Oh Behave

In the run-up to the show, the social media presence is commendable and there was a clear direction with the type of work being shown. Some of my favourite pieces were those that took elements of craft and combined it with a concept.

Sophie’s work focused on the purity and intuition of process that emulates aspects of the sea. Her work was striking in its ability to combine gesture and subtly through colour. My favourite piece was the first pink painting because of her consideration with colour mixing and pairing.

 Work by Sophie Perkins

Liberty's work was one that I knew I wanted to see from first seeing it on Instagram before the show. She has combined printmaking and textiles to create well-made jumpsuits that have all been constructed with 100% linen. The patterns are all derived from shapes of rubbish collected on the beaches. She says she likes to see the pieces as “wearable rubbish”.

Work By Liberty Heaverman

Finally, Mia’s work caught my attention because of how she has stripped back an idea to look at the purity of something. She has played around with the weight of the material to convey a meaning and a narrative to her work. The way it was curated keeps the viewer engaged and questioning motives behind the aspects of the work. 

Work By Mia Griffiths

Since I’ve been working with clay and exploring ceramics I wanted to see the variety of vessels and sculptures that they have on display. My own practice involves archiving fleeting moments and I am currently exploring this by turning my print rags into objects.

As a museum and gallery space, the V&A has a lot for you to look at. This time I was really interested in the outside an empty space as it was something I hadn't considered before. How the outside space merged into the interior caught my attention and I quickly documented this on my phone. My favourite spaces within the gallery included the furniture and design section because of the high ceilings and how the light bounced off the work.

I started the day with a workshop aptly named ‘Discovery of Surface’ and led by Nicky Harwood which caught my attention because of my interest in manipulating a surface within my own practice. Nicky showed us Chinese printing paper that she uses and gave us sections to work with. The overall idea was to pick up fragments from Royal William Yard through the process of frottage or rubbings. This is something I’ve done before, but never with such a fine paper so it was great to see how the surface transferred. I wanted to look for surfaces that I wouldn’t be able to find in other places I’d been to, so I spent some time looking for textures that could link it to the location. After exploring my surroundings I was drawn to the marble structures and the idea of where the edge of it began and ended.

As well as workshops throughout the day, talks were going on from artists and researchers who submitted work through an open call. One of the main reasons for going to the symposium in the first place was to see my friend Kayleigh Jayne Harris - a recent BA Drawing graduate. Kayleigh gave a talk about her fascination with the notion of line and every aspect that surrounds it. The great thing about her talk was that is offered a perspective of a younger person alongside people who have spent years in research.

My favourite performance of the day was that from Kimvi Nyguyen with her beautiful interaction with materials. Her work effortlessly captured the 'fleeting moment' on paper and through the camera. Nyguyen spoke of how her work relies on documentation of the entire process until the end.

Throughout the day conversations sparked between people and the question of what drawing can do for others arose and by the end, the importance of having events like this years symposium had never been clearer.

Words and photos by Meg 

Little Miss Sunshine

Starting with a good-en. This film is just so uplifting, moving and funny all at once.

Submarine

Directed by Richard Ayoade, this film is beautifully shot, acted and has the best soundtrack (in my opinion) ever. It is also important to note that Lucy is a big fan of the choice in sunglasses. 

The Grand Budapest Hotel

This has to be my favourite of all films directed by Wes Anderson. As with any of his films there is a consistent colour palette, beautiful symmetry and recurring actors such as Bill Murray and Tilda Swindon. Actress Saoirse Ronan (pictured) will be starring ‘Lady Bird’ out later this month which i’m super excited for!

Into The Wild

I had to include a good old life-affirming inspirational film with another brilliant soundtrack. 

Billy Elliott

Saving the best until last. Billy Elliott has been a long-time favourite of mine and I think will continue to be my most favourite and loved film. It can be watched time and again and i’ll still find myself  humming along with a big grin on my face all the way through. Guaranteed to brighten up your day. 

This competition is open to anyone in the UK until the 28th February 2018. All you need to enter is your name, email and why the funding will help you/your project!

Head HERE to enter! Make sure to use the referral code ‘behave.collective’ to X2 your chances! 

The top 10 entries will be judged, with the worthiest winner being announced over on DROOL’s Instagram Story after 7th March 2018. So follow their page @drool_uk to keep up-to-date!

