Thursday 19 November 2020

Gallery Dodo, Bird table, Matte paintings, foam inserts, mirrored tray frame

Going back to work and moving house are just a couple of the reasons for a 5-month break of writing. Still not sure if I’m totally over moving but I’m sure I’ll get there… 

A fun development is that we’ve got a two person (or three depending on how you look at it?) show coming up in March next year. It’s in Brighton in a small space within Phoenix Art Space. It’s being organised by Jon and Dan under their Gallery Dodo brand and there’s a 4 month programme of exhibitions which all look great! Ours is with Scott Robertson who we only knew through Instagram but always really enjoyed his work. His text pencil drawings were the pieces we knew him from (This is just a picture, 2018 was a particular favourite) but we also loved a recent piece where he erased all the markings from a wooden ruler and titled it ‘The Immeasurable’, very thoughtful and clever. 


Anyway, together we’ve come up with an exhibition that centres around the ideas and the moments that surround them. Scott’s going to show a piece called 'The Weight of Another's Words' which is a small pallet loaded up with anything every written about his work but for this show he’s mentioned that he might ask the same writer to add some bits about our work which is super exciting. He’s also going to show a new neon work which we shan’t spoil but we’re very looking forward to seeing it in the flesh. We’re going to show 2 new matte paintings and then the foam insert for the point of view gun. 



Jon and Dan mentioned that there might be a possibility to sell some editions through the Phoenix Gallery website so we’re developing another smaller foam insert piece based on the noisy cricket in Men in Black. Still relates to the exhibition but is smaller/more affordable! It’s really good to have something to work towards after this year feeling like it’s almost stood still… 


In general art-making we’re still battling with how to display the paintings showing the view from portraits; they feel like they need an additional visual push. Something on my mind at the moment is a mirrored tray frame because the work all about looking back into what a subject can see which is what a mirror does; the piece is essentially putting a mirror up to the room that it was in. Another idea was hanging it at the artists eye level but this feels very subtle and could easily be incorporated into the mirrored tray frame if we wanted to. 


In terms of finished artworks there’s quite a few to tick off the production list. We’ve been going back and forth with an idea about The First and Last House (a pub located at the most Southwesterly point in mainland Britain) and all the pieces have finally fallen into place in the form of a bird table built in the style of the pub. As the name suggests, The First and Last House is the first or last house depending on whether you’re arriving or leaving at Land's End, England. The prevailing wind direction of the UK is a southwesterly wind from the Atlantic. This wind is of foremost importance to migrating birds, who prefer to have the wind behind them. The finished work looks good and now lives in Sid’s dads’ garden so hopefully will be enjoyed by some birds!


We’ve also finished the indented note piece and got it properly framed for an exhibition in Manchester. Framed by a excellent framer, artist and all round lovely guy Jack Carvosso – recommend checking out his work if you don’t know him. It was next to impossible to photograph but eventually managed. 




And finally we managed to get the first completed matte painting stretched and shot. Website updates galore!