Personal reflections on William Morris & 'In Paradiso' by Deborah Baker

Book cover of new publication In Paradiso by Deborah Baker

Available for the special price of £30 during the exhibition (£40 thereafter)

The first time I became aware of William Morris was a little pack of gift cards I received as a present as a teenager. They were a selection of his patterns, repetitive, natural & somewhat old fashioned to me at the time. His work takes maturity to appreciate, I know that now. The cards were useful as thank you's for gifts at birthdays & Christmas, but that was as far as my thoughts went back then. Without any contact with his work (I was living in my hometown of Manchester at the time) it was of no importance to me. 

The Morris Room at the V&A 

Then I was to encounter him again years later walking into the Morris Room at the V&A & falling in love with it at first sight. The pressure to live in minimal surroundings, free from clutter or homely touches rarely transfers to reality. This room - & subsequently his furniture, politics & associates in the arts -  made me think of alternatives to the crisp white walls & trendy furniture we are supposed to be striving to live amongst. 

Presenting ourselves online through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & all the rest of the social media options as having amazingly happy lives where we are always out with friends enjoying ourselves, in glamorous locations with fancy food & drink is a facade, a perpetual press release to the world.  

Why not allow for alternatives, to be somewhere where patterns with all the tangled aesthetic complexity of Morris can be quietly studied, reflected upon & absorbed. The profundity of a visual a statement is often found when the image does not reveal itself all at once. Powerful images rarely deliver in seconds, sometimes they can take a lifetime to appreciate as we mature & find more within them, as our own experiences in the world grow so does our eye for meaning. Morris' work remains timeless & popular as ever for the simple reason that it is carefully studied, using the already profound certainties of the natural world as inspiration to weave layers of humanity into each design. (See the selection still available here)

I have fond have memories of patterned wallpaper or frilly doilies on furniture, tiny ornaments grouped on windowsills or in dark wood cabinets. In them lie homely comforting memories of places where care was taken to surround themselves with pleasing things for themselves, not to show off to others (as the monetary value of such things weren't high) but to enjoy & treasure. 

In this age of post-modernism where do we go? Conceptual art can often lack aesthetic & decorative art vice versa. Finding the balance of meaning, emotion, passion & avoiding pretension is the battlefield we cross when we enter into the domain of the arts. But when we find it, oh what joy there is to be had. 

I found this in Deborah Baker's work - currently on display at the William Morris Gallery in Walthamstow - her raw emotions are transformed into poetic visual feasts of nature. 

©Deborah Baker Betulanimbusi

Courtesy of L A Noble Gallery

When embarking on the creation of her garden it seemed futile to just record each stage as the plants were continually growing & changing, the seasons transforming their appearance in perpetuity. With this in mind her response as an artist was to depict this growth by making the plants 'breathe' through the fracturing & movement infused into her aesthetic. The leaves in Betulanimbusi seem to burst out from the land skyward, exuberant & free. 

©Yayoi Kusama “Leaves”-1954

There is an obsessiveness, repetition of forms, spectral wonderment in a  fractured assemblage of photographic imagery which operates on many levels, just as a painting does, layering each shape amid the planes of colour built up in intricate detail. Well known doyen of the art world Yayoi Kusama's explorations of the natural world dance amongst the vibrant colours of her palette in her early work pictured above. Her compulsive style of working is in itself a therapy to Kusama. The therapeutic effect of both Baker & Kusama's work extends to the audience that views it. (If you have chance to watch the documentary on her do, it may surprise you a lot)

Whenever people come into a room with Baker's pictures they always become quiet, reflective & calm. In breaking down natural elements without completely removing the recognisable plants within her work, Baker doesn't merely record, she recreates the feelings of being in a garden, with all senses alert to receive the visual dance of the living with a reverence of the past.

©Deborah Baker Pruneucalus

I am the happy owner of one of her works, which fills the long gap in the view from my bedroom window of the cherry blossom that comes & goes so fleetingly each spring. 