The work is curated within one large room where her sculptures and facades sit amongst the walls, behind taped lines and in glass boxes. I had spoken to some people who had been to the exhibition and they were mixed about how the show had been put together in one room. Some felt is detracted from the work and almost felt too confined. I think it worked well with her larger door pieces as they sat poetically in a line, almost propped against the wall. It was that weight of how the object had been considered within the space that made the overall show successful.   

Whiteread also composes drawings which articlate space in a very different way. The work sat almost scattered on the wall, big white frames really setting the work off. I am a huge fan of her drawings and to see them in the flesh was a treat. 

Bag man 

Jess deciding which door to leave from. 

One of my favourite pieces. 

The show is on display until Jan next year. 

http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/rachel-whiteread 

The film follows the story of Armand Roulin who is the son of a local postman. He is asked to deliver Vincent’s last letter to his brother Theo, to discover that Theo himself has also died. Following this, the film explores Roulin’s journey in looking for the truth surrounding Vincent’s life and death, with beautiful homages to some of his most famous of paintings.

The first thing I noticed in the film is the way van Gogh’s name was pronounced, there are so many variations of the pronunciation and I’m pleased that they didn’t pick one and stick with it. The variety of accents however, seemed a little strange. The film being set in France, not one person spoke in a french accent. Actor Chris O’Dowd sticking with his own Irish accent and Douglas Booth, who was playing his son, speaking in a very British accent.

The actors themselves I think had been cast very well, their likeness to van Gogh’s paintings uncanny when presented with the comparisons at the end of the film. Eleanor Tomlinson, Jerome Flynn and Saoirse Ronan (pictured below) to name a few.

Having taken a trip to Amsterdam last spring, the van Gogh Museum is one of my favourites. On 13th October the ‘Loving Vincent’ show opened in that very museum exhibiting 119 oil paintings from the film. ‘The exhibition shows how the film-makers re-imagined the paintings of Vincent van Gogh into the medium of film, using the very technology, oil-painting, that Vincent himself used.’

In my opinion, the film itself was an achievement. I was so impressed with the process itself and how brilliantly the paintings flowed through one scene to the next. Cheesiness aside, particularly the cringe-worthy song used in the end credits, I think that this is a true credit and reflection of Vincent himself and his masterful works.

To see the trailer, and for more information about Loving Vincent, see http://lovingvincent.com/

Written by Becca

Folkestone has a pebble beach AND a sandy beach, you are spoiled for choice!

There is a beautiful long stretch of pebble beach along Marine Parade. This beach is home to many of the Pavilions by Sol Calero and Lubaina Himid.

The Sandy beach nearer to the Harbour is one to make sure you get to before the tide comes in! As you make your way onto the sand you are greeted by Gary Woodley’s architectural intervention ‘Impingement No.66’. Heading further down the beach, tucked away is one of two Antony Gormley solid cast-iron figures from ‘Another Time’. We made the grave mistake of not checking the tide times, and those of you following our Instagram story would have had a good laugh at us.

Grab a map as early as you find one

Our chosen mode of transport to the town was by rail, which meant finding our way from the train station without a clue as to where we were. Heading towards the sea seemed our best bet where we ended up at the long stretch of pebble beach. Before you get too excited about being at the seaside, make sure you take a look at Shrigley’s Lamp Post.  On the beach itself is one of six colourful houses by Richard Woods, this one being one of the few that you can go right up to. Heading to the beach first was a great way to see the installations further away from the main town, but if you’re as unprepared as we were then further along the beach are more pavilion-style installations, with maps inside Sol Calero’s ‘Casa Anacaona’.

If selfies and merch are your thing then head to the Quarterhouse (and pick up a cool Zine/Graphic Paper for 50p!!)

We had a quick look in the Quarterhouse which was home to the ’The Clearing’ by Studio Ben Allen, a gothic-inspired spacial installation, accompanied by poetry by Yoko Ono upon the mirror.

