13 October Nottingham Galleries. WIP

Going to see Hollow Earth; Art, Caves & the Subterranean Imaginary at Nottingham Contemporary, with the level 4's was a great opportunity as this exhibition relates to my own practice.  I picked up some resources and was really impressed by the venue and curation.

Gallery number 1: Nottingham Contemporary.

  

 The building design, use of space and curation were amazing here.  The exhibition was cohesive and really well-themed.

  

Had an interesting talk with Michael Day about the use of the building and the art scene in this area compared to Stoke on Trent.  I suggested that PMAG was our closest gallery (pinc college is also based there although this is a different kind of art studio /gallery relationship) MD pointed out that Nottingham contemporary is a funded contemporary art gallery. Stoke's funding is combined with its midlands area meaning that our closest contemporary gallery is potentially Walsall contemporary.

This space has artist galleries, promotions, exhibitions, and publications. It's the full package which is a totally different feel to what I have on my doorstep.

Artists' studio space and through the area to public facilities/ cafe where literature and printed information is available. 

Works of interest: 

Sophia Borges Nothingness   2016/22                        Hamad Abdalla Works from convulsions series 1977

 

          

N.H.Stubbing 1958                                                           

 

 

                                                   

Detail from a painting where the canvas has been scraped to create the illusion of light hitting the surface of the water. I found this interesting because it felt like a contemporary approach on a traditional painting.

 

Face in a cave wall.

This made me consider our relationship to the underground. The below spaces that are associated with hell and evil are also the places where we place our lost loved ones.

Our relationships with caves tend to focus on paintings where the artist is facing outside so that they can paint the mouth of the cave and the outside but I'm convinced that inside the cave offers something comfortable and familiar despite them being depicted as places where evil spirits and monsters dwell (Cresswell) 

 

 

 

 

 

Details from this painting - I was interested in the cracking despite it not being that old and in the frame - there was a plain wooden mount inside the glass. (Again this is a view looking out of the cave)

2nd Gallery: Art Exchange

  

The second gallery offered a narrative that related to the demographic of the area of the gallery which was really interesting.  I took some exhibition handouts that explained the personal stories and shared memories and experiences of the community.

3rd Gallery: Primary.

   I focused predominantly on four horsegirls of the apocolypse. and the exhibition space.

Loved this section of the Primary, An old caretaker house converted into 2 different exhibition spaces on each level (stair case blocked from ground floor) accessible by steep steps from the courtyard. Its an intimate space but I imagine you can do a lot with it. Spoke to Adam Grainger at "this_is_forth". He graduated a few years ago and now invests most of his energy into this gallery space alongside his own practice. Really interesting to see how he's moved into a professional career with a network of artists.