Private View, Wiverton manor, Blakeney.

'The Last 9 Months' exhibition by artists Tom Lamprell, Francesca Perkins and Louuis Hudson was situated in a lovely old stone barn on the grounds of Wiverton manor in Blakeney. Across the crumbling brickwork the artists works showed a good variation of techniques, mediums and subjects but the way they'd been curated made the show a success as all the pieces worked well next to each other.

Louis Hudson works with salvaged wood and incorporates them into painted canvas' giving them a 3D, growing feeling but the works spoke of ecological questions in the local environment.

Francesca Perkins paints large landscapes on canvas using thick brushstrokes through deeply applied acrylics which reminded me of David Hockney's latest collection of large countryside views.

Tom Lamprell looks at the local people in his portraits but the way he paints gives them a sinister, creepy look which I think adds a bit of an edge and gives the viewer more to question about who and what they're looking at.

MA Show 2014.

The MA show was a really interesting collection of paintings, drawings, sculptures, video and photography. Set in the art factory studio spaces, the show flowed easily with each artist selecting the best of their work from the course.
In a darkened space entered through a black curtain, Leila presented us with a gripping, intense video piece entitled 'They believed the river did sing'. This piece concentrated on feelings and experiences in sound and vision and as usual with Leila's work it was impossible to leave before it had ended. I personally got the feeling I was in the trenches during a war and the heavy sounds, clattering, bright explosions of light and eery noises all added to this feeling. Glimpses of fluttering birds of prey blended with dark landscape close-ups gave a feeling of excitement and unease which I like in artworks.
Her other photographic images were taken from the 12th floor of the soon to be demolished council building in Leicester and looked at changes in time and location.

                                                                                                    Leila Houston. 

One of the works that really stood out to me was the sculptural lightworks of Mark Boot. Entering into a darkened space I was greeted by the warm glow of red, green and yellow lights breaking through the surface of large sculpted pieces of polystyrene foam. This room was exciting, comforting and the glowing colours gave off a visual warmth but the work had a technological side to it. Mark's work looks at the way we have developed a coded system throughout the world and our lives and the way it affects our culture.

                  

                                                                                                                            mark Boot

Various interesting and playful wooden sculptures littered the floor in one of the spaces and on close inspection it was apparent that the pieces were combinations of man made and natural materials working together to hold the sculptural forms in place. Some of the pieces were made to encourage viewers towards moving the components around thus creating new and fresh sculptures throughout the show. The works were both simple and complex in creation and Edward Vernon's ideas of 'natural complementing man made' came across in each piece. 

                                                                                                  Edward Vernon

                                                                                    Edward Vernon

'According to Henry Mattise, colour, even more than drawing is a means of liberation exists in itself'.

The opening statement from the artist Lydia Manship highlighted the ideas behind her colourful projected installation. blending through endless colours, the squares and circles of her simple compositions kept the room alive with just subtle changes every few seconds. The work was all about colour and what happens to it and to us as the tones appear and disappear before us and reminded me of a scene from an old 60's pop art movie. 

                                                                                                                              Lydia Manship

One thing I noticed about the whole exhibition was how professional it all looked. Each artist had stuck to their guns and only exhibited what they thought were their strongest pieces. Each room was different and the whole thing was a good experience. 

                                                                                                                                 Dee Sowden

                                                                                                                                   Dee Sowden

                                                                                        Lulu Zhou

                                                                                                                            Chiara Enzo

                                                                              Chiara Enzo

                                                                         Stefania Laccu