Lockdown Art #5: Weird and Whacky Recycled Waste Hats by Lynne Chapman

One of the really joyful aspects of the lockdowns was seeing people released from their normal timetables finding time to explore new avenues. 

For some this was because "needs must" as in the need to keep income streams flowing. 

For others it was more about needing to keep creating in the face of the vast endless vacuum which was a lockdown.

For yet others there was a need to create joy in their lives at a time when it much was frightening and depressing. 

Fabrications out of single use plastic waste materials by Lynne Chapman

One of the more rewarding experiences I had was watching Lynne Chapman continue with a project she'd started prior to the pandemic - about using waste materials to create art.

She started back in 2019, thinking about ways in which she could use single use plastci within her textile art.

She progressed during the pandemic to creating hats. Much of which looked weird and whacky - but ALWAYS brought a smile to my face. She certainly succeeded in creating joy for very many people during a dark time.

Lockdown Art #4: Spring Lockdown by Sarah Godsill

My lockdown art this week is by artist and illustrator Sarah Godsill.

As we all know when the first lockdown was announced on March 23rd, everything seemed to grind to a halt.

Sarah found it increasingly hard to concentrate on work and ignore news bulletins. So she decided to use the strange circumstances as a way to connect with friends and family by asking them for photographs of themselves in their most typical lockdown activity for a painting.

This is what she has to say about her painting shows people at work and play, round the table, cooking, reading, gardening, getting out for walks or stuck at computer screens. They come from all over the UK, Spain, USA, Canada, Chile, Venezuela and Singapore.

"I started to envisage a Zoom screen full of everyone’s images. I didn’t know how many photos there would be and I had originally planned to do individual paintings, but on a practical level it was easier to grid a canvas into 64 slots and add the images as they were sent to me.

As I worked on each individual image it was comforting to think about the people represented, whether they were far away geographically or just around the corner here in Frome. We couldn’t meet in person and hug - we still don’t know when that will be possible - so it was a lovely way to feel a bit of a connection with everyone.”

Spring Lockdown by Sarah Godsill

oil 100 x 120 cm

“It’s been a challenging year for most of us and especially difficult for those who have been affected by Covid19 or are shielding or caring for vulnerable people, but it’s also highlighted the most valuable things in life and all that we’re grateful for.

The incredible weather made it more manageable in the first few months and that really stood out in lots of the photos I received; I never used green in my paintings before this year.”

The resulting painting has now been accepted for hanging by 

• the Annual Open exhibition of Bath Society of Artists  at the Victoria Art Gallery in Bath, which opens online on November 2nd.
• the Annual Exhibition of the New English Art Club - where you can see it on the wall. I'm thinking it must have been spotted back in November by Peter Brown who is also a member of the Bath Society of Artists

Her photo (below) of the mandatory "me and my painting" illustrates neatly how big it is.

Lockdown Art #3 - images from the Pastel Society Exhibition

I'm looking for lockdown art at every art exhibition I'm going to at present. This has been a major event in our social history - and such events are always recorded in art.

I'm beginning to wonder if some are less obvious than others....

Here are examples I spotted at the Pastel Society exhibition - which continues at the Mall galleries until next Saturday.

Masks are an easy way of spotting #lockdownart - but they're all different - and there are two versions below - followed by a very complex graphite drawing interpreting the experience of being Covid Positive.

Face to Face by Peter Vincent PS

The first one is Face to Face by Peter Vincent PS who mostly creates landscapes in pastels. I loved this diptych of two simplified heads which focuses on the anonymity triggered by mask wearing. We only know they're a different sex because one has a bun at the back. There again chaps have bins these days too....

Face to Face by Peter Vincent

Pastel33 x 66 cm (43 x 86 cm framed) £595

Peter is a Fellow of the Chartered Society of Designers, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a member of The Pastel Society. He retired in the early 90s when computers made his skills in measured perspective drawing redundant and took up pastel drawing. he works unusually - employing a mask for shapes in his drawings.  He doesn't appear to have a website and sells through galleries - but you can see more of his work on the Mall Galleries website

I can't breathe by Neil Rogers

The next one is titled I can't breathe by Neil Rogers. His portrait focuses on one of the common complaints of those using cloth masks (I can recommend the proper medical ones with the filters which I use!)

