Mary Jane Opie, Self portrait as a huntsman, 2005 (100 x 150 cm)
THE ENGLISH WAY Curated by Craig Patrick Edwards and Derek Curtis
The Aubin Gallery is pleased to present: The English Way, an exhibition uniting six artists – Claire Clutterbuck, Dmitri Galitzine, Mary Jane Opie, Simon Roberts, Andy Sewell and Kraig Wilson – all with an interest in our national identity, and the English countryside – who are questioning what it means to be English in the 21st century.
More information about the opening night here.
The United Kingdom is slowly dissolving, with both the impending Scottish referendum on independence – and our faltering position within Europe – causing national discomfort. The emergence of the coalition government is symptomatic of the fact that trusted left-right structures; represented by Conservative and Labour politicians, no longer seem relevant.
Where does this political dilemma leave our collective sense of English national identity? This theme of political uncertainty is captured in award-winning photographer Simon Roberts’ 2011 three-channel video: Landscapes of Innocence & Experience – to be shown in London for journey across the UK during the official four-week campaigning period for the 2010 general election.
Another aspect of our national identity lies in the backdrop to our lives; our landscape. For city-dwellers, the countryside represents quintessential Britishness – but this is primarily constructed through imagery – in fine art, film, television or photography. Consequently, real rural England remains something of a mystery…
Andy Sewell, described by Martin Parr as “a photographer likely to make his mark on the future of photography”, explores stereotypes associated with the countryside. Enamoured with quaintly-named villages – Sewell searches a map to find poetic place names such as: ‘Cold Christmas’, ‘Nasty’, ‘Little Gidding’, ‘Good Easter’ – then travels to these destinations and photographs what he finds there.
The English Way will offer six varying interpretations of England, by six artists, who will each reveal what it means – to them – to be English.
A home-made pinhole camera set up at the Hijacked III exhibition in Derby.
The notice on the camera reads: “This is a camera! Please do not touch, even slight movements can
disrupt the image. To view the imagesfollow @lofieye on twitter or lofieye.wordpress.com“
Installation shot of We English photograph in the Hijacked III exhibition at PICA, Australia.
The Hijacked III exhibition and publication launch will take place at QUAD Gallery on Friday 3rd March.
This major survey features some of the best photographic talents from or within Australia and the United Kingdom. My series We English, has been included.
Here’s some of the press blurb: “Known for halting the status quo, arresting the scene and exploding a new perspective on the practices of contemporary photography, this third edition of the biennale Hijacked series explores the world through the eyes and works of 32 international photographers from or within the United Kingdom and Australia. Also featuring a series of specially commissioned films about participating photographers.”
The exhibition will show simultaneously in QUAD with a partner version at PICA in Perth Australia. It will also tour to a couple of other Australian cities. Details here:
Perth Institute of Contemporary Art (PICA) Feb 17 – April 8, 2012
Griffith University Art Gallery (GUAG) April 20 – June 16, 2012
Australian Centre for Photography (ACP) June 29 – August 19, 2012
Curated by:
Louise Clements QUAD & FORMAT International Photography Festival UK, Mark McPherson Big City Press Aus, Leigh Robb PICA Aus.
Featuring:
AUS – Tony Albert, Warwick Baker, Bindi Cole, Christopher Day, Tarryn Gill & Pilar Mata Dupont, Toni Greaves, Petrina Hicks, Alin Huma, Katrin Koenning, David Manley, Jesse Marlow, Tracey Moffatt, Justin Spiers, Michelle Tran, Christian Thompson, Michael Ziebarth.
UK – Adam Broomberg & Oliver Chanarin, Natasha Caruana, Maciej Dakowicz, Melinda Gibson, Leonie Hampton, Rasha Kahil, Seba Kurtis, Trish Morrissey, Laura Pannack, Sarah Pickering, Zhao Renhui, Simon Roberts, Helen Sear, Luke Stephenson, Wassink & Lundgren, Tereza Zelenkova.
To celebrate the return of our exiled national treasure, David Hockney, the merchandise team at the Royal Academy and Hockney’s studio team have created a dazzling array of “especially commissioned and exclusive gifts” to coincide with his blockbuster show The Bigger Picture. The commodities available include t-shirts, posters, postcards, framed prints, coffee mugs, leather wallets, handlebags, embroidery, fridge magnets, mini exercise books, artist sketchbooks, birchwood trays, cufflinks (only £70!), key rings, jade necklaces, spring glass dishes, a set of magnetic bookmarks, an iPad cover (get it), the dvd, the exhibition catalogue, a bone china ashtray, and even a cigarette case with built in lighter, no doubt in recognition of the great man’s much publicised, love of a cigarette.
You can buy online here!
Read an exhibition review by Laura Cummings in the Guardian here and another by Bagehot in the Economist here.
Here’s an article on Art Orbit by Vici MacDonald “David Hockney: bigger pictures, smaller splash.”
A curious homage to Charlie Chaplin
in Vevey, Switzerland. The town where he died. 13 January 2012.
Couple of installation shots from the We English exhibition at Centro Brasileiro Britânico, Sao Paulo.
Installation shot of my commissioned work Una Storia Italiana (An Italian Story) for the Sifest Photo Festival in Savignano, Italy. September 2011.