I'm glad you're alive! at OpenHand OpenSpace Reading

A couple of weeks ago I went to see 'I'm glad you're alive!' an exhibition by two artists who have studied at Winchester School of Art. Peter Driver is due to complete his degree this year and Lydia Heath finished her BA in 2013.

I haven't visited a lot of shows lately as I had a baby 8 weeks ago, so this was the first she'd seen and the first I'd seen since she was born and it was a brilliant first show to see, despite the fact that I had a big distraction at the time.

Me and Merry look at Lydia Heath's work.

Above, woodcuts by Peter Driver.

The above woodcut 'Loving the Alien' was a particular favourite of mine, I love the colours. I actually bought this print for my wall at home, supporting fellow artists and all that!

A washing line of woodcuts by Peter.

A photographic piece by Lydia Heath.

Rich drinks some mulled cider and admires some of Peter's woodcuts.

Lydia's installation in juxtaposition with Peter's woodcut and photograph.

Collage and 'I'm glad you're alive' print by Peter.

Visitors to the exhibition could pick up a free 'I'm glad you're alive!' print.

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The woodcut plates themselves were one of my favourite bits of the exhibition. Much the same as when I saw Chuck Close's exhibition last year, there is something very beautiful about woodcut plates.

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More of Lydia's work.

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Merry seemed to enjoy herself too some of the time and so I'm sure we'll be popping to some more exhibitions soon.

Searching, always

I recently got back some pictures I took at an art show. The problem with film photography is that by the time I get round to getting the pictures developed, it is long after the events took place. It's interesting, we expect everything to be so instant now, show reviews to be up the instant a private view has taken place, easily accessed on the internet, which only makes us less and less patient. Anyway, on to the show.

 I went to see 'Searching, always' (a group show by arjeea21 artists at Gallery 49, Bracknell) in February 2013. It was an incredibly cold day, and although some of the work was on display in the windows, I didn't want to stay outside for too long to see it and spent most of my time inside the gallery. 

The work was really varied, under the loose theme of 'Searching, Always' the artists went in completely different directions, often taking transient objects or moments and giving them a permanence, from portraits, to everyday objects, to prints of a leaf.

As usual I took pictures of my favourite pieces and was particularly drawn to many of the pieces that came with a sense of mystery. Hopefully I will see more work from this group in the future.

 

 

Above - Work by Peter Driver

Above: Work by Roxana Tohaneanu-Shields