About the artists no.5 Kate Thomas

I studied for a BA (hons) in Fine Art at The University of Northampton from 2007 – 2010 achieving a first class degree.  I am currently working towards an MA at The University of Leicester in Country House Studies (The Country House: Art, History and Literature).  My dream job would be to combine my fascination with contemporary fine art and my love for the country house; its social history and fine architecture.

Last summer this dream was partially realised as I was involved with school’s work at Kelmarsh Hall in Northamptonshire which involved teaching over 500 children (not in one go!). Using art, games, a bit of history and fun activities I was able to give primary school children an exciting and educational fun day out.   These links with Kelmarsh Hall have developed into an opportunity for Edge Arts to exhibit at the hall in February 2012, which is an exciting venture combining our eclectic mix of contemporary art and the stunning setting of a beautiful country house.

My final exhibition at university (summer 2010) involved steel sculptural forms and pigment drawings as an installation (see photographs). The black pigment I used was so intense it appeared to be a hole through the paper and hinted at what was beyond the void.    

The steel sculptures were coated inside with pigment which emphasised their emptiness and had a spiral form which spoke of descent into an unknown and a tension within its actual shape. I would say that my work has a numinous quality, which raises questions of what is beyond what we see.

Artists that have inspired me include Anish Kapoor, with his visually simple yet profound sculptures and Darren Almond, whose interrogation of the passage of time and of loss have informed my work. 

The centenary of the Neon sign

To celebrate the centenary of the Neon sign the BBC’s Front Row commissioned Northern artist, Richard William Wheater, to create a large neon sign of the word ‘Listen’ to hang outside the BBC’s new Salford offices. Wilson said he chose 'Listen' partly because of its obvious connection to radio, but also because he liked the idea of a visual artwork stimulating an aural action. The sign was unveiled on the 21^st December and will remain until 12^th Night, on the 6^th January.

Part of Wheater’s interest in working with Neon, light and glass is the medium’s relationship with people and the environment. In his interest to explore the narrative and interplay between medium and spectator, Wheater teamed with artist Victoria Lucas on a 12 month project called 12 Months of Neon Love which began on St Valentines day in 2011. The artists took 12 snippets of lyrics from well-known love songs and created large red neon signs from them. They then placed them above a neon workshop Wakefield so passers by and commuters could experience the lyrical artwork.

Here is a selection of artworks using this very evocative and suggestive medium.

See the links below for further reading

Chryssa, Ampersand III, 1965

Mona Hatoum, Hotspot, 2006

Ceryth Wyn Evans

I Kiss You, Tracey Emin, 2010

William Richard Wheater, Neon Lights, 2010

Links and further reading:

polishneon.com

Guardian - 100-years-of-neon
Essay on Wheater's Neon Lights
Wheater's sign for the BBC Salford building
Tracey Emin's neon sign for Downing Street
Publication - Polish Cold War Neon
Festival of Lights
Neon Studio

Verve Exhibition photos //Set No. 2//

Here are some more photos from the Verve Exhibition archive - the exhibition ran from 9th November - 3rd December, 2011 at Verve Bar and Gallery, Rugby.

Don't forget, our next exhibition will be at Kelmarsh Hall in February. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for further updates.

Painting by Donna Thacker

Illustrations by Emma Carpendale

Painting by Leanne Gilroy

Painting by Leanne Gilroy

Painting by Kate Thomas

Prints by Jill Wales

Upcoming Edge Exhibition at Kelmarsh Hall - 10th February

The next Edge Arts Collective show will take place at the beautiful venue of Kelmarsh Hall, Northamptonshire.

The Hall was built in the 1730's and is surrounded by an working estate of grazed parklands and exquisite gardens.

The Edge exhibition will be housed in the Hall's beautiful Ballroom, which is resplendent with chandeliers and views of breathtaking Northamptonshire countryside.

The show coincides with the long running and very popular Snowdrops weekends which occurs annually in Kelmarsh Halls gardens during the second and third weekends in February. To celebrate this we have changed our logo colour to a Spring green!

The Edge exhibition opens on Friday 10th February from 6-9pm for a private viewing. The show will feature a range of contemporary artwork from sculpture to painting and photography. Many of the original pieces will be on sale and some prints will also be available to purchase.

For more information about Kelmarsh Hall, opening times and directions please visit www.kelmarsh.com

Dates and times of the exhibition - Sat 11/Sun 12th and Sat 18th/Sun 19th February. 10-3pm. Entry is free*

*Please note that there is an entry fee of £3 to view the Snowdrops

The Magical Dark World of Graham Sutherland

This magical collection of works by Graham Sutherland takes the viewer on a journey through the dark side of human life in WWII into the enchanting Pembrokeshire landscapes of the 1930’s – 1970’s where lines on paper inhabit another world.

Sutherland strange imaginary foregrounds and shape changing landscapes conjure up a surreal environment for the audience.

Graham Sutherland ‘An Unfinished World’, curated by George Shaw, is on now – 18 March 2012 – Free Entry at Modern Art Oxford. 

www.modernartoxford.org.uk

Abstract Art at the Mead

A fabulous international abstract exhibition opens at the Mead Gallery in the New Year. Forty-nine artists covering the last 50 years of colour-field abstraction painting including Frank Stella, Andy Warhol, Bridget Riley alongside a new commission by Francis Baudevin the Swiss artist and many more.

A rare opportunity to see many wonderful contemporary and historical figures in this collaboration with Tate St. Ives.

‘The Indiscipline of Painting’ runs from 14 January – 10 March 2012 at Mead Gallery, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry,CV4 7AL.

Open Mon-Sat 12 noon- 9 pm – Entry is Free.

www.warwickartscentre.co.uk

About the artists no.4 Emma Carpendale

I graduated from the University of Northampton in 2010 with a first in Illustration. Since then I have been pursuing a career as a freelance illustrator. 

I'm often drawn to themes of the bizarre, the supernatural or themes from historical, theatrical or literary culture and my work is often described as dark and quirky. 

Amy and the Origami Man - Children's Book 2010

Children’s book illustration has been a constant interest of mine due to the enormous challenge it poses, but my interests within illustration varies from book illustration to editorial to more abstract themes. I’m generally drawn to illustrating narrative or any subject matter that has a good story behind it.

The Panto Horsemen. 2011

For the first Edge Arts group show I created a new piece called Symbolic Portrait of August Strindberg. This is the first in a series of studies of the Swedish author and playwright. What I found out from reading Strindberg’s diaries was that his life appeared just as dramatic as his plays, but it seemed that he would often dramatise events to make him appear more interesting to the reader. 

Symbolic Portrait of August Strindberg. 2011

What was true about him is that he was a polymath and experimenter whose interests ranged from photography and painting to literature and science. During the later part of his life he dabbled in occultism and alchemy and spent an intense period on this subject. Accounts of Strindberg and the subject matter of his own paintings portray a man in conflict with the world and also himself. My aim with these portraits is to untangle this character and separate the myth from reality.

My work always starts with a drawing and then I digitally add texture, loose pattern and colour. I create background texture in many ways, either by using vintage paper, photography or textiles, or by creating large sheets of mark making, random drawing, painting or collage. 

The Strindberg portrait is available for sale as a framed single edition print. Contact me at contact@edgearts.co.uk for more details. Some smaller prints and handmade items can be purchased online at Etsy

www.emmacarpendale.co.uk

Follow me on linkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Behance

All images © Emma Carpendale 2011