This was also the place to go to find this year’s merch including tote bags, books and t-shirts. ‘FOLKESTONE IS AN ART SCHOOL’ and the Rigo 23 'Through the Glassworks’ moon arrows looked really good on a bag as well as painted onto buildings. Tucked away on the bottom shelf is an A3 graphic paper 'Me and You, Some in the Fewture’  about two visits to Lewisham and Folkestone 25 years apart as a ‘youthful Punk’ and an ‘older young parent’: for only 50p which if you’re going to come away with one thing, it should be that.

When a sign says ‘Beware of the Sea Spray’ that generally means there’s water coming your way

If you head out along the longest stretch of the harbour, it is home to the second of Antony Gormley’s two figures from ‘Another Time’. This seemed like a really exciting place with lots of shipping containers and DIY pubs/bars and restaurants all along the harbour. The lighthouse at the end of the walkway is still the canvas for Ian Hamilton Finlay’s ‘Weather Is Third To Place And Time’ from the 2014 Triennial. This is where we saw the sea-spray sign, ignored said sea spray sign, and consequently were laughed at by fishermen when we realised why they had bothered to warn people about the sea spray.

There’s more to the town than what’s in the Triennial

At the bottom of the Old High Street is an indoor exhibition of works by Bob + Roberta Smith, alongside works from local students from Smiths’ teaching programme. Michael Craig-Martin’s 'Folkestone Lightbulb’ stands as a gateway to the area of the town known as 'The Creative Quarter'. This is home to so many local talent from artist’s studios to record, vintage and food businesses. This is such a vibrant part of the town with so much going on and I’m really glad that although it was the Triennial that I came for, I left feeling that I’d really experienced the town itself and the exciting things that are going on there.

I am not a Vlogger

I know it’s very difficult to believe, but unfortunately, my blogging skills are much to be desired. However, if you missed it on the day, I have taken the courtesy of saving the Instagram story, especially for you to watch it back here. Oh I know, there’s no need to thank me:

For more information about Folkestone and the Triennial, head to http://www.folkestonetriennial.org.uk/

Last month my partner and I took a trip to London, mainly to go visit platform 9¾ (we both love a bit of Hazza Potts), but whilst we were there I suggested we go to Polly Nor’s exhibition at Protein Studios. To tell you the truth, I’d never really heard of Polly before seeing the exhibition event on Facebook, so I visited her website and had a look at some of her work. My partner, on the other hand, had reservations about going.

We all joke that Americans have no filter, and as royal-loving British folk we like to keep a polite composure. Our society, however, is focused on American culture and big personalities like Lena Dunham and Amy Schumer, who aren’t afraid to talk about their periods, and who aren’t afraid to shout VAGINA from the rooftops.

People are beginning to break the misconception that topics like mental health can’t be talked about, and Polly Nor is one of these people.

From human skins hanging from the ceiling to illustrations of girls with vacant expressions flicking through tinder whilst masturbating, texting and smoking; hey, women are multitaskers!

It’s Called Art Mum, Look It Up allowed you to walk through Nor’s world filled with pastel colours and plants (is she from Falmouth?) until you found yourself in her life-sized bedroom installation.

I found myself quite literally surrounded by demons, both the ones in Nor’s illustrations and the ones in my own head. I looked at her illustrations and felt everything uncomfortably fall into place: I could see myself as the girl in each picture, I could feel my own demons breathing over my shoulders and taking form.

The devil suits and human skins were a suggestion of growth and growing up, in an interview with Dazed Magazine she says that they’re ‘about feeling the pressure to look a certain way or to put a face on for the rest of the world’: something I can relate to both in life and in my career as an actor. Sure, once you’re as famous as Reece Witherspoon you don’t need to change yourself for the role, but up until that point you feel the need to.

Inside the bedroom lied a mirror, often a challenge for 9 out of 10 British teens, as well as a challenge for myself. Some people avoided it, taking the room in from a distance, whilst others became Sherlock Holmes as they investigated the space, engulfing themselves in an exploration of anxiety and self-loathing. Becoming Mr Holmes was the challenge, recognising similarities between your own mind set and that of Nor’s meant that you had to face the mirror lurking in the corner. My partner started as a distant observer, until I coaxed him into playing the role of Dr Watson and we started sifting through bras and pants searching for clues.

