Flatlands - Kabir Hussain

Kabir Hussain is a Norfolk based sculptor and Leeds College of Art Alumnus currently showing his new show, Flatlands, in the LCA exhibition space. Responding to the topography of his local moorland, Hussain collects archeological arrowhead artefacts and casts them in bronze to create some amazing contemporary sculptures.

I have recently being researching into metal casting and in the near future I will be doing some small scale pewter casting at home, so Hussain's bronze sculptures really interested me. I love the uniqueness of the pieces and the detail he has managed to pick up in the surface of the metal. When I try out some metal casting of my own I would like to be able to get the finish and detail that Hussain has managed here. It's a very intriguing and well displayed exhibition; if you have chance to pop into the Leeds College of Art gallery space, Flatlands is well worth a visit.

Also keep posted as assuming my metal casting goes well, I will have some small objects to show you within the next few weeks or so!

Binge

It's been a strange month for me so far as my studio has been shut due to assessment which has meant I've had to find other things to do. I miss having a space that I can retreat too but I've enjoyed attending other workshops and doing things that aren't necessarily for my course, which brings me onto the topic of this post.

While I've been off it's given me chance to work on a few external submissions that have piled up on my to-do list and my first one is finally complete. This piece is a submission for an exhibition curated by The Goat Collective called 'Disposable Society' which aims to comment on the implications of the throw-away culture we currently live in. I titled the piece 'Binge' to reference the excessive indulgence of buying objects we really have no need for or to replace others that become outdated or 'broken'. Focusing on shape, colour and abstraction 'Binge' delivers a contemporary aspect to the old Renaissance style of still life whilst commenting on throw-away culture. Motifs such as plants, technology and fast food play with themes of the short-lived and mindless consumerism referencing the beliefs of Pope Francis in which unwanted people (as well as unwanted items) are discarded as waste.

The Bowes Museum

The Bowes Museum is a nationally renowned, purpose-build public art gallery in the town of Barnard Castle containing collections of fine art, ceramics, textiles, clocks and costumes. During the Christmas break I went to visit this beautiful building on a really foggy day and by the time I was ready to leave the dark winter nights were closing in creating a really atmospheric view of the facade of the building.

One of the main attractions at the Bowes Museum is the Silver Swan Automaton; a clockwork driven device that includes a music-box in which a swan sits in a stream and appears to preen itself before catching a fish. The swan is ran by clockwork and is an extremely impressive piece of 18th century technology and in order to help preserve the delicate mechanism, the Silver Swan;s 32 second performance is played only once a day at 2pm.

The museum also housed a fantastic textile exhibition from quilt-maker, Pauline Burbidge. Her Quiltscapes explore the subject of nature and place through carefully considered layers of artworks that are spontaneous and free. I loved looking at Pauline Burbidge's work because of the fantastic use of different materials and processes; something we have been trying to do more of at university. She combines cyanotypes, freehand embroidery, monoprints and charcoal drawings to create multi-layered textile wall-hangings that are fantastic to study up close and personal.

York Art Gallery

 

While home for Christmas Amy and I managed to fit in a trip to visit the newly refurbished Art Gallery in York which was a lovely treat. Even though I live so close to York I have only been a handful of times and since it has been redeveloped I thought it was probably time I dropped in to see what is on show. York Art Gallery now has 7 exhibition spaces across two floors as well as an additional entrance at the rear of the building leading out into a newly-opened section of the Museum Gardens. 

Claire Curneen - Irene tending St. Sebastian's Wounds (2006).

Claire Curneen - Irene tending St. Sebastian's Wounds (2006) (Detail).

Philip Eglin.

The downstairs gallery contained some fantastic ceramic work by artists Claire Curneen and Philip Eglin as well as some paintings from the Italian Renaissance. The curation of this room was amazing as everything was thoughtfully linked together through the themes and mediums used within the work. Each piece reference another whether it be through the use of gold, the use of materials or the imagery chosen. I loved Claire Curneen's subtle use of gold lustre and blue cobalt glazing against the cream colour of the porcelain on 'Irene tending St. Sebastian's Wounds'.

The Lumber Room: Unimagined Treasures - Mark Hearld.

The Lumber Room: Unimagined Treasures - Mark Hearld.

One of the four rooms on the first floor contained an excellent exhibition curated by Mark Hearld titled 'The Lumber Room: Unimagined Treasures' which displayed a range of wonderful miscellaneous pictures and objects selected from the York Art gallery, Museum and  Castle stores. Mark Hearld's works respond to the collection of objects which include things like Staffordshire jugs, abandoned carousel horses, and preserved flower arrangements. I loved the exhibition because it was full of things to look at. It was like walking into a cabinet of curiosities.

The Antony Shaw Collection - Kerry Jameson - Chair Form

The Antony Shaw Collection - Kerry Jameson - Critical Friend (1-11)

The next room contained The Antony Shaw Collection, an important holding of contemporary sculpture, ceramics, two dimensional works and other objects attained by Antony Shaw. These two sculptures and three ceramic jars were my favourite items in the collection and were all made by Kerry Jameson. I love the gruesome images of violent killings glazed onto the side of the three jars as they are quite funny, in a strange sort of way.

Manifest - 10,000 hours - Clare Twomey Instillation

Manifest - 10,000 hours - Clare Twomey Instillation

In the main room of the first floor, Manifest - 10,000 hours by Clare Twomey, stands tall in a response to the galleries Collection of Ceramic Art (COCA). Each of the 10,000 ceramic bowls, made by Twomey and local community helpers, represents the 10,000 hours it is said to become a master of something. I really liked this instillation as its impressive scale creates an impact on the viewer reminding us of the amount of time we spend becoming the master of a particular craft, whether it be playing a musical instrument, writing a poem or painting a picture.

I really enjoyed my visit to York Art Gallery because of the attention to the detail of curation. Each room referenced another and everything was perfectly installed. There was also a great variety of work to see. I really liked how Italian renaissance paintings were displayed with modern ceramics and collections of old museum objects were displayed alongside more contemporary collage. Now that I have a members card I will be sure to go more often!