Yesterday I popped into Bankside Gallery, a gallery I frequent for the wealth of prints on offer and the wonderful bookshop!
For the first time I actually took notes about some of the pieces I saw. I was interested to record my reactions to some of the work - both that which I liked and that which I didn't, and some ideas which may be useful in my own work.
I was interested in the use of maps in these artist's work. The central picture worked the best for me on an aesthetic level. I could consider incorporating maps into my work. I think Neil Bousfield has done it in a more interesting way than demonstrated here.
Martin Jacobs and Francis Hatch's work was displayed next to each other which made a comparison all too easy. The work is also not dissimilar in size or subject. I have seen Francis Hatch's work before and met her many times at West Dean College. Usually, I am a big fan, but I wasn't as struck by these pieces as I usually am. Looking at them next to Martin Jacobs work (which I do not remember having seen previously) I was drawn to the comparative simplicity of his in both texture and colour. The works are textural pieces, but it is much more subtle. I also enjoyed the almost monochrome palette he had used; these works seemed to have more depth and be more considered.
I was interested by Jane Lewis's use of colour and shape. The piece on the right was the one that caught my eye and drew me in. I enjoyed the variation in transparency and opaqueness of the paint. The bright pink shapes are collaged which really made them stand out on top of the layers beneath.
These pieces caught my attention right away. I was very amused when I noted down 'less is more' about them and then noticed that this was actually the title of the exhibition (somehow, I'd missed that!). I was really impressed with the amount of information the artist has communicated with so few marks. I also enjoyed the use of dark and light and opaque and transparent, particularly in the piece on the right. These are lessons that I would like to take forward in my work.
Finally, I really appreciated these works. The skill level is undeniable and I thought each image would actually stand well by itself. I was a bit tempted to buy these.... I was headed to a print fair though so managed to resist!
This is the first time that I've really made an effort to jot down some notes and then follow up an exhibition. It's really helpful to write down the lessons I learned and just note which pieces I enjoyed and why.