The concept has so many levels to it. Entitled ‘The Bench’ it could be any combination of two people, sat for any number of reasons.
‘The Bench’ in front of the Mughal Gardens Lister Park
Bring to it what you will as a viewer.
Without going down to sad a route. I couldn’t help thinking of the Bill Withers song ‘Lean on me’: “Sometimes in our lives, We all have pain, We all have sorrow.” Feeling down or having low mood is something we can all relate to, all understand and all sympathise with. Clinical depression is something very different and there has been a lot of discussion over the last few days about it. “Depression is a real illness with real symptoms, and it’s not a sign of weakness or something you can “snap out of” by “pulling yourself together” NHS. Recent events remind us that no matter how rich or famous one is depression does not discriminate. We need to keep in mind that on a human level we can only hope to be there for people, to help, support, listen and care when they need it and when they think they don’t want it. To be there for someone as non-judgemental as possible and understand and accept people for who they are. It is the very essence of human nature to be a shoulder for someone or to have a shoulder to lean on.
It isn’t what this piece is about though, there can be so many different interpretations. The colours are so joyful and have a reason to them. But for now, so proud. This feels an amazing picture on so many levels. Mostly to have a sketch realised into a sculpture furthermore then to have it installed in a public place. This is a sculptors dream and now a reality. A real sense of achievement.
It has been a welcome break to be offline and unplugged for a month. However in today’s world I am not sure how possible it is to keep that up. We have evolved into an online society. So much has been happening in the ‘Sculptural World’ I am not sure I can catch up with what has past. So will have to run with real-time and tell you what is happening today and coming up this month. In all things Yorkshire, we have two solo exhibitions happening locally.
This evening we open at Damside Mill ‘Evolution’ an exhibition about the journey of work over the last 14 years. An interesting collection of work from the bronze beginnings to the recent modern minimalism. Join us tonight for the preview:
At the same time ‘Evolution’ the sculpture has moved from its first location outside ‘The Royal British Sculpture Society’ and now stands proudly in Lister Park awaiting the accompaniment of two other larger piece for ‘Art in the Park’. We are also getting ready for the exhibition ‘Only Human’ at Cartwright Hall Art Gallery which opens on August 13th and runs until February 2015. It seems serendipitous that I have been visiting this place since I was 10, worked there and last year our eldest son learnt to ride his bike in this exact spot. As a family we have been on a journey through this creative space. Would highly recommend a visit.
This was the stand at ‘The Other Art Fair’ this weekend which has been a busy few days for both of us for different reasons. Last night when I was tidying up the house after being busy with the boys for the weekend my husband phoned to say he was finally on his way home and also to tell me about his interview.
Tracey Emin selling works for £50 was a little bit controversial, for some her presence pulled in the crowd but if people were spending and buying her work rather than the 100 picked artists there to sell and promote then it half defeated the point. Anyway,
If you are not too squeamish to watch the taxidermy which really doesn’t do it for me, continue watching to spot the stand in the footage below and a bit further on hear my husband’s interview with CNN at about 2 min 12. I am very proud and quite excited to find out more details about selling some pieces in the last 15 minutes of the 3 day event!
It is two years since we were last at The Other Art Fair and we all went down for the show. This year I am taking the boys to London this weekend and my husband is going down at the end of the month as I will have to stay and hold fort at the shop. So preparations are underway for “ The Keyhole Family “ collection to go down and be on show this month. Here is a small taster of the 14 pieces that will be on sale (24-27 April). Each one, an original and the last series of this collection. Apparently Tracey Emin will be there signing and selling limited edition prints. Wonder what she will think of the little men…..
…and the sun was shinning in an almost cloudless sky.
Estelle White’s ‘Autumn Days’ hymn has been the soundtrack to the last few months for us and we occasionally sing it together in chorus. Our three-year old shouts out the song at every possible moment particularly in the car, much to the eldest son’s annoyance but today it is so fitting. It is a glorious autumn day. The sky is clear and I can see a silky cobweb float across the road in front of me as I sit and contemplate after a busy morning. I felt I was running internally, never mind to school, to take the car to be cleaned, to work. We mustn’t forget to be Thankful.
My husband and his friend had to get up at 3am and the alarm woke him in a sudden jerk. I heard the coffee machine and the careful movements around the house getting everything together. I couldn’t get back to sleep until I heard the front door shut and they slipped out quietly into the crisp early hours. So I too, also pushed the coffee button this morning which fuelled me to get a dozen jobs done before 9am but consequently making me very snappy with my boys and not staying calm enough to take the morning pace smoothly yet again. The winter moon calmly shining down on us which the boys spotted very visibly as they tumbled out the door and climbed on the wall whilst I shouted at them to get in the car before I counted to five! No, we mustn’t forget.