©Laura Noble Cherry Blossom April 2013

All rights reserved 

The movement in her work through the multiple layers of light, dark, form take you into the picture & beyond its physical borders to a psychological space somewhere between waking & dreaming. When I look at Pruneucalus I am sometimes filled with lightness of being, sometimes it understands my dark self too. 

It is this dichotomy that renders her works longevity.They are not just pictures of plants, trees & flowers, they are filled with the fears, hopes & dreams of life where words fail to express. 

In Paradiso Folded cards in 3 designs also available 

In Paradiso will be on display from 3 September - 2 November 2014 (click for all info)

To accompany the exhibition the Limited Edition book In Paradiso (500 copies), including essays by Laura Noble and Nancy Ann Roth will be available to purchase for the special price of £30 for the duration of the exhibition, (RRP £40). Deborah will be signing copies of her book on 3 October.

Wear a work of art

3 crepe de chine scarves of immense beauty & delicacy are also on offer, each in an edition of 50 only, they measure 100 x 150cm & hang like a kimono when worn loosely around the shoulders.  £240 each

In Paradiso book:  Deluxe Limited Edition of 10:

Available to buy within a slipcase complete with a print of Raouliexigu, priced at £200 each

In Paradiso will be on display from 3 September - 2 November 2014

Venue: William Morris Gallery, Lloyd Park, Forest Road, London E17 4PP

Transport: Walthamstow Central (Victoria line and national rail) or Wood Street (national rail)

Please note that there is limited pay and display parking available on site

Love London Life!

On the left just past White Cube before the church.

Ring the bell, we are on the 1st floor.

The view from above

The view inside

Now approaching its last week, the ‘London Life CompetitionExhibition’ at L A Noble Gallery in collaboration with Art Bermondsey I thought I would share with you some of my observations, weird coincidences & visitors comments. It has been a breeze for some, a learning curve for others but I hope, ultimately a great experience for all the finalists.  

The Private View, announcing the winners

Opening night was a lively affair as always, with many of the finalists in attendance.

1st Prize - Carlotta Cardana

The winner Carlotta Cardana is now an L A Noble Gallery artist see her wonderful work here. (There are 2 projects including her latest series, more about that in another post) She is currently showing her 'Modern Couples' at the Noorderlicht Festival as well, busy times for a worthy winner!

The series pictures Mod couples in their chosen locations. By asking them to choose each couple is clearly comfortable therefore the resulting photographs reveal much more than a studio sitting. 

2nd place winner: Sheryl Tait 

During the evening we discovered the most wonderful coincidence - 2 photographers had both discovered their imagery in the same place. 

David O'Mara

This extraordinary fact came to light when David O' Mara pointed to the buildings in James Reid's picture & said that is where he found the negatives he printed from. London really is a small place after all! 

These 2 approaches reflect the diversity of this city in one place, a council estate in Elephant & Castle that was once the largest in Europe (now gone) full of many souls all living their lives in many different ways… 

© David O'Mara  

Heygate Palimpset 2 / 2012

O' Mara's salvaging of negatives & printing them despite their dilapidated state , then presenting them in frames worthy of any great image elevates them to be appreciated by a new audience in a new way treats the snapshots taken of & by  an unknown family with respect. In one image the edges of the frame have worn away to create a portal of an image which beautifully resembles a silhouette of a woman in profile - in the aperture a woman in a pink headpiece reinforces the suggestion made by the shape. Another wonderful coincidence…?

3rd Prize winner: Alison J Carr

The difference in experiencing the work in the flesh is further emphasised with Alison J Carr's work. Her recreations of dancers on cigarette cards from the 1930's really transform the origins of the objects which inspired her to a whole new level. 

The back of the card duplicated exactly & the same size as the original
to offer the context & physicality of the initial object to the work.

We are treated to the attributes & talents of the dancer that 

was pictured on the other side of the original card, 

as well as a great additional caption. 

As the originals were black & white so are Carr's (hand-printed silver gelatin in fact). However to give them some colour she has framed the works in the dominant colour of each costume she wears in the picture. The more home-made nature of the costumes makes for a more authentic picture of the period.

©Walter Rothwell

Walter Rothwell's silver gelatin prints have to be seen in person to see the perfect 

example of quality printing with all its deep blacks & variety of tones. 