For me, what really made me fall in love with Polly’s work even more came the day after we visited the exhibition: when I broke down in tears in the middle of Peacocks because I felt fat and ugly. My partner didn’t tell me to “man up!” (a term which, by the way, I hate, and if he had said that then he’d now be my ex). Instead, he hugged me whilst I cried and said “you know those demons we saw at the exhibition yesterday? That’s them, that’s them inside your head, making you see things that aren’t there. Tell them to go away, because you’re beautiful both inside and out”.

These words meant that he’d understood Polly’s work. That although he’d entered the exhibition uncomfortable and weary, he’d left wiser and enlightened about the darkness of people’s thoughts. My only wish is that every girl- or boy- could hear these same words.

Love,

Freya

It is definitely a proud moment for the Falmouth Art Gallery, with them being the only venue in the South West to host this exhibition ! The way the work is displayed allowed me to see the creative development of her practice throughout the most important stages of her life (1893-1981) , whilst still constantly honing in on the significance of her colour use. 

“ Colours wish to fly, to merge, to change each other by their juxtapositions, to radiate, to shine, to withdraw deep within themselves.” - Winifred Nicholson

Paler muted tones led gently into bolder ‘prismatic’ depictions of colour, all featuring her beloved theme of flowers, which she carried through to some of her most final pieces. The way she added vivid oranges with harmonious blues, showed her breadth of knowledge in colour theory and that the so called ‘fear’ of colour did not phase her in the slightest. 

By standing side on to a lot of her pieces you could clearly see the sheer effort and time that went into creating each piece by the thick layers of paint, something that gave her work a very human quality compared to many perfected and polished oil paintings from historical art and modern art. 

Later work ended the collection on a different note, where she introduced ‘prismatic’ colour use, comparable to that of Pink Floyd’s Darkside Of The Moon album cover. It fought with the cliché idea of “RAINBOW SHOULD NOT BE USED IN PROFESSIONAL ARTWORK UNLESS IT WANTS TO BE SEEN AS ‘TACKY’ !!!”. 

^ Rainbow Path In The Grass

I can’t help but wonder if she introduced copious amounts of colour later on in her life seeing as she was fighting with the idea of ageing and life slowing her down, was this her last chance at living a ‘bright and colourful life’? 

How does working collaboratively enhance the way you create?

I love working collaboratively, it comes naturally to me. I love bringing in people with other skills - whether is other artists, technical producers, composers, curators, builders, skip contractors, warehouse staff, security personnel, council workers, tarmac gangs, carpenters - you name it.  It really expands my creative reach and it means that I’m not restricted to working within my own personal skills - it helps me to do things that I could never achieve if I was working completely solo. I also love the dialogue and discourse that goes with collaboration.

Who are the creatives that inspire you?

Artists I get inspired by: 

Martin Creed - ‘Work No. 227, The Lights Going On And Offf’ is one of my favourite pieces of work ever, it gives me goose pimples

Jeremy Deller

Braque

Tadeo Ando 

Richard Serra

Teshima Art Museum, Japan – never had an experience like it, this place moved me to tears

Christo and Jean Claude - I went to Lake Iseo last year to see Christo's Floating Piers installation and it was truly amazing. He self-funds most of his work through the sale of drawings (as do i so far) and when I learnt that he self-funds it kind of made me realise that the way I work is valid and I think I previously held back, feeling that you’re not really a proper artist if you’re funding it yourself - but that’s not true. There’s something strong about putting your own money where your mouth is. As in I’m not just waiting for a commission before I make something happen

David Shrigley 

Edwin Wurm’s work as well - really funny

Grayson Perry - such a brilliant social commentator

Why did SKIP want to work with David Shrigley?

David Shrigley turned out to be a generous star. Lee Baker stuck a note through his door (a lot of courage was plucked up) telling him about SKIP and asking if he’d be up for doing a piece. He said yes. Shrigley was great because he instantly “got” SKIP - he understood it contextually and he understood the potential for humour, we knew that if he agreed to do a skip he’d make something spot on. Even the invite to his PV was great.

What was the response at London Art Night when people saw you were doing life drawing in a skip?

People understood it. The Art Night organisers and Curator Fatos Ustek were instantly supportive and gave us the thumbs up. I then had to meet the head master of Sir John Cass Foundation School to pitch the idea to him because we wanted to site the SKIP in his school playground. I was really nervous about pitching the idea to him but he loved it, he got it straight away and didn’t bat an eyelid. It was so great. He then invited us to stay for the week and provide daily drawing workshops for the school children for the whole of the following week. The workshops were a real hit with the children. The idea of attending a life drawing class inside an actual skip was completely unique and we sold out of tickets in a day. It makes me feel so excited when I think about this piece.

