'New Work' Is Mantra For Artists & Makers Festival
Whether it's artists and craftspeople making new work for open houses, or actors, poets and musicians involved in new performances, there's always something you haven't seen before in the Artists & Makers Festival.
The last full weekend of Festival events (although Rainbow Shakespeare continues for another week) saw place-specific work in COURAGE at St Matthew's and a new theatre company launched at Hitchcock's Cafe (Reviewed elsewhere on this site - Ed).
COURAGE is very different to RAG's regular exhibitions at St Matthew's, an Edwardian church just outside Worthing town centre. While the Christmas Artists & Makers event held here is packed full of arts and crafts to take home, COURAGE fills the space with measured, thought provoking work that's can only exist in this unique space. Three artists have created installation pieces for this exhibition, and other artists have pieces around the church.
Nathan Bean, in a piece titled 'He Be (GB)', has used stones in place of his usual motif of hearts. The stones are inside over 50 clear balloons, holding them down as they are scattered across the floor of the church. One balloon, a red one, has risen into the rafters. Somehow, it floats but stays perfectly in position. A clever piece about dreams and the compromises we may have to make in life.
Ingrid Plum has hung four long silk banners from the rafters above the altar. A haiku, and scattered feathers, are at the base of this spiritually charged piece. As with her 'First Impressions' work last year, and her 'Murmuration' in the Brighton Festival, Ingrid has shown she has a mastery of how to use a space.
Dan Thompson has made an altogether earthier statement in the church's Lady Chapel. In an oppressive stage set, there's a large desk draped in a tattered Union flag. On the desk are various old books about how to draw, and some paper and pencils, and a large black truncheon. A continuous stream of educational slides from a set called 'Drawing Systems' are projected onto a large screen. Three empty chairs are lined up by the desk, facing the slides. It is, I guess, a piece about power and control; with the Union flag so prominent, it could be about the British Empire.
Other artists include Alex Dipple, whose dots and dashes have been translated here into about four metres of beautiful 'Blue Sky Bunting'. Tracey Thompson has a single painting on show, a powerful mixed-media woodland inspired by the planned clearing of the ancient Titnore Woods by a greedy landowner. Guy Atherstone-White has dramatic digital works on show, twisted abstract forms that positively dance across a long, thin page.
Finally, Dave Gorman has photographs on show. A series of pictures of doorbells with pointless instructions ('RING' was my favourite), these made a witty collection. Dave is of course well known as an author and comedian, but his photographs were hung with no 'look, I'm famous' fuss so they could be viewed on their own merit.
Naomi Clark staged a new performance art piece on the event's opening night, unveiling a pseudo-scientific explanation of art and artists. A witty piece, with great use of language, it was well worth seeing. Naomi also had some quirky paintings on display.
Also performing at the opening were Brighton band The Gloaming, with The Chankly Bore on guitar. A great act, producing quirky left-of-centre songs.
All in all, COURAGE was a great show and a testament to what makes the Artists & Makers Festival such a special event. Innovation, creation and entertainment all in one.
More:
The last full weekend of Festival events (although Rainbow Shakespeare continues for another week) saw place-specific work in COURAGE at St Matthew's and a new theatre company launched at Hitchcock's Cafe (Reviewed elsewhere on this site - Ed).
COURAGE is very different to RAG's regular exhibitions at St Matthew's, an Edwardian church just outside Worthing town centre. While the Christmas Artists & Makers event held here is packed full of arts and crafts to take home, COURAGE fills the space with measured, thought provoking work that's can only exist in this unique space. Three artists have created installation pieces for this exhibition, and other artists have pieces around the church.
Nathan Bean, in a piece titled 'He Be (GB)', has used stones in place of his usual motif of hearts. The stones are inside over 50 clear balloons, holding them down as they are scattered across the floor of the church. One balloon, a red one, has risen into the rafters. Somehow, it floats but stays perfectly in position. A clever piece about dreams and the compromises we may have to make in life.
Ingrid Plum has hung four long silk banners from the rafters above the altar. A haiku, and scattered feathers, are at the base of this spiritually charged piece. As with her 'First Impressions' work last year, and her 'Murmuration' in the Brighton Festival, Ingrid has shown she has a mastery of how to use a space.
Dan Thompson has made an altogether earthier statement in the church's Lady Chapel. In an oppressive stage set, there's a large desk draped in a tattered Union flag. On the desk are various old books about how to draw, and some paper and pencils, and a large black truncheon. A continuous stream of educational slides from a set called 'Drawing Systems' are projected onto a large screen. Three empty chairs are lined up by the desk, facing the slides. It is, I guess, a piece about power and control; with the Union flag so prominent, it could be about the British Empire.
Other artists include Alex Dipple, whose dots and dashes have been translated here into about four metres of beautiful 'Blue Sky Bunting'. Tracey Thompson has a single painting on show, a powerful mixed-media woodland inspired by the planned clearing of the ancient Titnore Woods by a greedy landowner. Guy Atherstone-White has dramatic digital works on show, twisted abstract forms that positively dance across a long, thin page.
Finally, Dave Gorman has photographs on show. A series of pictures of doorbells with pointless instructions ('RING' was my favourite), these made a witty collection. Dave is of course well known as an author and comedian, but his photographs were hung with no 'look, I'm famous' fuss so they could be viewed on their own merit.
Naomi Clark staged a new performance art piece on the event's opening night, unveiling a pseudo-scientific explanation of art and artists. A witty piece, with great use of language, it was well worth seeing. Naomi also had some quirky paintings on display.
Also performing at the opening were Brighton band The Gloaming, with The Chankly Bore on guitar. A great act, producing quirky left-of-centre songs.
All in all, COURAGE was a great show and a testament to what makes the Artists & Makers Festival such a special event. Innovation, creation and entertainment all in one.
More: