Precious Exhibition 29th March 2012

Prior to this event, I knew very little about the type of art work which was going to be shown. However I was aware that this particular exhibition was a kind of DIY show taking place in a basement in Hyde Park. Put together by a group of twelve fine art and graphic students who are named Emblemen. The almost ironically named exhibition ‘Precious’ was perhaps one of the more interesting locations for an art show that I have been invited to.

Being a student in Leeds myself, I have seen the sort of unused basement in many of the houses. So often they are large, empty and cold, but they also work as a readymade art space. Arriving at 9 Hyde Park Terrace, the evening was in full flow with a large group of students, ex-students, and the general public alike all outside this wonderfully inquisitive building. After being asked to wear a screen printed mask whilst inside the exhibition, I decided it was time to see what all the hype was about.

Going down the steep stairs, the basement was as to be expected, the remnants of past parties and graffiti on the walls. However what this space had been turned into was utterly fantastic.

The layout of the space meant the show was divided into three rooms. The first one which I ventured into housed two artists, Abi Moffat and Chris Holdsworth. Moffat’s video piece, ‘Ripped’ set a wonderful tone for the room, and alongside her sat Holdsworth’s ‘50’ jars which had been created to represent diseases, which were really enhanced by the underground setting.

Leaving this room, it soon became clear that the mask I had received earlier was part of a live art performance piece by Sam Ashcroft suitably named ‘About Face’. This invited the audience to come and have their faces painted by the artists, however being asked to wear headphones they become oblivious to their surroundings.

Wandering around it was clear that although these artists had not made work in response to the space the pieces all seemed to fit in with this environment. One piece which was almost brought to life by the space was Kate De Lord’s ‘Feud’. A work made from various materials, but it was as if the piece was growing in amongst the area itself. Although being completely different but similar in the way it became part of setting was Rufus Newell’s ‘Antipathia’. This on first glance looked as if it was the wall, but then I touched the sticky ash and honey combination, realising this was a very clever use the surrounding.

The wide and varied mix of art pieces certainly breathed new life into a once forgotten space. Allowing the space to adapt to the work, there was no theme to this show but the artists clearly all held the same quality and views. The ability to turn nothing into something, an otherwise abandoned student basement into an exciting art space.

Leeds Gallery The Yorkshire Artists Part 2 Private view – Tuesday 27th March 2012, 6.30pm-8.30pm

At present in Leeds it almost seems every time you turn your head there is a new and exciting art space being added to the cities vibrant art scene. Amongst the many new but certainly with a difference is Leeds Gallery. Having been invited to the private view of their current show ‘The Yorkshire Artists – Part 2’ it was a great opportunity to engage with this gallery for the first time.

Expecting the typical semi-converted warehouse gallery space, I was pleasantly surprised. Met with two grand doors and after ringing the door bell you were able to enter the space. Walking in, I could sense that every care taken to ensure the quality of the gallery. However I couldn’t help thinking that this space had a different feel to it. Having a quick glance around I realized that it was a beautiful commercial gallery. A pleasant change as so often the art world seemingly forgets that there are many talented artists whose work is aimed towards a buyers’ market.

Instantly on arrival you could pick out three very diverse, yet distinctive artists. Helen Peyton’s bold, bright prints immediately whisk you away to a bygone era. Peyton’s simplistic yet wonderfully playful pieces are of retro household objects. For me, when viewing her pieces, the audience has the chance to be taken into a house from a different time through her printed selection of everyday objects.

Opposite to Peyton’s work, was a wall with a checkerboard display of Tom Wood’s wonderfully colourful oil paintings. These consisted of a selection of side profile portrait paintings of birds, such as ‘White Peacock Study 1’ and ‘Flamingo’, alongside studies of two women, Elinor and Joanne. Almost it seemed the artist was making a comment on the notion of the word ‘bird’ used to describe women. Wood out of the three artists perhaps had the most diverse mix of pieces, having a collection of realistic bird paintings, studies of women, a range of life studies and some self portraiture pieces. The large triptych of women portraits, for me was the most powerful in Woods collection, in particular ‘Women with Hat’.

Interspersed with Wood’s painting were Colin Halliday’s oil paintings. In contrast to Wood’s work, Halliday’s pieces are primarily emotional responses to Northern landscapes. Vibrant and lively, it was almost as if the paint was moving in amongst the landscape. The paintings seemed to have been placed together because of their colour palettes, which worked and gave a good flow to the collections. The two pieces, ‘Passing Storm’ and ‘Buttermere Storm 1’ seemed to have the most energy because of their subject matter.

A wonderfully curated show of three Yorkshire artists, all of whom obviously engaged thoroughly with a varied subject matter in their practice. A lovely space and I look forward to future exhibition which take place here.