Lockdown art #2: Lowry and VE Day

Art UK this week posted a review of The ten most popular artworks on Art UK during lockdown on its website - during the period between 24th March and 14th May.

The top ten paintings are NOT what you might have expected.

As I read through the list it did not help that #10 was The Great Fire of London, 1666 by Jan Griffier I (c.1652–1718)- with the reminder that fire tends to follow pestilence!!

However as I progressed down the list - past the painted whale eardrum (which featured in featured in Yorkshire Museum's Curator Battle on Twitter for the creepiest exhibit!) - we finally got to a sublime painting

When you're in the third lockdown, what do you yearn for?

The end of course!  Plus people!

The bunting also seems quite apposite for this weekend....

The TOP painting was VE Day by LS Lowry (1887-1976) - a painter much loved by the British public. I've always thought his paintings with lots of people were the most loves of all - and that's in part because although he's often described as painting "matchstick people", his people are in fact individuals who are doing things, conversing and engaging in activities. They are in fact the very opposite of stick people!

The painting belongs to the Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery - in Argyle Street, Glasgow - and is described as follows

Thousands of ant-like people are seen thronging the streets of this city to celebrate the end of the Second World War in Europe. The industrial buildings are enlivened by flags and bunting. Lowry manages to convey the lively atmosphere of the scene by including so many people, painting them in a very simple manner. Lowry was famous for his 'matchstick' people and his townscapes showing factories and mills. Many of his pictures were inspired by things he actually saw in Manchester, Salford and other towns in the north of England. Few artists painted ordinary people going about their everyday lives so Lowry's pictures became very popular.

There's something very weird about the Kelvingrove website. It doesn't have its own website and when you click the collections page I get an error message. Which is a pity as I was trying to create a link to the artwork on its website - assuming they include it for public view.

Feel free to suggest more artists and artworks as examples reflecting how artists have responded to lockdown.

Lockdown Art #1: 1000 Cranes by Liz Hanan at the Oxmarket Gallery in Chichester

I'm inviting people to highlight where we can currently see art with some sort of explicit link to lockdowns in current exhibitions - anywhere in the world.

If I like what I see, it will be featured on this blog with a link to the exhibition it's in and the relevant artist.

I'm doing this because I'm a big fan of art which records social history - and if this pandemic is not social history, I don't know what is! It's changed such a lot of our day-to-day lives and ongoing economies and how we will live and work in the future - forever!

 

[PS For those expecting to see the post about pricing and sales at the NEAC Exhibition, this will now be on Sunday - when I can update my Excel Spreadsheet with the sales since Tuesday.]

 

Lockdown Art #1: 1000 Cranes by Liz Hanan

 

My first example of lockdown art was sent to me by Sue England, who many of you may recall was one of the finalists in the Sky Arts Landscape Painter of the Year 2019 (at Battersea Power Station)

I saw you were asking about art created during lockdown. 

You may be interested in an installation piece of 1000 cranes, hanging in a one and a half metre globe, made from 7000 re purposed vaccination syringe wrappers. Liz Hanan a vaccinating nurse and also a professional artist created it.

1000 Cranes by Liz Hanan

The narrative on her website explains that:

• the 1000 cranes are created out of spent vaccination packages
• the ancient Japanese tradition of 千羽鶴, senbazuru (literally “1000 cranes”) involves the folding of 1000 cranes which are then hung by strings
• In doing this, your wish will come true
• They are also a a symbol of hope, health and longevity in difficult times.
• The vaccination programme across the world has brought hope to so many people
• her notion for the work was created in collaboration with the vaccination teams in the Chichester area.
• the teams collected the syringe packets after use, Liz joined them together and then they are folded and created cranes
• 1000 Cranes were created out of around 7000 vaccination packets
  
• the collaborative process was an important part of creating the piece - reflecting the collaboration of the vaccination programme
• they are now hung together to form a sphere - measuring 1.5 metres in diameter.
  

