Telling Tales #1

©Johanna Ward ©Brittain Bright ©Lottie Davies

With only a few weeks to go till the next exhibition opens at L A Noble Gallery I finally have some time to reflect & write my blog dear readers...

The theme of the show is all in the title, Capturing The Narrative: A Visual Exploration of Fact & Fiction - with works by three fantastic artists Brittain Bright, Lottie Davies & Johanna Ward. They each use photography to tell stories - albeit their own or someone else's in a very different way…

©Brittain Bright

Despite their different approaches, each photographer ultimately offers their narrative to the viewer to interpret as they see fit. Dictating a story in pictures rather than text is never the intension. Although images will always paint a more ambiguous picture than the written word, a great deal of care has been taken by each artist to direct rather than impose the meanings, stories & layers of each work. In doing this each photograph stands up in its own right alone when in isolation from the other images in the series it is part of. 

Approaching the works with this in mind perhaps relaxes our approach. The key to enjoying & getting the most out of the work is not to try to fully understand each & every picture or even every intension of the artist when, why & how the image was made. By gazing at the images, taking your time (something I rarely see in galleries & museums these days) & really looking the most remarkable details can reveal themselves when you least expect it. 

At this early stage I won't go into detail on the works in the forthcoming exhibition - as the best time to reflect upon these is over time - which I always find divulge more to me the longer I live with the work (I adore it already - but good works just keeps getting better) on the gallery walls; part of the addiction that is living & working with art! Having time to spend with a work is never a bad thing. Even if you don't like something aesthetically it doesn't mean that it has nothing to offer you intellectually. Dismissing a work as bad or being overtly critical is much easier to do than finding something within it to discuss. I'm sure the proliferation of imagery in our lives gives us a faster response time in registering what a picture is - but context is everything. Glancing at a pile of images on a search in Google is one thing - but standing in front of a work of art on a wall is another. This wall may be in a museum, gallery or even someone's home. We find it hard to disassociate from the works 'value' in monetary terms - but stop & think about it's cultural significance. 

Emily Allchurch & Lisa Creagh looking fabulous as ever

I recently visited the Richard Hamilton exhibition at Tate Modern with two of my artists Lisa Creagh & Emily Allchurch. Today with a more sophisticated understanding of advertising, corporations & capitalism it would have been easy to renounce some of his work as his critique of the aforementioned as clear & obvious today.

The Critic Laughs (1971-2) by Richard Hamilton (1922-2011)

©The estate of Richard Hamilton

But stopping & placing them in the context of when they were made - the work suddenly commands a deeper respect. There is always value in looking back. Often the aesthetic language we take for granted has got lost in the hectic mass-media filled lives we live today. Has something stood the test of time or even predicted the reality we live in now back then…?

Phillip K. Dick

When I am discussing this phenomenon one person always springs to mind, Phillip K. Dick. Now I am no expert on his work, let me make that clear from the outset (this is territory I cannot compete with much more learned readers of his work) but I am constantly amazed by his almost mystical foresight. If I mention his name only my best geek friends know who he is. I give a clue first, saying he wrote Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?. If that is met with a blank stare I know there is more explaining to do, usually starting with "You might know it as Blade Runner?" To which an "Ooooh HIM, oh yes" is the usual response. Short of a very long essay as to why he is so relevant today, but I would never finish this post so just one example to make my point…

Film adaptations of his works such as Minority Report 1956 - based on a science-fiction short story by PKD - focus on precognition of crimes yet to be committed. Taken in context - written nearly 60 years ago - this would seem excessively paranoid, however a research paper on Precognition Agents exists today! See here for the paper by the Scottish Executive Research Unit. Science fiction can be strangely predictive…

(A great short story by PKD I would reccomend is a disturbing tale called The Hanging Stranger & my favourite book is Man In The High Castle, if you were interested.)

©Duane Michals

The Vanity of Animals, 2004

11 x 14 Silver Gelatin Photograph, Ed. 25

Whilst thinking about narrative photographers I must mention the might Duane Michals - whose work I love - the man even moreso as his witty persona & passion for photography made for one of the best artist's talks I have ever seen. See more of his work here. 

©Duane Michals

This work about Schrodinger's Cat is a particular favourite & still makes me chuckle. A nice way to end Telling Tales #1. 

More tall tales in my next post! 

Details of the next show & programme of events are below. I'm really looking forward to all of the events & interpretations by writers & the dashing actor Samuel Weir (who appears in Lottie's work).

Due to limited space please book early to avoid disappointment - pre-paid places will take priority. We have in the past had to turn people away, so please contact the gallery via hello@lauraannnoble.com to secure your place. 

