Preview of 'Hidden Messages' 24th October 2017

Finally I have gathered together the photos of our preview at the Menier gallery. It was a great evening and a good time was had by all.

Only Two Weeks To Go

The opening of our exhibition 'Hidden Messages' at the Menier Gallery in London is just two weeks away. 

Still a lot to do.

Packing up the Spirit Faces

The big work is now complete. 'Spirit Faces' 60 Faces making one artwork 1.75m x 3m. Also in book form and limited prints. Packed up yesterday, it's ready for the 'Hidden Messages' exhibition to be shown alongside the paper drawings 'I am Listening' the wall installation 'Cholangiocarcinoma Helpline' and the silkscreen monoprints 'It's there when you Need it'. And of course there will be Alfred's wonderful textile canvases. Those have been packed up too. Not long now, just 3 weeks away.

Hidden Messages Exhibition

Everyone has struggle of one sort or another in their life, and we all deal with it differently whether it be catastrophic or minimal. I deal with my personal adversities (and my joys) through my art with the knowledge that there will be others who will relate to similar issues but may not necessarily have the means to express themselves.

In the exhibition ‘Hidden Messages’ which I will be sharing with Alfred Huckett at the Menier Gallery, I have focussed on two main issues, deafness and cancer, both of which are part of my life. This does not mean that my work is full of gloom and doom, though it can be a bit confronting at times because engagement is how best I deal with misfortune. I enjoy challenging my situation with a mixture of displeasure, some indignation and a quite a bit of grim humour.

A Composite of work

     
               Anita                             Alfred                         Anita             Alfred

Red Faced Lady

‘Red Faced Lady’ is part of the installation ‘Cholangiocarcinoma Helpline otherwise known as Acceptance of Demons Loss of Fear’. Showing at the Menier Gallery, 51 Southwark St, London SE1 1RU. 24th Oct - 3rd Nov.

HIDDEN MESSAGES

This autumn Alfred Huckett and myself will be exhibiting together for the first time. Focussing on miscommunications, undisclosed secrets and a quiet monster, we have put together a powerful show of mixed media work including large scale canvases, installation, print and talisman, which though often dark are not without a sense of humour. 

I have spent most of my working life as a printmaker, selling  work to the corporate sector. Five years ago I decided to shift direction embracing mixed media processes to create work based on highly personal experiences related to hearing loss and cancer, unfortunately part of my life. I try to confront misfortunes head-on, using my art to challenge situations with a mixture of displeasure, indignation and a large dose of grim humour. 

Alfred Huckett is primarily known as an artist concerned with the portrayal of music, having been artist in residence at the York Early Music Festival on three 

occasions. He is now looking back to his early training in theatre design at Central St Martins with a collection of unshown work made in the 90s, together with recent large scale canvases confronting and exploring his feelings and experiences as a transvestite. 

The latest issue of 'Inside Artists'

Contains profiles of myself (page 52) and Alfred Huckett (page56), plus information about our exhibition 'Hidden Messages' (page 9) which will be opening at the Menier Gallery, Southwark St, London SE1 1RU 24th October - 3rd November 2017. There are some interesting artists presented in this issue (apart from ourselves of course!) notably Meng Zhou and Simon Kirk. A very well presented magazine and free to read online.

http://insideartists.co.uk

Ravens. Drawings I have been keeping to myself - perhaps they should be shown

I was given a raven by friends. It was found dead in their garden, so they kept it in the freezer for me. It was a beautiful bird which deserved the attention given to it in the day of drawing

Ravens. Indian ink, graphite and white paint

Ravens. Graphite pencil

The Talisman

I have started working with resin and jewellery techniques which have developed into ‘The Talisman’. The subject matter can be rather confronting in that it is addressing a conversation with with Cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer).The pieces can be dark, and often have a grim humour embedded in them. They are shown as necklaces or brooches, a decorative light hearted presentation, which makes them just that little bit more uncomfortable. 

The Trap

MAKING A MARK

Exhibition coming up in Hertford. Worth seeing.

MAKING A MARK

Caroline Bartlett, Flea Cooke, Anita Ford, Alfred Huckett, Esther Wragg & Stephen Wragg

6th June – 1st July 2017, Courtyard Arts Gallery, Port Vale, Hertford SG14 3AA

Open 10-4 Tues - Sat

Six artists explore a vocabulary of marks through their work using paper, wood and fabric, each telling their own story.

This exhibition showcases recent work by a group of artists living and working in Hertfordshire and North London with wide experience in their individual creative fields.

One thing that draws them together is creative exploration through process, as well as a desire to express personal ideas and concepts within their individual art practices.

Sharing a love of texture and mark-making, the work explores a wide variety of media including painting, silkscreen, mono-print, stitched textiles and 2 and 3D mixed media.

Work for the Courtyard Gallery Exhibition 6th June - 1st July 2017

I will be choosing from these series of silkscreen monoprints, work which will be included in the forthcoming exhibition at the Courtyard gallery in Hertford. The show will be called 'Making Marks' and will be a group exhibition with CarolineBartlett, Flea Cook, Esther Wragg, Steve Wragg, Alfred Huckett and myself. The exhibition runs from 6th June - 1st July 2017.

The works 'No matter', 'A Constant Variation' and 'At the End of the Day' allude to difficulty in communication, the struggle to make sense of a conversation when you can't hear all of it. A combination of frustration, concentration and achievement.

The series 'It's There when you Need It' refers to that spark within us all that can be called upon during times of adversity, the inner resource that can give you strength, available if you choose to summon it.

NEW WORK. The Talisman

These are my talisman. My Cholangiocarcinoma necklaces. They're yellow because of jaundice, you may notice one has bile ducts in her tummy (seaweed), she's swimming mermaid like through her problems and in her head is her life force (the blue gem). The other has pins in her body and blue sparks of life coming from her head.May they have good luck in life.