Curation – Delphian Gallery

Articles Tagged with: curation

‘Commixture’ at The Koppel Project – Hector Campbell’s Top Five

Commixture at The Koppel Project

Curated by Sally Gorham.

The Koppel Project in Central London plays host to Commixture, curated by Sally Gorham, a group exhibition that presents a snapshot of the current London emerging art scene through the lens of materiality and a diversity of mediums and methods. Each of the exhibited artists display continued exploration and experimentation within their practice, particularly in the context of their experience of media, material and physical making. The variety on show in Commixture highlights the innumerous ways in which artists approach creating, and how these approaches alter and change in relation to their navigation of the contemporary art world. The careful curation of Sally Gorham guides the audience through the exhibition, creating dialogues between not only the individual artworks but also the many disparate mediums and movements they encompass.

If you can’t make it to the exhibition, which runs until July 13th, here is a rundown of my top five artists with work on display in ‘Commixture’, (in no particular order).

ByHector Campbell

Nathaniel Faulkner

Nathaniel Faulkner, Maze Painting, MDF, spray paint, flock, 2019

Nathaniel graduated with a BA (Hons) in Fine Art from Central Saint Martins, UAL (London), having previously completed his Foundation in Art and Design at Bath College.

Nataniel’s work regularly references popular culture, cinematic history and invented architecture, and in Maza Painting he turns his attention to Stanley Kubricks 1980 masterpiece The Shining by reinterpreting The Overlook Hotel’s arhitectural maze model as a sculptural relief. Painstakingly crafted from MDF, the work could easily be interpreted as a work of pure geometric abstraction for those uninitiated with Kubrick’s adaptation of the Stephen King classic, the addition of green flock however another nod to the creative process used in architectural and landscape model building.

Nathaniel’s work has featured in group exhibitions at Subsidiary Projects, London (‘Extended Call pt.3’, curated by Billy Frazer, 2018) Yamamoto Keiko Rochaix Gallery, London (‘Megalopolis’, 2017) and with Kristian Day (‘arc.’ at Herrick Gallery, London, 2018). Recent duo exhibitions included 2019’s ‘Italian For Beginners’ with Joe Richardson at Apthorp Gallery, London, and ‘showerthoughts’ with Gillies Adamson Semple at San Mei Gallery, London.

Website/Instagram

Elliot Jack Stew

Elliot Jack Stew, Hand Job I, Oil on canvas, 2019

Elliot recently graduated with a BA (Hons) in Fine Art from Central Saint Martins, UAL (London).

Elliot’s work explores the boundaries that exist between the public and the private, evidenced in this new ‘Hand Job’ series of works by the use of forced point of view, placing the audience in the position of the protagonist. Intimacy is again implied not only by the works tongue-in-cheek title but also the hand suggestive placing atop the assumed bed sheets. The depiction of hands as well as the works autobiographical context invokes the art historical tradition of ‘The Artist Hand’ and the ways in which artists try to hide, or in Elliot’s case embrace, their mark making.

Elliot had his debut UK solo exhibition earlier this year at Cass Art, London (‘Poster Boy’), and has featured in 2018’s East Wing Biennial (‘SURGE’) at The Courtauld, London. Elliot is also the co-founder of the ‘Collective Cuba Project’ residency programme in Havana, Cuba.

Website/Instagram

Helen Waldburger

Helen Waldburger, Slippery Fingers, Watercolour, oil and oil pastel on cotton, 2019

Helen recently graduated with a BA (Hons) in Fine Art from Central Saint Martins, UAL (London), having previously completed her Diploma in Art and Design at Camberwell College of Arts.

Helen’s work combines memories, thoughts, dreams and feelings to create scenes that are neither fact nor fiction but incorporate aspects of both to create a rich visual narrative. This layered approach to narrative composition is mirrored in the artist’s use of cotton canvases, which through their translucence expose the wooden support beneath, allowing for the expansion and extension of the works’ surface.

Helen’s work has featured in group exhibitions at Leyden Gallery, London (‘Platform For Emerging Arts 21’, Feb/March 2019), Stour Space, London (‘Sketchy London’, Aug 2018) and the Rag Factory, London (‘Sacred Blue’, 2016 & ‘Mother Russia’, 2015)

Website/Instagram

Cybi Williams

Cybi Williams, Gyn, Oil on canvas, 2019

Cybi recently graduated with a BA (Hons) in Fine Art from Central Saint Martins, UAL (London).