Exhibition: L A Noble Gallery

Capturing The Narrative: A Visual Exploration of Fact & Fiction - with works by Brittain Bright, Lottie Davies & Johanna Ward.

12 June - 5 July 2014

Free Entry

Opening Hours: 11.00 - 18.00 Tue - Sat

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

Transport: Dalston Kingsland Overground

Map

EVENTS:

Programme of Literary evenings: £5 pp - payable in advance (tickets on the night subject to availability)

BOOKING NOW:

Wed 18 June, 18.30 - 20.00

Brittain Bright, artist talk about Narrative Photography. 

Wed 25 June, 18.30 - 20.00 

Lottie Davies artist's talk with performance by Samuel Weir, directed by Lottie Davies

Wed 2 July

18.30 – 20.30
Johanna Ward artist's talk followed by a spoken word performance inspired by her work.

Collecting for Beginners

Sat 28 June

14.00 – 17.00 (Payment in advance, non-refundable, Poa)

Book a place for these events by emailing hello@lauraannnoble.com

Please include a contact telephone number for confirmation.

For further information please see the website. 

Still Life & Death - Hendrik Faure & Karl Blossfeldt

In the changeable month that is March I was thrilled to see a few sunny days amongst the grey ones. With a new show open 'Still Life & Death' - works by Hendrik Faure & Karl Blossfeldt -  it is always a good time to look ahead & reflect upon the work on display. What makes this particular show wonderful to me is the connections between the two artists & their lives that are strangely linked through much more than just the process they use/d...

Hendrik Faure explains the finer points of his prints

In this post I want to give you a brief glimpse into the show without too many spoilers! Hendrik Faure came over from Germany for the opening and to do a talk the following day. It was a real treat to hear him speak about his work & show the audience his copper plates & examples of prints & comparing the successful & unsuccessful - revealing the delicate nature of copper plate printing. 

The opening

The Private View was a lovely affair as always - but the best bit was the comments from guests whom had never seen or understood that they had seen photogravures before. Having one print on display next to it's plate really meant that you could communicate the basics of the process very quickly. 

This also added to the audiences appreciation of the gravure & it's physicality as an object - especially as Faure's work has a more rustic appearance than the neat graphic style of the Blossfeldt's.   

The first to arrive & enjoy the work

As with many artists Faure has a day job which fits beautifully into his art - as a practicing psychiatrist. His dark imagery reflects the shadows of the subconscious without revelling in it. (Interestingly, Karl Blossfeldt suffered from depression in later life.) Following in the traditions of artists many centuries before him Faure creates miniature tableaux's of life & death in the form of dead birds, cats, frogs interacting with objects such as mannequins, clocks, machine parts & skulls to name but a few…

Faure's pictures could be visually & spiritually associated with many artistic movements from the Dutch still life paintings of the 17th Century to Pictorialism & Surrealist movement. The dash of dark humour can be found if you look for it.  

©Aaron Harcourt 

Hendrik speaks

One of my favourite moments during Hendrik's talk was his reference to a racoon & mannequin in two of his works. The first it is soon after it's death so is fluffy & quite cute, however the second it is dehydrated & barely recognisable as a racoon, placed on the mannequin in both. Hendrik referred to both photographs as having the same 'actors' - which beautifully illustrated his close relationship to the creatures & objects he photographs his studio.

 ©Aaron Harcourt 

Hendrik & his wife before the talk

Interestingly, Hendrik occasionally acquires his animals through his patients if they find them on the road. Mostly they are found on the land near his house. I even had a find yesterday on my way home from work - so it is not so unusual to come across the dead in everyday life…

©Laura Noble

He spoke of the dead cat being found in between hay bales where it had gone to die in peace, a common occurrence in the countryside. 

By strange coincidence Blossfeldt was 63 years old when his first book of photographic images, "Urformen der Kunst" was published, the same age as Faure is now. Faure's daughter also attended the Institute of Royal Arts Museum in Berlin where Blossfeldt taught from the late 1800's. 

 

©Hendrik Faure - Example with grey scale on left

A reminder of an earlier time in his life is pictured above - taken whilst riding his horse. Due to a brain injury He can no longer ride & his horse doesn't recognise him due to this physical change as one side of his body no longer 'works'. We see the land which has been cleared to pave the way for an autobahn - damaging the landscape forever. This poignant image depicts his past & the corrosion to the future of Faure's physical self as well as the landscape.   

