3 September 2011 A compulsive collector, a jumbler of icons and a pioneer of Pop, Sir Eduardo Paolozzi (1924-2005) is equally revered for his mechanistic sculptures and his kaleidoscopic print projects. The artist, who described himself as ‘a wizard in Toytown’, transformed the mundane, the derelict and the mass produced into images that zap with electric eclecticism and impress with their graphic complexity. The prints bear idiosyncratic titles such as ‘Totems and Taboos of the Nine-to-Five Day’, ‘Twenty Traumatic Twinges’ and ‘Cary Grant as a Male War Bride’. For Paolozzi, the modern age, exposed as ephemera, is a necessary fragmented collision of visual stimulus and influence, and his work is a health warning for an uncreative and thriftless society. A Hayward Touring exhibition from Southbank Centre, London
16 September 2011 – 28 January 2012 Preview on Thursday 15 September, 6pm – 8pm. Everyone welcome. Inspired by and using the gallery’s collections to their full potential, 20 Art and Design students from Walsall College will curate and present an exhibition about mental health. Behind Closed Doors will explore issues around depression, recovery, inner turmoil, intense emotions, highs and lows and will feature photography, painting, prints and sculpture, presented through the point of view of young people today and how they deal with and experience such issues.
Eduardo Paolozzi, An Empire of Silly Statistics... A Fake War for Public Relations
Make Room
Interventions into the Garman Ryan Collection Until 9 October 2011 This exhibition uses some of the contemporary works acquired by the gallery in recent years to make interventions within the Garman Ryan Collection’s themed rooms.
THE FAMILY GALLERY
Free Family Workshops June
Tool prints
July
Message in a bottle
Drop in during half term to explore the gallery, the art cart will be out with arty activities to do, there’s different trails or you could take a frisky bag as a family group.
All workshop activities run 1-3pm on each date.
FREE
Drop in with the e, family anytim , open everyday all day
August
Paint a blue sky
This summer we’re inspired by the contemporary art on floors 1 and 2 as part of the Make Room display. Have a look at them before you drop into the workshop. All workshop activities run 1-3pm on each date.
Lifesize portraits Wednesday 3 August Thursday 4 August
Use your own body as a stencil to draw around and make your life size portrait.
Miniature Models Wednesday 10 August Thursday 11 August
The gallery has lift access to all floors and is buggy friendly, breastfeeding friendly and has babychange facilities on the ground floor.
Wednesday 24 August Thursday 25 August
Learn to print and make some mixed up prints inspired by the General Dynamic F.U.N exhibition on floor 2.
Wednesday 27 July and Thursday 28 July
Disco is a safe space for families to explore art together. You can touch, look, draw, play and create to help you understand the artworks on display. Dress up, design a 3d townscape or create some computer art.
We’ve brought out lots of old tools that we use in the gallery to hang pictures and build new walls. Come along and make some prints from the objects themselves.
If you were a castaway what message would you write? Would you write a poem about a visit to the art gallery for someone else to read? Come along and write a poem or a postcard to send home about your trip out to the gallery for the day.
Print Play
Pop into the gallery anytime. Come to one of our family workshops that are drop-in, you can turn up any time between the start and the end times, and everyone of any age can join in subject to space. Stay as long as you like.
Wednesday 17 August Thursday 18 August
There are some tiny artworks on display on floor 2. Come along and make your own to fit a tiny box.
Wednesday 31 August Thursday 1 September
Remind yourself of the feeling of blue summer skies all year long with your own painting. Remember you can drop into the gallery anytime to explore DiSCO the interactive gallery, take a trail, explore the art cart or have a look at the art on display.
Artist Teacher Scheme Exhibition
Adult Events TRANSITION 17 May – 18 June Floor 1 Long Gallery
In 2010 journalistic photographer Gemma Thorpe began to document the changing face of Walsall Manor Hospital as it entered the final phases of its epic redevelopment. The outcome of this photographic exploration is a series of detailed prints that capture the essence and character of the spaces.
Red Tape
Tuesday 28 June – Saturday 2 July Private view on Tuesday 28 June, 6pm-8pm. Everyone welcome! Jessica Williams, Vicky Roden, Lucy Harrington, Emma Cockayne , Maryam Agharafie, Isobel Gall, Charlotte Proffitt, Aydn Loffman, Gillian Goodwin, Tom Smith, Lance Warwood and Jenny Plant. Final major exhibition by HNC/HND Walsall College students about unfolding angst, hidden layers of excessive regulation, rigid conformity and mass persuasion.
Photo courtesy of Gemma Thorpe
Celebrating Breastfeeding Awareness Week 2011 Tuesday 21 June 11am-3.30pm
Are you pregnant, a new parent or grandparent? Join us for some relaxing time at this free family event. Enjoy Baby Palace, make calming caterpillars and mandalas, have a go at one of our baby yoga, ballet and flexi kids sessions, enjoy storytelling and discuss your queries with a breastfeeding advisor. Free, no need to book, just drop in.
Against The Wall Saturday 9 July 2pm-4pm
Join photographer and journalist, William Parry, talking about his experiences of Palestine, the graffiti and artwork featured in his book Against The Wall, and the wall between Israel and Palestine which has been turned into a living canvas of resistance and solidarity. Organised by the Walsall-Kobar Friendship Association.
Young People Days!
Saturday 29 July – Saturday 3 September 2011 Floor 1, Long Gallery
Dancing Videos!
Art teachers and industry professionals are exhibiting work in progress from the 2010-11 Artist Teachers Scheme course. Be inspired, engage and interact and consider joining the course yourself.