What is next for skip gallery? 

We’ve been approached by well known YBA artist who has made a piece for SKIP but I don’t think I’m allowed to say who yet. That’ll be in Oct during Frieze (SKIP was originally conceived as a response to the locked doors of the art world during Frieze). We’re also doing an installation in September with an unknown artist whose day job is selling car insurance - for me that just adds to the narrative, I love it. I can’t wait to tell you about that piece because it combines sculpture, drawing, performance, installation, street art (literally) and a commentary on class and social mobility. We’re also in talks with Space 7 about a collaboration for the Folkstone Triennale - really exciting.

But first, we need some money. We’ve spent all of our money making SKIP happen so we now either need a sponsor or to do some crowd funding.

If you’d like to read more about SKIP and their projects head on over to: 

https://www.skipgallery.com

With thanks to Catherine Borowski and fellow co-founder Lee Baker

Interview by Meg 

When The Whitworth re-opened in 2014, it quickly became a widely recognised centre for 'The Contemporary'. Big names such as Cornelia Parker and Sarah Lucas joined the gallery, for its £15,000,000 grand re-opening on February 14th. Rather romantically each visitor was invited to 'fall in love again' and how could we not?

Today I went back to The Whitworth after a long time away, and it hardly swept me off my feet. To be honest, it was more like visiting an old ex and realising that he has redecorated. He replaced your favourite chair and moved the painting that you used to stare at every day before work. Falling in love again was far gone.

In this case, The Whitworth has quite literally redecorated. The gallery has opted for a shade of navy and an orange colour not too dissimilar from that of the gone off Orangina next to Emin's bed. I understand the institutional issues surrounding 'white walls' and the need to create culture context, but is this a step too far?

As I walked through the gallery, the walls were then adorned by wallpaper specially commissioned from Raqib Shaw to coincide with her exhibition.  Undoubtedly this is a curational nod to the beautifully crafted hangings and carpets of the Eastern World. However, in-situ it just does not work in the small and dark space. Joining the wallpaper is an accumulation of Japanese Objects selected by Shaw from The Whitworth's collection. Another questionable decision, as Shaw admittingly has never visited the country, and it all just seems a little overwhelmingly thrown together.

Maybe I was looking in all the wrong places for the contemporary. 

But, you know it’s bad when you start photographing rubbish on the floor (that was quickly swept away by the invigilator) because it looked similar to a Ryan Gander you saw last summer.

For the past five years, the show has been put together by Clare Lilley - director of programmes at Yorkshire Sculpture Park. If you are thinking of visiting, the nearest tube stop is Great Portland Street  (I learnt this the hard way and despite using maps and my lack of common sense, I ended up walking around the park for a good hour before I found the sculptures).

The first piece I saw was ‘Wheelbarrow’ by Michael Craig Martin. As someone who is studying a drawing degree, it is great to see how he is pushing how a viewer can perceive line. Craig Martin bridges the gap between drawing and sculpture. Visitors were communicating with his work by engaging with the materials. At times I saw children climbing (which may not have been the idea), but it was charming and insightful in showing the playful nature of the show.

Michael Craig-Martin, Wheelbarrow (red) (2013) New Art Centre / Gagosian

My favourite piece in the show has to be the multidimensional riddle by Alicja Kwade. Here Kwade uses rocks and mirror to create an illusion which entices the viewer. Personally, I am really intrigued by work that has a multi-leveled presence and purpose.  A lot of the sculpture in the show was brightly coloured and therefore dominant to the eye. However, Kwade's sculpture sat beautifully juxtaposed against Regent Parks surroundings, cleverly exploring the relationship between humans and the environment and fulfilling the purpose of the show.

Notes from my sketchbook documenting the work//Megan Fatharly 

Words and Photos by Meg 

Lynch’s work recalls and explores her experience of the urban landscape and ultimately her search for the women who wander aimlessly (flâneuse), specifically through cityscapes. Lynch’s practice plays with ideas about memory, with the works all being sculptures or prints of items & structures from her day to day urban experiences.