3 copper plates

Faure's 'vanitas' appear to be from another time pre-dating Blossfeldt by over a century yet they are contemporary prints. This harking back to the past is a fascinating subject that many photographers find enticing with the soft textures & tones which give the work a tactile quality all of its own. 

It is such an intimate experience viewing these works

When I was curating the show it soon became clear that the work needed to be hung in a uniform way as the eclectic images by Hendrik Faure were very busy with multiple areas of interest in each composition & would benefit from a straight hang. 

Mixing it up - the new hang on shelves with guests shows the scale

However, with the Blossfeldt I broke down the works to four sets of three pictures on narrow shelves that they can leisurely lean back against the wall - as if inviting you to swop them around. The joy of these works is that you can really play with the combinations, using the patterns in the plants to expand the arrangements to create another dialogue between them. The fabulous nature of these shelves really make changing your selection easy. The perfect way to rotate a collection. With prices for them starting at just £90 each (unframed) buying more than one needn't be a pipe dream, but a distinct possibility…

For more details see the gallery site or even better come & see for yourself! 

Autumn is upon us...curating the Vole & other spaces...

Helén Petersen's work awaits it fate...

Hello dear reader, with summer well & truly over my favourite season has almost begun. Autumn I am told in the Northern hemisphere officially begins on September 22nd till December 20th! With that in mind the art calendar also begins in earnest with so much to see we will barely know where to start.

Unseen opening 2012

As you may or may not know L A Noble Gallery is in between exhibitions & off to Unseen Photo Fair in Amsterdam 26 - 29 September. I am off to Foam Museum to give some collecting lectures on Tues/Wed evening, so before I head out thought it only fair to post beforehand.

Phillip Wülfing's domestic image in a warm wooden

 frame compliments the space beautifully

A new show is always an exciting time as the preparation leading up to it finally becomes a reality. It's a bit like looking forward to a holiday without the beach bit.  In this case the change of venue provided a new challenge from a curatorial point of view, which I relish. Curating the same space is good, but the creative solutions you have find to make the most of a new space is all the more satisfying when they work. 

Katherine & Emily measure

In the current Maybe A Vole space with its grey walls allows the work to ‘pop’ as the contrast pushes the wall back & the images forward. We are so used to white walls in art galleries & often by altering the status quo an audience can receive the work differently. This refreshing change of backdrop, with warm toned wooden furniture also has the effect of perceiving the pictures in a more domestic setting. Measuring the space is the first essential step to establish what will fit comfortably in the space. 

 Lanscape/portrait mix it up & measure

With 31 works & 15 artists to display the first task was to look at the sizes  & see which were the largest works – where they would be best placed in order to utilize there size within the whole exhibit. 

So Helén's work goes up in 

the middle of the left wall 

The larger works of course are apt to stand out, so hanging the largest works first sets up the balance for the rest of the display. 

Then the scale can be played with...

Anne Leigniel's work on the right wall

By hanging the smallest works at the furthest point emphasises the depth of the room even more - encouraging the viewer to come further into the room and stand closer to the smaller work in order to look at it at its optimum distance. 

Make it bold

The height can also be played with, by stacking one work above another.

Sketch it out

As a visual person I find that a combination of scaled drawings & placing the works themselves against the wall to see how well they fit in the space is the best way to realise your vision. Planning a wall can take a lot of measuring, but well worth it. 

The spaces in between works if too large or small can ruin the flow of the exhibition. When done right you barely notice the curation. Bad curation stands out a mile. 

I think back over the best shows I've seen & invariably the best curated shows not only make a greater impact but also encourage you to look at each & every work. 

Variety adds to the interest of the work 

playing with horizontal & vertical lines

If placed badly your interest can be lost or works missed all together. I have seen works obstructed by pillars, other objects like plinth's in the way so that I couldn't get close enough to see the detail of a picture on display behind it. 

A painting is not painted at this angle so why hang it so?

A little trick if a picture has to be hung from a rail - to stop it hanging forward, put a slice of cork behind it so it doesn't lean forward. Alter the width of the cork for the deisred effect. The weight of the picture will hold it place. The cork doesn't slip. You can buy these things but  just save your corks & voila! A painting is not painted at this angle so why hang it so?

Already the depth of the space is accentuated by the size

 of the works in relation to the space

It's always good to 'walk the show' as if you are a visitor. Walk in & go left, right, clockwise, anti-clockwise to see if anything is lost or not given the space it deserves. The size of a space needn't be a negative if the show is well thought through. 

My most recent planning has been off site for Unseen. To plan the walls each work was printed to scale (nothing fancy) with a wall made to scale out of paper. I prefer to use 10cm as 1 meter as it's a nice size to fit on a table. Then with the images cut out they can be moved around & visualised pre-hang. 