Film, edit and contribute towards the creation of a video installation and enjoy street dance performances by local young people.
Deaf Rally 2011
Saturday 20 August, 11am-4pm Join Walsall Deaf People’s Centre to celebrate 100 years of Deaf people in the Midlands. Bring your stories to the gallery and watch a new play by Deafinitely Theatre, inspired by the history and lives of Deaf people in the Black Country. Experience and stimulate Deaf creativity on a day when Deaf artists will provide tours of the gallery. For more information contact alan@bctouring.co.uk
Saturday 4 June, 11am-4pm
Fanzine Frenzie and Tate Movie Project
Saturday 6 August, 11am-4pm Make your own fanzine inspired by the Home of Metal Festival and Mark Titchner’s BE TRUE TO YOUR OBLIVION with artist Bunny Bissoux. Also, Tate Movie Project presents The Itch of the Golden Nit, an animated film showcasing the artwork of thousands of children across the UK. Free, special screenings throughout the day. Visit www.tatemovie.co.uk to find out more.
Photo Portraits
Saturday 24 September, 1-4pm This is an opportunity to chat to photographer, Malcolm Bird, to improve yours. Discuss composition, lighting and the moment. Inspired by the new display of the Epstein Archive that shows some of the family photos behind the gallery permanent collection, bring in some of your family photos on camera or as prints to share and discuss.
Please book on 01922 654400
Juneau Projects Attack! Saturday 3 September, 11am-4pm Make your own Home of Metal instrument with Juneau Projects, add some simple electronics to trigger sound samples, take to the stage and play! Bring some friends and you’ll have an instant band. The Home of Metal Vintage Mobile Cinema Bus will also be parked at gallery square all day.
Between the Hammer and the Anvil
Saturday 10 September, 11am-5pm
Friday 2 September, 6pm-9pm
Over 50 breeds of pigeons will be on show in the foyer of the gallery.
A special free night event celebrating the Black Country as the Home of Metal, that will include live metal music performances, screenings of metal music related films from the region, workshops, tours of the Mark Titchner BE TRUE TO YOUR OBLIVION exhibition. In partnership with Home of Metal produced by Capsule and Black Country Arts Partnership.
Saturday 17 September
Film Screenings: 11am – Jim Jenner’s Blue Sky that uncovers the life of the pigeon in different cultures. 12pm – Birdy, a film about the Vietnam War. 2pm – Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, about a serial killer that communicates via pigeons. 4pm – Short film screenings: Pigeons in War.
Photo courtesy of Project Pigeon
Saturday 24 September, 12pm-4pm
Project Pigeon
The Black Country has a long tradition of pigeon fancying and some of the country’s best flyers are based here.
Saturday 3 September, 2pm-4pm Pigeon fancying in Birmingham and the Black Country, a panel discussion about the history of pigeon keeping in the area.
Art Library & Archive
Interested in art and want to find out more? Visit our Art Library, a free resource open to everyone with free internet access, books on artists, exhibition catalogues, art education resources and contemporary art magazines, with members of staff to help you whether it’s a one-off enquiry about a specific artwork in the gallery, help with homework, or more detailed research.
An auction of racing and fancy pigeons followed by a pigeon liberation from the gallery’s balcony.
Audio described talk Thursday 28 July, 2pm
Join us for a free audio described talk for our blind and visually impaired visitors on a selection of artworks from Mark Titchner’s BE TRUE TO YOUR OBLIVION exhibition. No need to book, just drop in!
Behind The Scenes Tour
Saturday 23 July, 2pm Join us for a fascinating tour of the gallery spaces that everyday visitors can’t see. Places are limited, to book your free place call 01922 654400.
Coming soon… How to Rifle Through an Archive… Unlock the mysteries of the Epstein Archive yourself with a new learning resource launching in 2012. Budding Archivists and those with a curious mind are asked to research a series of photographs, letters and documents taken from the archive and investigate the Epstein-Garman family tree in an immersive, handson experience. Contemporary and historic art and archives are mixed
together as visitors to the gallery will be able to handle genuine Bob and Roberta Smith art works as part of their investigations. The activity will throw up many questions about British society in the early 20th century and how attitudes compare to the world we live in today combining exciting learning opportunities about citizenship, history and art with research and investigation of original sources. For groups, both school and public, and individuals as visitors to the gallery and the gallery website.
Opening Times
Tuesday – Saturday 10am-5pm Closed Mondays, Sundays and Bank Holidays
Shop
Find the perfect gift for you or a friend in our specialist art shop, exhibition catalogues, art books, postcards, notebooks, jewellery and much more. New online shop coming soon.
Costa
Open 8.30am-5.30pm Monday to Saturday and 11am-4pm on Sundays.
Mailing List
Sign up to our free e-bulletin and receive regular Preview invitations, monthly newsletters and event information.
Facilities Hire
01922 654400 TexBox: 0845 1112910 Visit our new website thenewartgallerywalsall.org.uk
Access guides and alternative versions of all printed materials are available on request. For more information please contact Ioannis Ioannou on 01922 654404 or email ioannoui@walsall.gov.uk
Talks and Tours
Bring a group and book for a guided tour of the Garman Ryan Collection, visit our website for more information.
Education
For a full schools and colleges programme visit our website or contact 01922 654400.
44955.02 05/11
The New Art Gallery Walsall Gallery Square, Walsall WS2 8LG
The gallery is available for corporate events and meetings, email us on info@artatwalsall.org.uk to book your event and make the most of our unique venue.