Rothwell's work has a wonderful duality, you look twice & see the humour & irony after the contents of the images' reality sinks in. The limo is so glossy that it is only upon closer inspection that you realise that it is rusting & abandoned. By using the cinematic proportions & cropping out the rest of the street the windows act like frames on celluloid & the context reveals itself slowly. This is the place where the artist sets the tone & narrative through composition. 

©Walter Rothwell

In another of his images Kate Bush's old house once owned by a man who was done for multi-million pound fraud (see here for details) depicts the fading hopes & grandeur of the aspirational dream of fame & fortune & acts as a warning to us all. Wuthering Heights indeed! 

©Louis Savage  Der Spiegel  2013

To further prove that beauty can be found in the most unlikely of places, Louis Savage's work takes us into familiar territory with pleasing results. The geometry of the tiles interrupted by the black outline of the woman walking through the tunnel makes me wonder if she uses the domed mirror to check if anyone is coming the other way or if she just uses it to check her appearance each day… Capturing these tiny moments is what photography does so well. Why not come & see for yourself?

Here are some more of the finalists with their work:

Stuey Burnett looking sharp with his work.

Emma Mapp as colourful as her photo

Pat Doyle happy angles!

Finally, a big thanks to all my amazing staff, Kelly here on the left & 

Co-Curator Chloe Rosser on the right wields the drill.

Lovely coffee nearby, don't be put off by the name! 

See www.lauraannnoble.com for info.  

The exhibition runs till 4pm Friday August 29th.

Portfolio reviews can be booked for next week, last review at 2pm Friday, to see more info read here. 

Venue:

Art Bermondsey

183-185 Bermondsey Street, First Floor, London, SE1 3UW

Visiting information:

Tube: London Bridge

Buses: 42, 78, 100, 1 and C10 (direct to Bermonsey Square) or all buses to London Bridge.  

Telling Tales #4 Johanna Ward

Brittain Bright, Lottie Davies, me & Johanna Ward 

at L A Noble Gallery 

Taken from a letter written by Johanna Ward's father to her mother in the 1970's the series I shall say goodbye with my strengthening love for you, forever and ever depicts the passing of time in her families life - which like any great love story cottons all the classic ingredients of, romance, mystery,attraction, consequences, demise & reflection. 

©Johanna Ward

Untitled 

Courtesy of L A Noble Gallery

Told through one persons eyes (& more than one lens) from the perspective of her mother & sister the series focuses on the meeting, courtship, marriage, childhood, divorce & separation. By environmentally mirroring the tale with landscape images, Ward reflects the growth, erosion, renewal & familial bonds which strengthen as time passes. 

©Johanna Ward

Untitled 

Courtesy of L A Noble Gallery

I shall say goodbye… is a fractured cyclical narrative that works like memories do without formal punctuation - there are no full stops, only commas & a stream of consciousness displayed through a lyrical curation of images which rise & fall in differing tempos, played at varying volumes & sizes. Clarity is not the aim here, but suggestions for the viewer. Her awareness of the many facets of the story deliver the space for an audience to imagine beyond the literal. 

©Johanna Ward

Click here to see a full video of the 

Limited Edition of 7 - boxed set 

When I first saw this work in book form I was astounded at the dexterity of her visual parlance. In placing emphasis & intimacy - using scale & mixing her photographs of the landscape & still life shots of pertinent objects with vernacular snapshots of Ward's family - there is an familiarity that provides a universal narrative within which we can all connect to. 

These touching photographs exude warmth, love, friendship & familial life alongside visceral landscapes of forests, a frozen waterfall & a baron snow covered hilltop combined with nights capes, fire, skinned deer carcasses create a cacophony of dreamlike emotion. this is the stuff of myth & fairytales as seen through the eyes of a child now grown & aware of the ironies & cruelties of reality. As with all fairytales there must be darkness as well as light, literally & metaphorically. 

