Fiona Crisp – Subterrania

This was the first show I had the chance to see since returning to Newcastle, at BALTIC Centre For Contemporary Art.

Fiona Crisp is a North-East based artist, primarily creating installations of large-format photographs. Subterrania documents underground spaces that are rarely seen. The many prints are large which gives quite a claustrophobic feeling – the individual photographs don’t give the mood justice, it is very much an installation.

The BALTIC show closed a few weeks ago. It will shortly be moving to Impressions Gallery in Bradford from 20th November until 24th January 2010 before finishing at Newlyn Art Gallery in Cornwall between 13th February and 17th April 2010. I’d certainly recommend it. Very different to a lot of photograph-based exhibitions and all the more refreshing for it.

Fiona Crisp – Abteilung Nr/C

Fiona Crisp – Victory Cross Cut

I’m back. Here’s an experiment.

Nine Prints #1-9

Still without an internet connection at home so I’m blogging from my dad’s house. Just letting you all know I moved safely.

I’ve seen the Fiona Crisp exhibition at BALTIC and will be going to see the Gerhard Richter show at MIMA in Middlesbrough tomorrow. Reviews as soon as BT get my phone line sorted.

I’ve also bought a coffee machine, no music and spent a lot of time in Intermezzo.

Two nights left in Manchester. So here’s another photograph!

Al Palmer – Isn’t Anywhere

I don’t post enough of my work on here.

Al Palmer – Isn’t Anywhere

Bloomberg New Contemporaries 09

I went to the Cornerhouse in Manchester today to see Bloomberg New Contemporaries with my good friend Mark.

The first thing that struck me was how much 2D work there was. 80% of the exhibition must have been 2D. I was then informed that Wolfgang Tillmans and John Stezaker were part of the selection committee, which explains how much photographic work there was – a very good thing in my book.

I found the standard of work to be pretty high. Considering it’s a survey of recent graduates the work was very accomplished. It’s also good to see drawing very much back in the limelight.

Two of my favourite pieces below:

Myka Baum – Serpent Sea

Richard Healy – Designs for Nicolae Ceausescu’s 40,000W Chandelier

Browsing the new issue of Art World magazine I read an article on the giant countryside sculpture park of Alan Gibbs and saw a photograph of Horizons by Neil Dawson. It IS a Lichtenstein painting that has come to life. It must be incredible walking through the park and all of a sudden you see that facing you.

Neil Dawson – Horizons

I move back to the North-East on Monday, so I’m blogging as much as I can until then.

New York: State Of The Art

It’s taken me quite a while to get round to seeing State Of The Art: New York considering I live exactly nine minutes from Urbis by foot.

A round-up of serveral young artists working out of New York. There were lots of installation and video pieces that didn’t really keep my interest too much. The artists that really stood out for me were Shelter Serra, Joe Winter and Graham Anderson.

Serra’s piece was a miniature cast of a a jeep in EPS foam – the crumbly stuff you find flowers stuck into. Reminiscent of Rachel Whiteread’s work, playful yet poignant.

Shelter Serra – Split Time (H2)

The work of Joe Winter was my favourite of all that was exhibited. His Printershake/Earthquake series was produce by picking up an inkjet printer as it prints it’s calibration page and violently shaking it. Inkjet/Sunset is a photograph of a blue sky printed repeatedly until the ink cartridge is empty. Both subtle and powerful works, they’d make a superb book.

Joe Winter – Inkjet/Sunset

Paul Anderson investigates using paint as a flat surface, playing around with painted folds and stripes to create the illusion of depth using flat block colours. The limited palette of colours only serves to make the paintings more striking.

Graham Anderson – Untitled

I’d certainly recommend seeing this exhibition, it’s free and Urbis is always worth a look.

I heard today that Disney has bought out Marvel Comic. Poor.

This better not make any difference to The Punisher.

As promised. More photo, less chat.

Isn’t Anywhere

It’s good to get back into the project side of things, rather than just the taking of photographs.