Of course there may be minor changes on the day, but this prep is really invaluable, especially for a fair when there is a limit to the time you may have to hang your walls. Last year we had the whole space hung in 3 & 1/2 hours! Not bad. 

Then presentation, clean clear labels - or in the case of the Summer Salon - numbers to label the works in a more subtle way giving the works more space on the wall. With photography I am dismayed when labels do not give all the appropriate info. I went to a very large exhibit recently which did not disclose either the type of print or if it were a vintage, modern or exhibition print. Some looked like they were there for context & not originals at all. This in my opinion is unforgivable. 

If the info isn't displayed with the work it needs to be available to the audience wether it is for sale or not. I always include the following info if possible, either on the label or available if asked for so as not to overload a label with too much text: I've put the bare minimum in bold.

Name of artist/photographer

Title of work: Either italicised or 'like this'

Date taken/made

Date printed/made

Edition - 1 of 5 or 1/5 or #2 from an edition of 5 for example

Type of print/medium: Archival inkjet print on ***paper / C-type etc... NEVER giclée (see previous rants for why)

Price: Either + VAT / excluding VAT / inclusive price outright

Occasionally the series may be mentioned or the other sizes available - but usually this is obvious or is on other hand-out materials/leaflets.  

It's the finishing touches that make a space pleasant to be in, wether that be a bunch of flowers on the desk or comfortable seating & space to move around in. 

Model planning

The next show at L A Noble Gallery is In Paradiso by the wonderful Deborah Baker & in order to work out the way in which her large & small works would be displayed a model of the whole space was made. We even have furniture to really get a sense of scale. (Thanks Emily) 

The hang will be dramatic, I can barely wait! Watch this space for more pics. In the meantime see the website, Facebook, Twitter or the gallery Twitter for updates...see you at Maybe A Vole or in Amsterdam soon!

Born Free Range, the second batch cometh!

Loved this display of books by Nottingham Trent University Students

Hello all. I must begin by apologising for the rant that is to follow, but it's for your own good graduates & if I didn't care I would't say it.  These are the things that everyone bemoans & no-one puts out there, so I have taken it upon myself to have a minor rant, followed by a selection of works that caught my eye on Thursday for various reasons. Many upon closer inspection need some pointers on self promotion, presentation & even grammar checks on their website - but these are the things that can be tweaked quickly. For now I just want to applaud all the graduates for getting this far. Now the real work begins....

Part 1. The RANT:

This is a shout-out for COMMON SENSE!!!! 

Photography, art, life, is all about communication. 

In order to communicate with your chosen medium remember the image needs to speak its concept visually - if no one can decipher this from looking at it why make a picture at all?

Having trawled through the Free Range website I was astounded at the lack of consistency with regard to gaining info & images. (Photography graduates without an image on their page SERIOUSLY!) This has made the writing of this blog to be akin to the speed of a sloth on valium trying to climb a tree - VERY VERY SLOW! As a result I don't have time to write lots about each photographer. Had more info been available I would have written much more...

What I've come up with is a list of comments, interspersed with ideas & advice that arose from my Free Range experience. Take it or leave it - but remember I say it with love.... 

Rules of engagement:

1. Put ALL of your info out there wherever you show up, lead your audience to you, do not expect them to find you, they will loose interest & look at something/someone else/s work/s. (I am having to look up some of the websites as the info is not consistently on the Free Range site - bad practice people, start as you mean to go on - be professional)

ie: Website/ Twitter / Linkedin / email / Tumblr....you get the idea! Tumblr is not deemed professional though, so if you don't have a website get one!

2. Display - standards must be set high. If you've ever heard the phrase 'less is more' or 'Quality over quantity' take it on board. I won't name & shame but this made me both sad & angry:

Longest caption ever on my blog so far...

A horribly crinkled print that needed dry mounting, behind a window mount (which was the wrong size) that looked like it had been cut with a butter knife, with no glass in the frame & pencil lines all over the wall. It was shocking, distracting & disappointing. 

3. Artists statements / writing on your website : You are not a writer, so if you have to get someone who is to write the text for you or a t least get several people to read what you have written. I often see a car crash of grammatical errors, coupled with 'artspeak' which means nothing & doesn't make you look clever, just pretentious. (For those of you who know me 'juxtaposition' is my least favourite word in the whole world. It is overused & often in the wrong context. Leave it alone. Find another!)

