Art exhibition Seven Hundred and Twenty Eight Days Later showcases new talent in Reading
Is the name of the latest exhibition at the Marksman Gallery, Gun Street, which opened on Saturday November, 17 to a tiny cluster of art lovers. The exhibition displays work from up and coming artists such as Sybille Berger, Gerard Hemsworth, Richard Karwan and Claude Temin-Vergez. Not being an art buff, these names mean nothing to me, but I’m told by a trusted source that one exhibitor, Daniel Sturgis, is well known in these circles.
Set across two floors the exhibition had paintings, sculptures, photographs and video art. All were of a high standard, one artist in particular caught my eye, Richard Moon displayed 2 portraits of ladies who could have been characters from a Soviet dark and surreal animation. The other painting by Machiko Edmondson depicted the featureless face of man painted with grey acrylics on canvas. Its lo-fi rawness added the melancholic feel of the portrait.
A painting that impressed me for its technique was huge canvas features the full lips, nose and eyes of a very attractive lady, the painting looked like an extreme close up photograph of a model, its not until closer inspection when you spot the brush strokes on the eye lashes you realise that this is a labour love, this level of attention to detail must have been a painstaking process, not to mention the amount of talent that went into creating something this life-like. Is this something I spend money on and display in my house, only if I won the Euro Millions and wanted to tart up the shed. Being exceptionally good at painting doesn’t necessarily make good art, what was this painting try to say, what was it attempting to express, what did it say about the artist? It was purely a display of talent.
The sculptures ranged from a phallic looking object using ostrich eggs, I’m guessing was about fertility, to a plasticine looking chair that must have been inspired by Quentin Tarantino’s Grindhouse movie.
The only painting I felt was out of place was a canvas on the first floor. The canvas was painted maroon…that’s it. Although there is space for everyone, art like this infuriates me. There is no talent involved, doesn’t make a statement about anything and doesn’t depict anything. It trivialises and simplifies art, makes it seem easier then it really is. It is the difference between me humming ‘When The Saints Go Marching In’ through tissue and a comb and The Beatles. It is the sort of painting Linda Barker would make to hang up above a B&Q mantelpiece in a Hull semi to ‘modernise’ the room. This would have been better suited gracing the shelves of Habitat, not the walls of an art exhibition.
You don’t have to know anything about art to enjoy art. It is a lot like music, movies or books – some people love the Rolling Stones, I think they are overrated bilge. Some people dismiss Damien Hirst as the man who pickled a calf in formaldehyde, to others he is the man that captured nature in a man-made product, illustrating how modern society controls and cultivates things that should be wild and free.
The problem with art is its cliquey and the way it views itself. A crack in the floor has inner meaning, depth of thought, etc – in actuality it means very little to most of us and this breeds contempt. These factors alienates the audience, make it inaccessible to masses. A world that lives and breaths in London, art seems to be purely for those in the know, despite the arts having a massive audience. I believe part of Banksy’s success is due to the accessibility of his creation, graffiti adorns every wall in every city, town and village in the world. The message he is expressing is clear and concise – although the art world looks down on him and poo-poo’s his work, due its crude nature.
There is something truly amazing on our door step, something that is break from drinking type activities. Something where you come out feeling a better person for doing something productive that expands your mind. Art is something that everyone should enjoy; it has been used for generations to tell stories and to express emotion. It’s a talent that should be nurtured and appreciated by everyone. The Marksman makes that possible - beautiful space in the heart of the town, credible and accessible to all. Give it a try; what do you have to lose?
The gallery opened in November 2005, when Reading was hedging its bets trying to gain city status. Being a cultural wasteland, Reading needed to breathe life into its arts and the Marksman stepped up to challenge. It provides three working gallery spaces for artists to show their work in solo and group exhibitions, along with the space for community projects. It promotes innovative fresh work showcasing young emerging artists and established artists, as well as developing opportunities for local artists and community groups, yet lacks the snobiness that is synonymous with art. The gallery gained momentum through a close-knit collaboration of artists, local businesses and community workers, all with a strong belief in the necessity of independent projects and cultural developments in Reading. Since then Reading University has been promoting its own artists and as well as local art and crafts to the public and galleries have opened on Chain Street and Minister Street, yet the Marksman reigns supreme giving its patrons a genuine art gallery experience with carefully thought out floor plans and curated exhibitions.