The woodblock prints pictured above entitled Looking for Women, are inspired by the contents of instruction manuals. They are simplistic yet beautiful, up close you can see the textured nature of the prints (I highly recommend a visit & up close experience of these!) As can be seen, memory is a clear focus throughout the exhibition, and as the artist has said herself “we look for repeats of urban objects to mark our way and guide us: a railing next to a crossing, a drain beneath a gutter, and painted lines upon a road”. 

In contrast to the overtly urban pieces such as Tunnel (pictured above), pieces inspired by the domestic space are also experiences in her daily life. Thinking Sink (remembered) is an example of a domestic sculpture created from the artist’s memory. The piece features various shapes and textures from a kitchen, it acts to intertwine the domestic shapes with the cityscape; relating to the way the spaces we inhabit form our understandings of the urban landscapes we navigate.

The work is visually tantalising, a colourful collection of familiar shapes that have been made unfamiliar, with my personal favourite being Building per hour/Bin Shelter. It is cast from plaster and household paint - something surprisingly simple for something so visually stunning! The exhibition runs until 17th September 2017, with Tessa Lynch discussing her work on Thursday 17th August 6:30pm

Upon first entering the gallery you are exposed to work that amalgamates years of culture, commenting on how things have changed throughout time. Bickerton is widely travelled and studied in California before moving to New York. His upbringing was broken, as he did not spend much time in any given place. By collecting the objects together Bickerton leaves his work open to the viewer's interpretation. Personally, I found that I was drawn to the pieces of work that encapsulated a seascape. Perhaps this is because of my own upbringing by the sea and as I am now about to embark on my final year of study in the Costal town of Falmouth, I think these objects hold a certain kind of nostalgia.

Furthermore, the space within the gallery acts as a container for the multi-faceted ideas of 'Installation Sculpture'. However, the artist states both in materiality and content that his work resists categorisation. On the diversity of his chosen mediums, he states: “Painting is far too cartoony and lacks the backbone of factuality; Photography is too clinical and incapable of loony launches into the ether, and Sculpture can be just downright presumptuous. [...] Only in their combination do I find comfort” (Newport: 2017). It's intriguing to see another artist not be afraid to defy the limits of a given medium and push their ideas through material and process.

This exhibition certainly takes some time to take in due to the nature of how each element has been pieced together. I entered the gallery a little naively for someone who is drawn to colour, shape and line within pieces. But, how they sit in the gallery, was the first thing that struck me. Moreover seeing this show has actually made me look into the theories behind the work of the artist and is something I want to learn more about.

^ artist unknown

The show as a whole covered six rooms with work ranging from graphic design posters to film installations. You could tell by walking around the various spaces that the students were very much passionate about their desired subject and were pushed to create the very best outcomes possible!

Sophie Smyth ^

One of my personal highlights was the above installation which consisted of ceramics, zines and hand rendered illustrations. The zines seemed to explore conversations and daily happenings viewed by the artist. What really interested me was how they had transferred their personal style across so many disciplines and surfaces and yet still kept it concise.

^ artist unknown

Other well-executed spaces included textile work which acted also as sculptural pieces which expanded across multiple boards. The narrative included moths which appeared to have eaten fragments of the artists own pictures and drawings. The way they were strategically placed made for a very atmospheric space and you felt very included in the piece.

^ Zoe Wanless

Overall the show was very impressive and was interesting to see what new talent will be emerging from Tregye Campus and also what we may see in future years!

The body of work presented how two artists see the world through colour, shape and texture. The aspect of the exhibition that struck an interest with me is how canvas has been used to create something that explored beyond a 2D form. By this I mean how the composition expanded beyond the flat surface around the edges of the canvases.

This idea had been depicted and explored in a variety of scales and once displayed together created a body of work that has a real presence within the gallery space. All corners and hidden parts of the gallery have been used and this made smaller fragments of the work stand alone successfully.

My favourite pieces were Ella’s etchings that had been created using sugar lift and aquatint. I was fortunate enough to speak to her about the process of how she made them. We spoke about how colour is used within printmaking. It is something that I have always struggled with (it can often become sludgy). She created the workusing a two plate process and aquatint to create a sense of depth.