I really need to start thinking up proper titles for posts. Only a week and a half until assessment time now, not that I am on countdown or anything! I guess, even although I’m trying to remain calm regarding it, it is causing a little bit of stressing out. It’s just the whole unknown nature of how you really are getting on I guess. Anyhow, I have stopped myself doing stuff for the sake of it, instead aiming to concentrate on what I’ve currently got and finishing it, and mapping out my other ideas somewhere that is not my head. Two exhibitions have opened in the university in the last week or so, so they have caused a welcome distraction for a few minutes.
The first is Straylight Cavern, put on by Cell Project Space, and is a collaboration of sorts, described best on their website:
Straylight Cavern is a continuum of Richard Priestley’s curatorial approach to his art practice in which he provides the construct of the scenario in which the artists he has selected are to be shown. This approach invites the participating artists to succumb to the effects of the ambiance, politic and genre of the structure upon their work within the intensity of the installation and its interior. Blurring the boundaries of the artwork this approach questions authorship and the recontextualisation of individual works.
The full statement/information is here. Our artist talk 2 weeks ago was by Richard Priestley and Milika Muritu, the curators of Cell Project Space, and was quite interesting to hear how they built up Cell Project Space, obtaining exhibition spaces, providing studio space and providing support and community based projects. It all sounded very positive. The exhibition itself, Straylight Cavern, is so much fun! The structure (artwork) that was built to house the artworks of participating artists was really what made it for me – very sci-fi but definitely reminded me of being inside an iceberg or glacier. It was freezing outside the entrance to it, whether that was on purpose or not it added to the atmosphere, and the jagged structure and grey/white material created a great affect. It had a great sense of fun surrounding it as well, and did have elements of being a kid, exploring away. The other artworks, mainly at the heart of the structure, were pretty cool and fitted well with the ambience of the structure. I was intrigued by the Angelo Plessas piece, which actually turns out to be this website! His work appears to be websites made for viewing and, to a certain extent, interaction. I spent the night having great fun visiting them all, and find it is a really interesting concept.
The second exhibition that opened last week was There Is No I, which was a collaboration between A.R.T (the uni’s art society), and current 4th year students Kezia Merrick and Jessica Ramm. The exhibition was to explore the themes of collaboration. The space had been filled with strands of wool, attached the floor, wall, ceiling and a series of ‘random’ objects. The wool structure itself, even for it being strands that are not really close together, does give a strong feeling of enclosure, and the way they are intertwine and overlap definitely brings to mind the issues surrounding collaborative practice.
I think there will be two more exhibitions in these spaces before the end of term, both of which look pretty cool, and if not they add a little distraction when my paintings are not going to plan!
Tags: Angelo Plessas, Cell Project Space, DOJ