First published 2007
Set across two floors the exhibition had paintings, sculptures, photographs and video art. All were of a high standard, one artist in particular caught my eye, Richard Moon displayed 2 portraits of ladies who could have been characters from a Soviet dark and surreal animation. The other painting by Machiko Edmondson depicted the featureless face of man painted with grey acrylics on canvas. Its lo-fi rawness added the melancholic feel of the portrait.
A painting that impressed me for its technique was huge canvas features the full lips, nose and eyes of a very attractive lady, the painting looked like an extreme close up photograph of a model, its not until closer inspection when you spot the brush strokes on the eye lashes you realise that this is a labour love, this level of attention to detail must have been a painstaking process, not to mention the amount of talent that went into creating something this life-like. Is this something I spend money on and display in my house, only if I won the Euro Millions and wanted to tart up the shed. Being exceptionally good at painting doesn’t necessarily make good art, what was this painting try to say, what was it attempting to express, what did it say about the artist? It was purely a display of talent.
The sculptures ranged from a phallic looking object using ostrich eggs, I’m guessing was about fertility, to a plasticine looking chair that must have been inspired by Quentin Tarantino’s Grindhouse movie.
The only painting I felt was out of place was a canvas on the first floor. The canvas was painted maroon…that’s it. Although there is space for everyone, art like this infuriates me. There is no talent involved, doesn’t make a statement about anything and doesn’t depict anything. It trivialises and simplifies art, makes it seem easier then it really is. It is the difference between me humming ‘When The Saints Go Marching In’ through tissue and a comb and The Beatles. It is the sort of painting Linda Barker would make to hang up above a B&Q mantelpiece in a Hull semi to ‘modernise’ the room. This would have been better suited gracing the shelves of Habitat, not the walls of an art exhibition.
You don’t have to know anything about art to enjoy art. It is a lot like music, movies or books – some people love the Rolling Stones, I think they are overrated bilge. Some people dismiss Damien Hirst as the man who pickled a calf in formaldehyde, to others he is the man that captured nature in a man-made product, illustrating how modern society controls and cultivates things that should be wild and free.
The problem with art is its cliquey and the way it views itself. A crack in the floor has inner meaning, depth of thought, etc – in actuality it means very little to most of us and this breeds contempt. These factors alienates the audience, make it inaccessible to masses. A world that lives and breaths in London, art seems to be purely for those in the know, despite the arts having a massive audience. I believe part of Banksy’s success is due to the accessibility of his creation, graffiti adorns every wall in every city, town and village in the world. The message he is expressing is clear and concise – although the art world looks down on him and poo-poo’s his work, due its crude nature.
There is something truly amazing on our door step, something that is break from drinking type activities. Something where you come out feeling a better person for doing something productive that expands your mind. Art is something that everyone should enjoy; it has been used for generations to tell stories and to express emotion. It’s a talent that should be nurtured and appreciated by everyone. The Marksman makes that possible - beautiful space in the heart of the town, credible and accessible to all. Give it a try; what do you have to lose?
The gallery opened in November 2005, when Reading was hedging its bets trying to gain city status. Being a cultural wasteland, Reading needed to breathe life into its arts and the Marksman stepped up to challenge. It provides three working gallery spaces for artists to show their work in solo and group exhibitions, along with the space for community projects. It promotes innovative fresh work showcasing young emerging artists and established artists, as well as developing opportunities for local artists and community groups, yet lacks the snobiness that is synonymous with art. The gallery gained momentum through a close-knit collaboration of artists, local businesses and community workers, all with a strong belief in the necessity of independent projects and cultural developments in Reading. Since then Reading University has been promoting its own artists and as well as local art and crafts to the public and galleries have opened on Chain Street and Minister Street, yet the Marksman reigns supreme giving its patrons a genuine art gallery experience with carefully thought out floor plans and curated exhibitions.
First published 2007
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