Martin Bentham RWA - Texture & Colour exhibition

Martin Bentham has been painting up on the Mendip Hills for the past 30 years. I went to see his latest exhibition at the Royal West of England Academy (RWA) and to meet the man of the Mendips!

Martin Bentham RWA

'Dry Stone Wall Repairs, Mendip, February'

 

Martin's latest exhibition - Texture & Colour was a collection of works produced over the last 5 years. The earliest piece was the impressive 'Dry Stone Wall Repairs, Mendip, February. This oil on linen is a whopping 105cm x 169cm!

I had planned the visit to the RWA in order to hear Martin's hour long tour with a Q & A session. I was keen to hear all about Martin's artistic background, his technique and what inspired him. The intimacy of the exhibition was perfect to learn all about Martin and get to know this gifted artist.

As the room filled, Martin gave a short introduction about himself and his background as an artist. As a youth, Martin was always sketching. His sketches were very detailed. Eventually he enrolled on a foundation art course and went on to study at Exeter College of Art. When he completed his course he began to paint the people and landscapes around him in the Mendip area.

In 1993 Martin held his first exhibition at his parents house. The proceeds from the paintings he sold enabled him to carry on painting and to produce some of the wonderful paintings seen in Martins catalogue and at the 2012 exhibition.

He found that using oil paint and a palette knife he could recreate with great effect the natural landscape in which he immersed himself. Its very evident in each of Martin's paintings how this technique shows the different effects of the lichen, grass and rock. All the varying textures that Martin produces gives a life-like appearance to his subjects.

'From Townfield to Pen Hill'

2012

 

As part of the art course Martin learnt to make his own canvass'. Using Irish linen stretched over boards Martin can make his own size canvass to suit any size of painting. It adds something a little extra special to know that the whole piece has been created by Martin.

Working outside with his chosen subject in front of him is where Martin works best. Sometimes he will go out everyday for weeks on end in all weathers to the site of his subject and set up his easel (with umbrella attached!) until the painting is completed. He rarely works from a photograph or in the studio if he can help it. He finds it too static. Working outdoors in various weather changes the way he paints. It invigorates and actually adds energy to effects of the paint.

One of the larger paintings on show was 'The Apiarist 2'. This took Martin approx 4 months to complete. Part of the work did have to be carried out in the studio. Martin took photographs and used these for some of the finer detail which was not possible whilst wearing a bee keepers suit and covered in bees! I loved the many bees in the painting and upon close inspection I could see how much paint was used to give the bees a 3D effect.

'The Apiarist 2'

 

 

The Apiarist 2

(a close up of the bees)

 

 

 

Before Martin became a full time artist he did various jobs including being a Postman. Inspired he has painted approx 12 different paintings of various post boxes from around the local area. The intense colour shown in the painting of the GR Postbox, Blagdon, September is incredible.
The green vegetation around it intensifies the red and is an amazing colour combination.

GR Postbox, Blagdon, September

 

Someone from the audience asked Martin which of the paintings from the current collection was his favourite. The 'Dry Stone Wall Repairs, Mendip, February' he replied. I tend to agree.

Unnatural - Natural History Exhibition at The RWA

This week took me off to the Royal West of England Academy of art. I've been wanting to check out the Unnatural - Natural History exhibition since I'd read about it on the RWA website. www.rwa.org.uk

Its a collaboration of 37 local and international artists who were invited to put together this innovative collection of works. An exhibition inspired by natural history but with a disturbing twist. Vibrant, delicate and gruesome at times!

Here are a few of the pieces I found particularly interesting. Some of the sculptures have been created using various mediums, put together with meticulous detail. It seems to have brought some of these creatures back to life.

Kate MccGwire

'Urge'

Mallard Blue, Magpie, Jackdaw feathers

 

Fulvio Di Piazza

'The Patience of the Enemy No.1'

Oil on canvas

 

Geza Szollosi

'Cow'

Taxidermy Cow Head

 

Erik Mark Sandberg

'Girl with Stripes and Leopard Print Dress

Acrylic, airbrush, ink & oil on canvas

 

Christopher Russel

'Four Sided Column'

Glazed white earthenware

 

Natalie Shau

'Deer Doe'

Digital mixed media orginal print on paper

 

Jessica Joslin

'Comet'

Antique brass, hardware &findings,bone,silver,velvet,wood,gloveleather & glass eye

 

My favourite piece

Nicole Etienne

'Through the Looking Glass'

Oil, mirror shards, Swarovski crystal, copper, wax & photo on glitter canvas

 

The exhibition is curated by Coates & Scarry. It runs until 23rd September. I would strongly recommend this one, its pretty original in its concept!

Let me know what you think of this weird and wonderful collection of ART! If you want to buy any of the exhibits they are for sale. Prices start at £70. For details on each piece and  price visit www.coatesandscarry.com/exhibition/unnatural-natural-history

See No Evil - Bristol 2012

This week Britain's biggest Urban art project arrived in Bristol. See No Evil 2012 began Tuesday night and Nelson Street became one big canvass!

 Floodlit throughout the night the graffiti artists from around the globe transformed some of Bristol's buildings in to an open air gallery.

