photos from the Private View evening

Merete, Sandy and Jane

a look around

A special thanks to Eleanor - the curator. (in the red dress)

photos by Merete Hawkins

Private View

The Private View of the Ideas Bank Exhibit on Thursday evening went well. Not as many people as we thought might be there, but it was held at a difficult time of evening for people moving round Berkshire in the traffic.

Here is a photo of Jane discussing her piece.

We also had the privilege of hearing about the work of 2 of the other artists.
Vrinder Atwal and Mo Negm. In the centre of the room there were fabric and felt books with work by Annie Hamilton who has links with Lebanon. It would have been interesting to talk with her because of the textile connections, but she is visiting Lebanon at the moment. Shehnoor Ahmed also has work in the exhibition.

Some of Mo Negm's work

Vrinder Atwal's work

Shehnoor Ahmed's work

Annie Hamilton's work

The Ideas Bank 2010 exhibit continues at the Slough Museum in Berkshire throughout February. If you are in the area, do stop by. The museum is open between 11:00 am and 4:00 pm Wed - Sat.

Communication

I am often drawn to words. Coming from another English speaking country, I am fascinated by the differences in the words; how they are spelled, what they mean and so on. Words are formed of letters and then they themselves are formed together to create languages. I decided to focus on this aspect for my Zoom series beginning in the middle with Words, zooming out to Languages and then back in again to Letter.

A1 - Letter

A3 - Language

A5 - Words

Each piece has a definition included as part of the texture and visual image of the work.

"A Letter is an element in an alphabetic system."

"Language is a dynamic set of sensory symbols of communication and the elements used to manipulate them."

"A Word is a spoken or written unit of language that carries meaning."

 

I often use unusual materials to create the look I want to achieve. In this series, there are recycled materials, rusted fabrics, paper, paint, gel pen, along with cotton, silk and metallic fabrics.

 

Sandy

Zoom: Significant

In this series I wanted to explore the feelings generated by the creative process. At the outset there are bursting feelings of optimism and excitement. Something is inspiring and there is a sign of the path to follow. (Its hard to see from the image, but there is a sheer overlaid fabric from which the letters 'sign' are cut-away.) This is A1 in size (roughly).

Then negativity sets in. Doubts and frustrations develop and the overriding thought is that I can’t do it. A3 in size (roughly).

Finally, through a process of distilling and condensing there is something personal and significant that can be taken away. This is the smallest piece of the series.

Jane

Hanging the exhibition

Today Jane and I went along to the Slough Museum. Eleanor Pulfer, the Curator, chatted with us about few things like placement, got us a cup of tea, and then let us get to work, allowing us to hang the exhibit as we felt presented the work best. We are really grateful for the opportunity she has given us.

 The work looks really good together. It is quite something to see your work in a gallery setting. When it is just at home when you are working on it, or even when you pull it out to show friends, you don't seem to be able to see it as a whole. Hanging in the gallery gives it quite a special "authentic" feel!

Here is a glimpse of the Zoom pieces in place.
Jane Glennie's work Significant is on the left, then Sandy Snowden's work Communication, then Merete Hawkins work Sunflowers.
 
If you would like to view our work and that of several other local artists, the exhibit opens on 3 Feb. 2010. The Museum is open from 11am - 4pm Wed - Sat. Click here for a map to find out how to get there. You can also find out about Ideas Bank 2009.