The multiplicity of interpretation of each picture & the series as a whole enrich the work - just as in life - elevate it beyond the sum of its parts long beyond the lives of the protagonists it refers to…

©Johanna Ward

Click here to see a full video of the 

Limited Edition of 7 - boxed set 

In this, the last week of Capturing The Narrative: A visual exploration of fact & fiction on Wed 2 July 18.30 - 20.00 Johanna Ward will be doing an artist talk followed by 3 spoken word pieces by Nick Burbridge, Charlotte Barrow & Winnie M Li. To attend please see the website for details. Places are limited & doors close at 18.15. The evening is being recorded, so no further admittance will be allowed once the talk & performances are underway. Johanna Ward night: £5 per person.

Venue: Maybe A Vole, 51 King Henry's Walk, London, N1 4NH 

Transport: Dalston Kingsland Overground

To see last week's performance by actor Samuel J Weir directed by Lottie Davies please see here.  

  

Telling Tales #3 Lottie Davies 'Love Stories'

©Lottie Davies Courtesy of L A Noble Gallery

Title: Waterloo Station (Anthony and Joy 1975)  (2013)

Series: Love Stories

To see the full premise of Lottie Davies Love Stories series I encourage you to look at her blog & perhaps even send your own story…

By collecting the stories (written accounts) from both parties involved Davies recreates the first meeting of couples from all walks of life. This on-going series does not set out to accurately depict each meeting – as to do so would be frankly impossible. In asking for the ‘story’ of the meeting from each person concerned in written form she is presented with tow versions of the same event. As with her other work Davies allows for a dialogue between the written word & visual interpretation – using her artistic licence to narrate the story within the framework of the initial text. Not dissimilar to the process of making a movie from an existing work of fact or fiction such as a novel or screenplay, alterations are made, lights go on & the camera rolls.

In Davies' case the camera shoots still images but the principle is the same – however her goal is to do so in one still image. Without the luxury of the moving image many elements have to be presented to the viewer in one sitting. 

Millennium Falcon

©Lucasfilm Incorporated

Oh I remember the days...

When conveying multiple narratives in one ‘take’ attention to detail is everything. The less post-production the better, a realness can be delivered like Star Wars using miniature model star ships rather than CGI – not to say that no special effects are ever needed, but the more that can be done in the ‘real’ the better & more believable the resulting work. The frame becomes the stage for a tableau. The medium allows it to breathe as the life-like duplication of her characters are brought to life.

Although the location, people and era may be changed from the original transcripts, the emotional feeling shown is not. As with her series Memories and Nightmares when the author’s of the first texts see the finished result the undoubtedly express their joy at the ability Davies has to depict their feelings of the time they wrote about.

In doing so we as the viewer are given carte blanche to make our own interpretations of the story – often placing our own feelings and narrative with the work.

©Chloe Rosser 

Lottie Davies (centre) with actors

Kirsty Ellen Wright & Samuel J Weir at L A Noble Gallery 

Her nimble fingers edit and spice these stories into cohesive wholes – but like any great story, we are left with personal interpretations of our own.

25^th June, 18:30 – 20:00, Lottie Davies will be giving a talk about her work on Love Stories followed by a Q&A. After this one of the actors, Sam J Weir, in her photographs will be giving a performance especially written and directed by her for the exhibition. 

Works from Love Stories 2012-2014 by Lottie Davies will be on display at L A Noble Gallery as part of Capturing The Narrative: A visual exploration of fact & fiction

For further details see the website here.

Narrative Values – Artists Talks & performance programme – Wed Evenings at L A Noble Gallery

25 June 2014  - 18.30 – 20.00

Lottie Davies will discuss the use of narrative as a constant theme within her practice, followed by a Q&A.

After the talk actor Samuel J Weir – who appears in Davies’ work - will be performing a work directed by Lottie Davies.

Places are extremely limited. To book a place, please email hello@lauraannnoble.com with ‘Narrative Values – talk reservation’ in the subject line. Spaces will be reserved till 6pm. 

Tickets on the door will be subject to availability on the night. Any latecomers will not be able to enter the building after 6.15pm as the talk is being recorded.

£5 per-person (Please include your telephone number for conformation.)

The gallery will be open as usual from 11.00 – it looks to be a fascinating & intimate evening – we look forward to welcoming you.