Cybi’s practice exists at the intersection of digital and analogue, and questions their relationship while exploring ways to marry the two creatively. His new series of work started life as daily digital sketches, an ongoing creative routine that provides him with ample visual material from which he edits and selects images that will become larger works. ‘Gyn’ exists both as Cybi’s original digital rendering of the work, as well as this physical oil on canvas piece that retains all the hallmarks of its nascent digital beginnings, a trompe l’oeil for the technological age.

Cybi had his debut UK solo exhibition at BLANK 100, London (‘Cybi Williams’, Aug/Sept 2018), followed by ‘Mundane!’ at Roper Gallery, Bath in January of this year. He was also the winner of the 2018 Clyde & Co Art Award.

Website/Instagram

Rupert Whale

Rupert Whale, Remnant, Acrylic on canvas, 2019

Rupert recently graduated with an MA in Fine Art from Central Saint Martins, UAL (London), having previously completed his BA (Hons) at Middlesex University, London, and his Diploma in Art and Design at Exeter College of Art.

Taken from Rupert’s latest series ‘The Incomplete’, 2019’s ‘Remnant’ displays the artist’s mastery of, and experimentation with, many painterly techniques as he approaches abstraction as device to investigate mark making and question the limits of the picture plane. The pastoral colours recall traditional landscape painting whilst the diverse range of expressive lines and brushstrokes evoke digital composition and avant-garde art movements such as graffiti, punk and abstract expressionism.

Rupert’s recent solo exhibitions include ‘Critical Mass’ at Cloisters Temple, London (2018) and ‘Rupert Whale’ at The Stonespace Gallery, London (2018). Rupert’s work is featured in collections including the University of the Arts London Collection and the Tim Sayer Collection (bequeathed to The Hepworth Museum, Wakefield).

Website/Instagram

For more of Hector Campbell’s Top Fives

Drawing Biennial at The Drawing Room

Subversive Stitch at TJ Boulting

Insights into Curating with Rosalind Davis.

Insights Into Curating.

“I see exhibitions as a result of dialogues, where the curator functions in the ideal case as a Catalyst.” Hans Ulrich Obrist

There is a great deal of curiosity about the job of a curator, most notably and understandably from artists; how do you curate? What kind of gallery do you work in? And then, there is always the question of how do I find artists for my exhibitions? So, I thought it would be useful to answer these questions and create a resource for people in the long term. Of course, all curators like artists are different but there are some universal truths.

I am an artist as well as a curator and have curated 30 exhibitions so far in my career. I was appointed the curator of Collyer Bristow Gallery in 2016;a very unique gallery in a law firm based in Holborn that was set up by partners of the firm25 years ago. The focus of the gallery is to support artists through a dynamic gallery programme with a dedicated curator and space. Each show has between 15-25 artists and I curate 3 shows a year there, each usually spanning 4 months.

We have a focus towards supporting young career artists to help build their careers and profiles and so Exceptional is a graduate competition and award exhibition every 18 months. The winning artist in the exhibition receives a significant award of £2000 and, importantly being aware that competition fees can exclude artists from entering, ours is free to enter. In previous years we only allowed for artists to apply from three London art schools; Goldsmiths, Middlesex and City & Guilds of London Art School whereasthis year we will be expanding our competition to allow graduates who studied at any University in London apply.

It is a very exciting opportunity for artists and way for me to curate an exhibition focussing on these very promising and talented artists. In the other exhibitions throughout the year I support younger career artists through mixed group shows that showcases them alongside more established artists and helps build their profiles, cross fertilise networks and bring their work to new audiences as well as the opportunity to meet the other artists in the show. Collyer Bristow are also very engaged in the exhibitions and deservedly proud of the gallery. We have numerous events across the year for our many collective and different audiences including prominent arts organisations including the Contemporary Art Society, Government Art Collection, The Fine Art Group, The Mall Gallery Patrons and various other collector groups, curators, galleries, writers and artists.

Exceptional

How do you choose artists?

