Wednesday 7 February 2007

Pictures from Extramuros - Sculpture from Asturius Northern Spain

Thanks to everyone who made it on a day when roads were closed by fallen trees and floods everywhere. Qube gallery was flooded by Spanish artists and supporters with the brits in strong presence too.














Tuesday 6 February 2007

I have finally been able to read it - Caspers Geobrutal


Thanks Casper for emailing me the jpg of the invite. Using that handy magnify tool I was finally able to read it! I know its an arty design but I am glad the arty text finally revealed itself to me.


It goes like this
MACINDOE'S NEW WORK HAS THE FINNESS OF A BLIND AXE MURDER COUPLED WITH THE INGENUETY OF A BOILED EGG. BOTH ART AND CRAFT HAVE BEEN EXORCISED IN ACTS AND WORKS WHICH RESONATE SIMULTANIOUSLY WITH THE DARKNESS OF INHUMANITY AND THE VELOCITY OF FORGIVENESS. THANK GOD HE IS AN ARTIST.
CASPER MACINDOE
GEOBRUTAL
19TH FEBRUARY 2007
SHREWSBURY SCHOOL ART GALLERY
SY3 7BA
6PM-9PM
'I'M WORKING ON A MACHINE WITH ONLY ONE WHEEL WITHOUT SPOKES, OF COURSE THE WHEEL IS A PERFECT SQUARE'.
JAMES JOYCE
I hope thats a help and yes I agree I need to find my glasses!
With Chris Dean and Casper Macindoe mounting challenging contemporary art shows in Shrewsbury this month - just don't complain that nothing happens.
And don't forget that until 15th Feb you can see wonderful sculpture from Asturius Spain at Qube, Oswald Rd, Oswestry.


Friday 2 February 2007

Centres of Resistance @ Bear Steps Feb 4-17

Well what's all that about - resistance?
Last summer I took on an allotment - partly, perhaps mostly for therapy to help get through one of the worst years in my whole life. Betsy Smith was actually responsible for the show's title. We were looking at my photos of the allotment sheds, and talking about the "oasis" character of allotments. Flicking over the snaps, she said "Each one's like a little centre of resistance". Too good to miss; and too many reverberations particularly for anyone with my kind of political background.

So the shed-based semi-abstracts have become the thematic centre of the show, carrying the feeling of an organic army under siege. But for me the real resistances are the external socialist one against the ethos of competetivism, fashion, profitability, pseudo-spirituality, corporate values; and the internal one against the effects of grief, against "realistically" starting to give up hope, against losing any sense of life still being an adventure.
And, pretentious though it may sound, being an artist feels like being part of the resistance to the blanketing crass business-led culture our political leaders obviously assume is beneficial (yes but the benficiaries are but the tiniest percentage of the whole).

So I'm showing fields, and people, and trees, and swamps, and colours and surfaces. AND Edgar - the famous plywood Edgar floating beautifully in Sue Challis's video.
See what you think.