After hours, days and months of hard work the finishing up was done and the wagon was filled last night successfully, with the sculptures fitting in like a jigsaw. Thanks to my husbands keen eye and good measurements. The rain stopped thankfully and a radiantly clear morning made for the drive to London. Last night I busily put together a stack of egg sandwiches for their journey, cupcakes for the school bake sale and the last few bits of preparation, getting the camera ready, and the last bits of paperwork done. My husband said he knew he had got everything he needed, all the tools for any eventuality but he was still worried that there may be something he had forgotten. What had he forgotten? Apparently they got all the sculptures in and then remembered thank goodness the bird on the windowsill. Though my immediate reaction was, at least we could take it on the train. We mustn’t forget to be Thankful.
‘polishing the platform’‘Sculptures wrapped like bodies ready to go’‘Wrapping up’
So whilst the ‘Evolution’ sculpture gets erected with the team helping my husband, and the pieces installed for the exhibition. I am looking after the business thankful for a few hours of quiet. Picking up the car gratefully cleaned, sparkling and smelling fresh before whatever was rotting inside gave us poisoning. Then collecting my preschooler to look after the shop together before the eldest child’s parents evening and swimming lesson. I am so thankful the sun is out giving us a dry day, for the installation of the exhibition and everything they need to do outside in London and then for their journey home.
So as the song continues to echo in my mind, “Autumn days, when the clouds look like familiar faces…. the swallows curving in the sky, we mustn’t forget to say a big thank you.” No, we mustn’t forget.
My husband and I had a rare moment both together and also going to an opening at a local exhibition. Most exciting that it was to see his work in it and at a place where I have worked. His pieces looked fantastic in the space and it is amazing how the space around them makes them more impressive.
‘Adam and Eve at Cartwright Hall’‘The sperm’ and ‘The girl next door’ in Cartwright Hall
The work covered two long exhibition spaces on the first floor at Cartwright Hall Museum and there was a high standard and variety of prints and paintings, one of which my husband spontaneously bought, a very blue oil landscape of Bradford with an industrial look and fantastic details and use of light. Apparently we are re-painting the living room for it to go on the chimney wall. Only then did it dawn on my husband that the work is in exhibition till January so we wouldn’t be taking it home with us there and then. Will give us time to get painting then!? Anyway plenty of time if you are local to go and take a look at the exhibition. I would definitely recommend taking a trip into Lister Park and visiting Bradford Open 2013. Well worth a look.
Children sketching the sculptures
There were few sculptures though, so my husband’s work took the floor space focus. I was really happy to see several children enjoying the work and sitting down in front of the sculptures sketching them. One of the boys who has been sketching came to see my husband and he gave him on of his brightly coloured cards with a sculpture on the front. When we stood next to ‘Adam and Eve’ another boy came up to look at them, particularly liking the holes and said ” Have you seen the other one in the other room, it is like a ball and it’s got this shape (he pointed to the diamonds in ‘Adam’) going this way and he made lines from his ears. Then the boy said “Did you make it” and it felt like a rare moment of observing child interacting and meeting with an Artist.
I feel there is so much I could write with this post. We are constantly asking questions. This piece is the human question but from one angle is an exclamation, which I love, I always over use exclamation marks!!!!
Already this morning I have the question in my mind of whether the boys are ok at school and preschool as I felt I literally dropped them there in mid air rushing off to the next drop off and to the shop. I was asked the question at pre school of how to spell the name of the Egyptian bread I went in to make . So I have text my sister-in-law to ask for the spelling. I wondered if the milk is off, when I got to the shop this morning as with no fridge the milk has been left on the side. The question of whether my husband will get the train to London and have his meeting ok.
My eldest is at that questionable age, ‘Do all pengiuns look the same?’ ‘Do animals look the same in the next world?’ and so many more just in the car on the way to school. Or the fact that our little boys keeps asking my husband “Can I tell you a question, Baba?! He is copying his older brother who is constantly saying, ‘Can I tell you a joke’ or ‘asking a question’, in a cute little voice he morphs the two. My deeply philosohical husband this morning was observing that our youngest is no longer a baby and and we are not going to be around when he is old. That means we are dying, he said, not literally but yes depressing as it is on this misty mid week morning we are all a little closer to death. That is the ultimate question.
We have had a flurry of ‘You have been selected’. All the pieces got selected for the Bradford Open (28 September – 19 January ) Yipee! The mad dash panic last week was worth it. My husband came in the other night and said, ‘How far away is Wales’? I’ve just applied for something there. Let’s have a look I said. WELLS not WALES (roll of the eyes yet again) in October, like we need anything else to do. A ‘soul’ piece got selected for the Wells Open. Followed by an email asking if we were interested in a solo exhibition next year in the North West. Also, selected to be an associate member of The Royal British Sculpture Society, so can now put ARBS after his name. So a pretty good week in terms of ‘selection’.
