Fine Art

I visited Pascale Taura's work at Castle Fine Art and I was absolutely blown away with her work. She approaches figurative painting making her work universal. Inspired by fashion, a feminine universe. She is attracted to showing work how one expresses themselves using such things as clothes. The clothing in her paintings are just as important as the person in her paintings. I see Taurua's work as a way of showing culture and representation, expressing individuality. Pascale Taurua commented herself saying how there is relationship there between owner and the clothing piece and how different clothing items can inflict a certain feeling. I can not help but gather there is something deeper to he work however. I believe she paints beauty and emotions in a way that can not be described. My theory is backed up with her answered question from Saatchi Art. " It’s difficult to express through words things that are so beautiful that they have no words. I can’t explain it. I have to...

I always enjoy visiting the Tate, unfortunately when I visited this time there was no exhibition on and they were in the process of curating another one.  Instead I took my time and walked around their main collection. Even though I have visited before it is always refreshing going back and seeing art works that reflect upon many different art movements and work that is widely known. Visiting the Tate and similar exhibitions can inspire current practises and help inspire certain things but for me walking around galleries and admiring the craft as a hole motivates me greatly. Being in an exhibition/gallery is very comforting. I am surrounded by my hobby, interest and practise. I always find when I am stuck creatively that this one of the best things to do which is go and sit and absorb all the amazing work around me. It is a great reminder that most of these artists were in the same position as you at some point but look how far they have came. I do not have much more to say in thi...

Not long after giving her lecture at my uni I attended Louise Giovanellis  workshop and talk she did. The talk consisted off the sciences behind the art materials we use and I generally learned a lot as I am sure you can see in all the notes I have taken. She broke down the ingredients of the paints we commonly use but also the effects different oils and ingredients has on a painting after a while. I am not going to repeat all facts instead I will put pictures of my notes down below. After all this Giovanelli gave demonstrations on how she personally likes to use her paints and mixing techniques. This has certainly helped my practise and gaveme some tips and help generate ideas on how I can get maximum payment of pigment from my paints. Thank you Louise giovanelli! This workshop really helped me elevate my practise.

I don't have much to write on this one unfortunately. I recognised Billy Connolly from my childhood as he is an actor that I loved and I was unaware that he produced art. I find what Connolly said about his work to be very inspiring.  'My art is pure and unjudged: I am creating it for myself'. I strongly believe that art that is created with no meaning and rather for ones personal self is highly underrated. We live in a world where everything has to have meaning and have a complicated history to it. Of Course it is great when a piece of work hs context and is out to cause the greater good or raise awareness. I strongly believe though not everything needs to be that complicated though and that is completely fime to create art for arts sake because at the end of the day everyone will have an opinion on the piece anyway. As for Connollys pieces themselves I really enjoyed seeing his work up close and personal, I loved the minimalist style of his drawings and you can see fro...

While at home in Northern Ireland I visited the Locky Morris exhibition 'Once a Day Every Day All Day Long' at the F.E. McWilliams Gallery. Morris was born in Derry he used the language of international art to comment on the local realities of life during the Troubles.  This exhibition however, deals with and reflects on the transition in his practice from more explicitly political subjects to more personal everyday life themes. Not only did it reflect personally the change subsequently it shows the change with in Northern Ireland, post conflict.  He has created unexpected and some what humorous art out of his everyday situations.  I don't have much to say about Morris's work itself but rather what this exhibition showed. It showed that transitioning time in his life and in his environment.  I related with this exhibition a lot as that is what I have been doing! Taking my environment at home in Northern Ireland, the agricultural setting I grew up in and lo...

While back at home I also visited the Ulster Museum and the art they had to show there. One of the works that jumped out at me was that of John Latham. Latham liked painting with a twist adding found objects to his work created an unique style. The pieces where he added the books he would title them with 'skoob'. Books backwards. The reason this piece in particular appealed to me was use of found objects with in the work. This definitely inspired to incorporate more elements into my work. I was already inspired with Jasmir Creed and Mike Pratt but seeing this kind of work live in person is something in else. It makes an impact and leaves an impression. It has definitely left an impression on me. Hopefully I can incorporate more of these elements in my work next semester. I love the textures and dimensions it brings to simple painting. Depending on the history of the item too it could add a lot of context and that is something I struggle with sometimes but have been imp...

University of Atypical is a gallery in Belfast I visited it to see Richard Cannings work. His exhibit is called 'the space between'.  Canning is a graduated MA student from Belfast School of Art and is the inaugural recipient of the first Atypical Gallery Graduate Award. The work presented at The Space Between is a continuation of his MA work that looks at consistencies of construction and deconstruction.  He has created these large scale drawings. adding to the emphasis of emptiness with the negative spaces. It creates a weird tension in the lack of detail, frustration of the unknown. Blank spaces leave remind us that those spaces used to be filled with more intimacy. I think it is very refreshing having work from recent graduates and work that is hard to find these days.  I really enjoy line work and simple drawings and over the summer I hope to work on my drawings and build up a collection. My only criticism I have for Cannings work is to go big or go ...