This weekend all the art work will be complete and a two day New York City style block party will take place on Saturday. Sunday will be family-friendly viewing.

A collaboration of graffiti art and music will bring Nelson Street alive. One of the popular panasian restaurants - Shanghai Nights, have set up a food stall in front of their newly painted restaurant.

The See No Evil event which first came to Bristol in 2011, was hugely successful. Some of the artworks created in 2011 have remained. I'm glad to see my favourite, was one of the originals voted by the Bristol public to stay!

I set off first thing on Saturday to take some shots of the completed art work and to get an interview and some video shots of some of the artists completing their master pieces!

I hope you enjoy this open air gallery and its vibrant colour and vivid imagery, installed along one of the central streets of Bristol.

The Police Station

Using the grime accumulated over the years!

Vibrant colour transforms this old building

Found this above the old courts!

A decorated pillar

Inkie!

An original from 2011

I love this eerie picture as you walk through the arch!

Leave a comment, let me know your favourite piece or if you don't like graffiti let me know what you think. Maybe you  don't feel its art at all! If you would like to see the rest of my pictures please go to my Pinterest page (JoAnne Dursley under the pin board entitled artwork).

Pull Everything Out - an exhibition Corita Kent & Ciara Phillips

This exhibition is currently on show at Spike Island, Bristol. Spike Island is an international centre for the development of contemporary art and design. To find out more about Spike Island, click on the link www.spikeisland.org.uk

Spike Island

I went to see this collaborative exhibition last week. I was immediately impressed by the venue. Spike Island is a large building with very roomy exhibition rooms and a lovely cafe. The staff were also welcoming and knowledgeable.

This exhibition - Pull Everything Out - brings together over 70 prints by the artist Corita Kent (1918 - 1986) and a collection of  contemporary works by Ciara Phillips (1976).
Its a testimony to both artists engagement with experimentation, learning and collaboration. It also shows their shared concerns albeit generations apart.

Power Up

Corita Kent was born in 1918. She was also known as Sister Corita. She was the head of the art department at the Immaculate Heart College in Los Angeles. Her brightly coloured silk screen prints became recognised internationally during 1960's and 1970's. Sister Corita was very much involved with the community. She lectured and ran workshops. She was also an activist.

Left -Come off it (1966)

Right - Handle with Care (1967) 

Centre - bread & toast (1965)

 Her day-glo prints were inspired by billboards and advertising that she saw around her. These were part of the ever growing consumer culture that was springing up all over America! She produced over 400 prints and many commissions. These included book covers and text book illustrations. Corita designed large billboard size posters for Share, The international walk for hunger, Amnesty International and Physicians for Social Responsibility.

Pull Everything Out - has the most extensive selection of Corita Kent's prints (over 70) to be shown in the UK to date. You will see text based works from the mid 1960's.

Left -a passion for the possible (1969)

Centre - king's dream (1969)

Right - if i (1969)

Also political pieces from the end of the 1960's reflecting the consciousness of America's role in the Vietnam War, the Civil rights movement and feminism. Corita Ken died in 1986 aged 68.

Left - the cry that will be heard (1969)

Right - news of the week (1969)

Ciara Phillips was born in 1976 in Ottawa, Canada. She is currently based in Glasgow. Ciara also works in print. She produces textiles, photographs and wall paintings. In the Pull Everything Out Exhibition we see examples of screenprint on newprint on cardboard boxes.

Ciara Phillips - Pull Everything Out (2012)

Ciara studied Fine Art at Queen's University, Kingston (BFA 2000) and at the Glasgow School of Art (MFA 2004) She is the initiator of the Poster Club. The Poster Club comprises of seven artists who work collaboratively and also exhibit together.

Ciara Phillips - wall painting

So what did I think of the exhibition?

 My first thoughts were, its a huge Gallery with posters on the walls! However on closer inspection and  time spent listening to the short film on Corita Kent that runs in the room next door, I understood the significance of the messages Corita was saying in her very visual art during a very turbulant time in Americas history.

 Looking at the workspace that Ciara had set up in the first week of the exhibition, I understood the affinity that she had with Corita and her work.  I loved that Ciara was based in the workspace during July along with other artists and members of the Poster Club. They produced an updated version of the Irregular Bulletin a journal originally produced at the Immaculate Heart College, where Sister Kent worked.

 I found it very interesting but it did not inspire my own work.

Pull Everything Out - Corita Kent and Ciara Phillips Exhibition runs until 26th August 2012 in Gallery 1.

Leave me a comment if you get a chance to visit this vibrant exhibition!

What is - Beyond the frame?

Are you interested in art?

When we think of art, do we automatically imagine a painting, framed and hung on the wall of our house or in an art gallery?

 Or, do we look beyond the frame and consider street art or graffitti art?

In this blog I want to discover art in all its many forms. Look at the Bristol art scene, its local artists, the urban art, the history of art and also some of my favourite artists and world famous artists from across the centuries.

Banksy - Bristol

David Hockney

Klimt

Frieda Kahlo

See No Evil - exhibition Bristol

I hope you will enjoy looking beyond the frame as I discover a diverse collection of art!

Lets look beyond the frame...