This piece above, simply titled ‘Sperm’ has been selected for the Bradford, Cartwright Hall. I think how ‘Selected’ links with this piece is pretty obvious, well, it puts a smile on your face, right? Enough said!
It feels a while since I have written but the past few weeks have been a detoxification of so much that I haven’t had the desire to sit and write so much. I had even prepared much of this post to quickly slip a post in in anticipation of lack of time to write.
For me, this is one of the best pieces of my husband’s work. It is more museum worthy than public art, most of the other work is ‘willing to grow’. This could be outside if cast in bronze but I do think this is one for a large indoor space. Yes, it is sinister, disturbing, intriguing… but in today’s modern contemporary art world where almost anything goes, sometimes you have to make a statement that will make the viewer stop. Look. Think.
The journey of this piece started last year and has continued to be one of ‘blood, sweat and tears’ . It was selected for the Hot one hundred so was in exhibition in London when it got pre-selected for the Threadneedle prize, which we were very excited about. So, we had a little bit of logistics and negotiation to get it from A to B. Having applied for the Threadneedle for the last two years and not been successful we were feeling fairly hopeful that this was a good sign. The piece seemed to fit the requirements, for example; “Work that possesses a life force of its own… work that has ‘that something’ which stops the viewer in their tracks.” Tim Shaw. Having got it to the Mall galleries and putting it amongst the other pre selected work my husband was still pretty optimistic about the next stage. So we waited for the Thursday announcement. On the Wednesday my husband got a call from them and though it could only be good news. It wasn’t. The reason for the early call was because it did need to be collected and the collection days were the same as the rather large cycle event happening in the London on the same day, could he go earlier to collect it. Needless to say, living so far away from London we couldn’t really go any other day and we also needed to drop some other work off at the Cork street gallery (just round the corner). So, my husband and his man with a van headed into London to the Mall galleries and Cork Street, to deliver work and to collect a rather hefty piece of art, at the same time as some 16,500 cyclist needed the very same road. I printed out maps of the gallery and the cycle routes, the roads which were closed and the roads which would be restricted. I didn’t think it looked possible.However, there was not a lot of choice off they went. I was rather expecting a call to say they hadn’t been able to get it.
Here is what happened; after successfully managing to deliver work at The Cork Street Gallery at 10am (not quite sure how they got there in such good time!) they circled around and realised they just couldn’t get the van to the entrance of the Mall Gallery. Pulling into a lay-by as the driver needed to go to the toilet, on finding a toilet my husband realised that they could see the entrance of the Mall gallery. They decided to walk to it to see how far it was but rather than being able to go straight across the road they were diverted because of the preparations for the crowds supporting the cyclists. On getting to the gallery the driver insisted that as they were there they ‘may as well’ carry the piece back. The images here do not show the glass box which my husband decided to exhibit it in. So, each carrying an edge of the box they walked the mile back to the van. Crowds now gathering, had to shift quickly once they realised two men were carry a glass box and not in fact just pushing their way through. Apparently, they got comments about ‘where the camera was’. I am not sure whether they did that before or after the actual ‘Toy’ which must have then caused another commotion, as though two art thieves were stealing in broad daylight. One way to advertise your work. They did it, they got the piece out but unfortunately not in the shortlisted Threadneedle.
The piece speaks about the 21st century, the society that we live in. It is representing the idea that you work hard and are not going anywhere, like a rocking horse. However long it rocks, it is simply moving back and forth, not moving forward. The black for the skeleton (it is not a real skeleton) shows that we are in a time when petrol has become more important than human life. As for the horse-tail, (it is real horse hair) this represents the way society keeps pushing you constantly to look after your health, going to the gym, good diet etc etc, and this is a similar technique for a horse race. It seems the horse that has constantly been looked after, good diet, great exercise goes to the race and wins makes the owner very rich. Hence the title, ‘The Toy’ for this concept presents us as having become a toy to our boss, to our society, to our media and to our routine, played with and somehow we believe that this is the normal life that we are supposed to have. People work 9 till 5, six days a week, sleep eight hours, have three-course meal, wish to live longer and will end up being in a nursing home, sitting down on a chair rocking thinking that you lived the life in full. This is an observation of the world through my husband’s art. When words can’t describe what he sees.
Front View‘The Toy’‘The Toy’‘The head’‘The Toy in shadow’‘The Toy’ side on‘The Toy’ – in spotlight‘The Toy’
Have I called a post entry that before? Perhaps, but it’s not been as busy as this. I can’t write quick enough for the amount of work my husband is doing at the moment. This weekend we need to collect the pieces from the Red brick Mill in Batley and bring back pieces from London to get ready for their next visit… busy busy busy.
‘standing tall – evolution ‘adult’ piece‘Ready and waiting for the photo shoot’
THE SCULPTOR'S WIFE 