Apart from Exceptional, where the artists are chosen by a guest panel on their merits, the artists are chosen to fit within the particular themes of the show. To select the artist’s, I am always visiting lots of exhibitions (including Degree shows) research and collate lots of artist’s works. I have a very large library of artists and research on file. I also used to run an annual open competition before Exceptional as part of the arts organisation Zeitgeist Arts (which I co-directed) where I got to select and curate a huge range of artists work. I have gone onto work with a number of these artists again in other exhibitions. I have exhibited artists who were my teachers and students, artists recommended to me, artist’s I have exhibited with, artists whose careers I have been following and I am always looking! However, it can take years to place an artist’s work in an exhibition – for their work to fit in the right context. I have exhibited artists from their early 20’s to their mid 70’s, artists that have been to art school and artists are not formally trained – ultimately, it’s about the integrity, the ideas and processes of the work itself. I am also keen to show unrepresented artists, as I am aware that exhibition opportunities can be limited. Justin Hibbs (an artist, collaborator and partner) and I have lots of conversation about the exhibitions, coming up with ideas and thinking of artists to fit within the theme, as does Michaela Nettell, (who does all our design work for the exhibitions) and other artists I know such as Sasha Bowles who I have also curated with in the past. They are all really engaged with the exhibitions and I am receptive to their thoughts.

One thing I don’t do (and I don’t know any curator or gallery who does) is ever choose artists who spam me or cold call – whether online or in person! For tips and ideas in how you might build a relationship with a curator or galleries can be found on a blog post I did for Hotel Elephant.

How do you come up with ideas for the Exhibitions?

The fact that the gallery is housed in a working and active law firm is a rich vein of inspiration for me. As an artist I am very sensitive about the context of a built space Collyer Bristow is a space full of narratives where resolutions are continually being worked towards, modified and resolved. My first exhibition at Collyer Bristow Gallery in 2016 was called Complicity. Artifice and Illusion.I curated the different meeting rooms thematically within the show that related to the law; such as extradition, mediation, copyright, divorce and dissolution, which was intended to be both playful and expansive given the galleries context. Often the titles are the starting point in my process, identifying the core themes or ideas of the show and then the works or artists who might fit within that context.

In the Futurewas an exhibition in 2018 inspired by David Byrne from a song written in 1985, that laid out propositions and prophesies about the future as he saw it then. The lyrics describe a future through a series of paradoxical statements that now seem strangely prescient in describing the complex reality where contradictory truths co-exist; such as the lyric; In the future there will be so much going on that no one will be able to keep track of it…. which all of us can now relate to.

Our current show Rules of Freedom, takes its starting point from history of how both women and men have been working to build a civil society that seeks to make the world freer, fairer and more progressive sincethe People’s Representation Act, enacted 100 years ago. Artworks in this show reference a broad range of subjects such as the civil rights movement, political freedoms, LGBTQ+ rights or freedom of movement, all of which are now under threat at this point in time. It is a show of Rule Breakers and Rule Makers, it’s title coming from an influential album by African American musician Nathan Davis, an avant-gardeJazz pioneerin the 1960’s who laid down through his music his own ‘Rules of Freedom’.

Re-Assembleis our next exhibition,that looks at ideas and processes of structure against the particularly precarious and fractured current political backdrop and previews on the 3 April, 6-9pm.

insights into curating

www.Rosalinddavis.co.uk www.Collyerbristow.com/gallery

Twitter: @rosalinddavis | Instagram: rosalindnldavis

For more about the art world

Paul Weiner – Social Media and The Art World

Kate Mothes – The Internet As Vehicle

Hector Campbell Interview

Curator and art historian Hector Campbell has curated a brilliant show of all student or recent-graduate painters, which opens in London on the 22nd of November. We decided to catch-up with him to find out a little about the show.

Firstly, could you please tell the readers a little about your background?

I recently moved to London, having lived in Bristol for the last six years. I studied History of Art at Bristol University, which was a great course and allowed me to participate in curatorial projects with their print and theatre collections. However, as with many university courses, the actual contact hours were relatively few (around 4 or 5 hours of lectures a week) so I had plenty of time to get involved in some exciting projects that the thriving Bristol art scene had to offer. Having been interested in Street Art and Graffiti since my teenage years, I was lucky enough to get work with many artists whose work I had been a fan of for over a decade. During my time in Bristol I worked alongside author and curate Ed Bartlett to compile travel publisher Lonely Planet’s first ‘Street Art’ guidebook, organised the UK premiere of documentary Saving Banksy complete with live painting from Blek le Rat and others, and worked for Fluorescent Smogg, a gallery and production house doing some of the best work in Street Art/Graffiti scene.