You can see a video of it on this link

It's certainly one of the most impressive pieces of lockdown art I've seen to date!

Exhibition: Artel

Title: Cranes

Location: Oxmarket Gallery St Andrew’s Court, off East Street, Chichester, West Sussex PO19 1YH

Dates: Until 11th July 2021

Hours: 10am - 4.30pm

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artelgroup

Instagram: @chigroupartel

 

(Note: It's part of The Festival of Chichester)

 

Grayson Perry's Art Club (Series 2) back in February

Just what we need. Grayson to the rescue with more lockdown art! Series 2 of Grayson Perry's Art Club is back on Channel 4 in February 2021.

"Grayson Perry, one of Britain's leading artists, brings the nation together through art, making new works and hosting masterclasses set to unleash our collective creativity during lockdown" Channel 4

This time there's been a bit more planning! This post is about

• the themes for Series 2 of Art Club
• how to enter

These are my blog posts about his extremely successful and very popular first series which started at the end of April during the first lockdown in 2020. 

• Grayson's Art Club : The Exhibition (and the television programme and the book of the exhibition!) 
• Grayson Perry Returns - on TV, at the British Museum and with a new exhibition! (September 2020)  - in which I announce details of the exhibition and the second series
• Grayson Perry's Studio (May 2020) - all about his studio which started in Walthamstow before moving to Islington
• Art On Demand during the Pandemic #1 - British TV (May 2020) - the contenders
• Grayson Perry's Art Club on Channel 4 (April 2020) - kicking off the first series

Grayson’s Art Club was the best performing series from Channel 4’s #StayAtHome Academy programming

Grayson/Claire and Philippa Perry - with exhibits in the Series 1 exhibition

Themes for Grayson Perry's Art Club - Series 2

“Art is good for you, whoever you are" 

Grayson Perry

Below is a video by Grayson and his co-star/wife, psychotherapist and author Philippa Perry telling you about the themes.

ANNOUNCEMENT!!!#GraysonsArtClub returns in February!
Website https://t.co/ZbGqOynYwA is open for your submissions.
Here is @Philippa_Perry and me telling you the weekly themes.
We are so looking forward to seein what you have made. pic.twitter.com/mRFLTq3wnW

— Grayson Perry (@Alan_Measles) January 8, 2021

The themes - with deadlines for entries are as follows.
Note that when it says "end of (date)" it means 11.59pm or 23.59 on that date.

• FAMILY submissions close end of 10th February 2021
• NATURE submissions close end of 17th February 2021
• FOOD submissions close end of 24th February 2021
• DREAMS submissions close end of 3rd March 2021
• WORK submissions close end of 10th March 2021
• TRAVEL submissions close end of 17th March 2021

How to submit your artwork entry

Grayson Perry will send out messages via social media asking for members of the public to participate in the Series by uploading a 3-minute video message of themselves (the “Video”) filmed on their mobile phone together with three photos of their artwork (the “Artwork”). We will then select the Artworks and Videos he wants to consider for inclusion in the Series. If your Video or Artwork is selected one of the producers may then call you to discuss potentially appearing in the Series as a Contributor via video call on your device (the “Contributor”). If you are selected to be included they will send you a separate contract for your appearance.
Swan Films - the makers of the programme

The main difference with Series 2 is you're getting a LOT MORE NOTICE about the Themes of the six programmes in the series.

Who can enter

• You must be a resident of the UK.
• There's no limit on age BUT If you are under 18 you will need a parent/guardian to submit your artwork on your behalf, and hey must provide their phone number and email address.

What can you enter

We will accept any type of art including paintings, sculpture, drawings and collages, from amateurs and professionals alike.

How to enter

You can enter ONE artwork for EACH theme. Enter them one at a time (i.e. you can only choose the theme once per form)

You should submit 

• up to three photos of the artwork you are submitting for the theme (don't forget to choose the theme!)
• a video (max. 3 minutes long) of yourself talking about your art.