4. If you don't have a website get one! This is your 'shop window' a look into your work, the first glance, use it or loose your audience! Once the work comes off the wall how else can you be found? (I could do a whole blog on websites but this is for another time...) It's so much easier now, you can do it yourself or (if you are a bit flush) pay someone else to do it for you. 

Now for something completely different...

Part 2. Some work that caught my eye

The work I found interesting, only some of it as time is pressing. I didn't see absolutely everything & its not advisable to try to in one go as there is a lot to digest, but here goes...

©Theodore Deproost

Film Still #04

What He Thought She Didn’t See - An Unmade Film.

I like the concept of An Unmade Film as a visual narrative waiting for the insertion of a story by the viewer. It could be argued that this happens a lot with many staged photographs, but Theordore Deproost's lighting techniques & dramatic scenes begged for a script & made for engaging viewing. I was ready to cast the film. That reminds me I must get Gary Oldman & Tim Roth on the blower...

©Benjamin Skerratt

Untitled 2

Another series which abandons traditional narrative was Benjamin Skerratt's portraits with faces turned away from the camera. This image feels as if something monumental is about to happen. Then I realised what it reminded me of:

Caspar David Friedrich

The Wanderer above the mists

c.1818

Whether this was intentional or not doesn't matter to me. For a graduate work to conjure up this painting is enough for me. The determination of the mans face is present even though you cannot see it through the stance & posturing of the figure. We enter Skerratt's  subconscious through his lens & his subjects actions, refreshing. 

©Chrissy Boddy

Mother

I was drawn to this work firstly by its display in a white square tray frame (without glass) exposing the prints to the elements, which suited the imagery discussing the cyclical fragile notions of nature & nurture on a global scale. Chrissy Boddy's images are circles within circles, twisted to take them out of sync with each other & positioned to show the interconnectedness of the themes both physically & psychologically. Made me think of the film The Tree of Life.

©Emily Moya Addis

Be Still

5x4" C-type print

Emily Moya Addis' work emulates Victorian values, depicting haunting images inspired by a story title The Yellow Wallpaper (1892) by Charlotte Perkins Gilman - a cautionary tale about a woman descending into madness. (Well worth the read) Victorian notions of power, control & female hysteria whilst 'remaining still' are displayed with visual dexterity, small & perfectly formed. 

©Jenna Rouse

Anatomiae - Leporidae

I couldn't resist this, as again I am reminded of a great painting (the first that I was fascinated with after being given a book on Rembrandt aged 6) The Anatomy Lesson whereby the layers of skin stripped back reveal the muscles of a mans arm. 

Rembrandt

The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp

1632

It works. I look forward to seeing what comes next from Rouse... 

©Jenny Wickens

From one sculptural theme to another, I was pleasantly surprised she I saw Jenny Wickens  photograms. The lovely tension created by the physical reality of the potted plants with the realisation that the 'shadows' were in fact photogrsams & did not match the plant placed upon them works beautifully. 

©Gemma Pepper

Gaol / Untitled 3

Using objects & spaces inside the Galleries of Justice Museum in Nottingham - a once woking prison - Gemma Pepper's work with chalky tones upon first glance barely read as photographs. These are are constructed environments made from fictional spaces which are now used as interactive teaching tools. The real is made unreal again with harmonious results.

So now its time to take a deep breath & go out into the big bad world. The tools you need are out there, just use common sense & you can't go far wrong.

Discussing your work with others is important & ultimately useful for the future as you meet other artists, curators, press & galleries. If you attend/exhibit at exhibition events & festivals having confidence to speak eloquently about your work & practice is an invaluable tool.

With L A Noble Gallery's forthcoming Summer Salon exhibition at Maybe a Vole in Dalston we will be conducting salon evenings (with a limit to 8 people per evening session from 6.30pm - 8.30pm - £12). The gallery invites each attendee to bring one of their photographs to talk about for 5 - 10 minutes each. The group headed up by yours truly will discuss the photographs & compare ideas in the traditions of the great salons of the 1930's. To book a place for the first salon on Tuesday July 23rd email hello@lauraannnoble.com 

Why not join us, practice your networking & public speaking skills, pick up tips & take your practice to the next level.

Places will be reserved on a first come first served basis. 

Throughout the exhibition personal Portfolio reviews can also be booked. These can be to focus on your work at all stages of completion, with advice on editioning, pricing & career development. Each review is bespoke to your needs at every level. For more details see this link. To book please email hello@lauraannnoble.com - be sure to include a contact telephone number.

Address during exhibition, please do not send post to this address:
L A Noble Gallery 
c/o Maybe a Vole 
51 King Henrys Walk, N1 4NH
Map

Remember I don't bite, so please feel free to post comments! 

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