In the last couple of years I found myself coming to London more and more frequently for events and exhibitions (quite often seeing 20 exhibitions a day to try and fit in as many as possible), so it felt about the right time to move to London and see what opportunities it had to offer, and so far it’s been incredibly rewarding.

There are some really exciting young painters coming up at the moment, can you tell me a little bit about some of the artists you’ve discovered and how you found their work?

I think it’s a very exciting time for painting, especially in London. With a large proportion of post- YBA generation artists turning to sculpture, video and installation in the 00’s, it’s only recently that I’ve noticed a big return to painting, especially amongst student and young artists.

I was overwhelmed by the response from the artists I approached about this exhibition, and the line-up is something I could only have dreamed about when I started planning this show a few months ago. Many of the artists I discovered at degree shows; Elisa Carutti and Minyoung Choi both showed incredible bodies of work in the Slade School of Fine Art’s MA show, and Marco Piemonte I found hidden down a long corridor during Chelsea College of Art’s MA show. I first saw Jonathan Kelly’s work in the 2017 Royal Academy Schools show, and have been a fan of his since then. India Nielsen’s work I had seen on Instagram (a brilliant resource for anyone involved in art, and where I daily find new artists that I love), and was excited to see it in person at the Royal College of Art degree show earlier this year. A friend of mine at Edinburgh University recommended Emily Herring’s work to me a while ago, and when she moved back to London after graduating I made sure to check it out. Finally, I first saw Lydia Blakeley and Rhiannon Salisbury’s work in small group exhibitions, Lydia’s at Enclave Projects in Deptford and Rhiannon’s at the Turps Painting Leavers Show at Paul Stolper Gallery.

Jonathan Kelly

Why did you decide to curate a show of exclusively students and recent graduates?

I started going to some of the big degree shows a few years ago, after realising they were great places to see work by emerging artists, and having not realised before that they were open to the public. This year I made a concerted effort to go to as many as possible, and I found that it was always the paintings that I was drawn to most. As a member of the public going to look around a degree show, you often have minimal resources available to you, the name of the works, and occasional artist statement if you’re lucky. You’re therefore left to take the works largely on aesthetic value, and while I’m sure much of the more experimental video, sculpture and installations on show are fascinating once being conceptualised to the professors in the critique, painting is accessible without that level of description or explanation.

Admission Productions, who are presenting the exhibition, have taken a chance on me as an emerging curator, so I thought it only right to continue that trend and show the work of some of my favourite student and graduate artists.

Did you have a particular feel in mind for the show and have you selected the individual works that the artists are putting in, or have you allowed them to submit whatever they choose?

The exhibition space, Arthill Gallery in West Brompton, is beautiful and has partition walls creating lots of hanging space. I’ve therefore asked each artist to submit one or two larger works, as I think it’s rare that emerging artists get the chance to show works of this size, especially in a group exhibition. Each artist will almost get their own space within the gallery for these larger paintings. Then there is a long back wall at the gallery where I plan to do a salon hang of smaller works, with each artists giving us two small paintings, and that’s where I plan to draw out the relationships between the artists and the individual works and hopefully find some common themes. I’m not having a big say in the individual works, as excitingly the majority of the artists are making new paintings for this exhibition.

Rhiannon Salisbury

How does your role as an art historian inform your role as a curator, and vice versa?

I think that my background in Art History has allowed me to develop a certain level of connoisseurship, having been taught the skills of visual analysis and the importance of looking, alongside the purely historical studies that I’ve done. I hope that this allows me to select artists who not only I love, but that the public will love as well.

On the flip side, I think curating informs my practice as an art historian as there’s no substitute for the practical application of staging an exhibition. The problems and issues you encounter and overcome during that process, therefore, gives me a greater understanding of the history of exhibitions and curatorial practice as a whole.

If you would like to see more of the works in the show, Hector will be doing a week-long takeover on our sister account @Daily_Contemporary_Art from the 19th.

Young London Painters opens on the 22nd of November at Arthill Gallery, North End Road, West Brompton, W14 9NU.

Private view: 22/11/18 7-10pm

Show run: 23+24th of November 10am-5pm.

Hector Campbell recently interviewed us for Arrested Motion, which can be read HERE

Hector Campbell