It's not clear if you must make a video or can just write up to 600 words about your art on the form.

Make sure that 

• your photos and video are in landscape format and NOT PORTRAIT FORMAT
• you label ALL your photos and video with your name and name of the artwork. (e.g. Philippa Perry sculpture of a cat #1 (and #2 and #3 and video)

Here's a little memory jogger re. landscape and portrait formats. It's not about whether it's a landscape or portrait - it about whether the picture is biased towards horizontal or vertical.

An image from my book Sketching 365 - about landscape and portrait formats
(and placement of horizons and crops)

What's the competition going to be like?

You need to be realistic. Millions watched the first series and c.10,000 people submitted their artwork - which means not a lot of time to view your entry. However Grayson's an expert in reviewing artwork given he chaired the Panel of Selectors for the 250th Summer Exhibition by the Royal Academy of Arts and had to sit through thousands and thousands of entries over quite a few days!

#Museums Unlocked and lockdown art

We've had a number of innovative lockdown art projects during the Coronavirus Lockdown. One of these was created by #MuseumsUnlocked - and this blog post is about that initiative

#Museums Unlocked - The Facts

1. It's a project developed by Dan Hicks (@profdanhicks) - who is a professor of contemporary archaeology at the University of Oxford and a curator at the city’s Pitt Rivers Museum
2. It ended earlier this month after running for 100 days. 
3. It was a Twitter project - run through the hashtag ##MuseumsUnlocked
4. The project had themes - one for each day (see below for the themes for Days 1-100)
5. People responded and posted images in response to the set themes (see examples below)
6. Most of the themes were to do with history and archeology - but some were related to Art.
7. People were invited to share their own pics of the museum in question
8. It produced what has been termed a "curatorial endeavour" by the culturally engaged Twitterati.

Please share your photographs of exhibitions, objects, architecture, events and more—so we can make a "virtual" visit tomorrow and see the museum through each others' camera lens.

Below are the themes for each of the days

Four pics provide the themes for 25 days at a time.

How to see what got posted

To view what people posted for specific topic you need to:

• log into Twitter
• put #museumsunlocked and the theme into the search window e.g. "#museumsunlocked + portraiture"
• do the search - and see what comes up.

Here's a few I found on various museum topics

A&I Lockdown Drawing Challenge: Portraits

Artists & Illustrators Magazine in the UK is running a weekly Lockdown Drawing Challenge.
This one does not bring money prizes, nor does it get your work shown on television.

Lockdown Drawing Challenge - Week 2: Portraits

This week's Lockdown Drawing Challenge relates to Portraits.

why not draw a member of your household from life, and if they won't sit for you, try drawing them while they watch TV or cook dinner.

• Submit it using the form on the Challenge page (link above)
• By 12 noon on Thursday 21 May. 

The A&I Team then select a a gallery of favourite works which are displayed in the A&I Lockdown Drawing Challenge Gallery.

The winner will be revealed on Friday 22 May, when we will also announce the theme for week three’s Lockdown Drawing Challenge.

Lockdown Drawing Challenge - Week 1: The Kitchen

Week 1 of the Lockdown Drawing Challenge was about the Kitchen. 

• This was the challenge

Our first week’s theme is the ‘kitchen’, so why not sketch your family cooking together or raid the cupboards for still life inspiration?

• SEE all the shortlisted Week One artworks
• The Judges decided the Drawing of the the Week was Kayla Tomlinson's "Right my loves, dinners ready" - a drawing of her partner cooking dinner. 

I agree - it's a stand-out work based on observation with a commentary! Looks to me as it was either drawn on a digital tablet or was drawn in pen and ink and had hints of digital colour added later. Either way it's very effective.

"Right my loves, dinners ready" by Kayla Tomlinson

The winner of each challenge receives

• a Faber-Castel sketching set worth £18, 
• a three-month subscription to Portfolio Plus 
• gets their work shared across our popular social media feeds and on the Artists & Illustrators website. (This is called "marketing" folks!)