'Through' Neo:Gallery, Bolton, from 18th April 2013

 neo:studios is pleased to present ‘Through’, an exhibition of works by invited artists and neo:associates whose professional practice involves process.  The exhibition opens Thursday 18^th April and is hosted at neo:gallery22, The Market Place, Bolton.

Programmed within the neo: 2012-2013 series of collaborations with practitioners from the wider artist community, the exhibition features work employing an eclectic range of media and is selected and curated by neo:associates Denis Whiteside and Jason Simpson.

‘Through’ - of a route or journey – showcases the work of artists Laura Jane Blake, Sandra Bouguerch, Tiago Duarte, Nicola Ellis, Thomas Evans, Bethan Hamilton, Hannah Leighton-Boyce, Jane Orange, Adrian Pritchard, Sarah Redfern, Rosanne Robertson, Jason Simpson, Claire Weetman, Denis Whiteside, Ruth Whyte and Lucie Wilson.

“The 'process' in process art refers to the process of the formation of art: the gathering, sorting, collating, associating, patterning, and moreover the initiation of actions and proceedings. Process art is concerned with the actual doing and how actions can be defined as an actual work of art; seeing the act of making art as its primary expression. Process art often entails an inherent motivation, rationale, and intentionality. Therefore, art is viewed as a creative journey or process, rather than as a deliverable or end product.” Consequently it is no surprise that a number of the artists have elected to continue the ‘doing’ to create exciting new works especially for the event. This also includes works that will be in a state of ‘becoming’ in the gallery space for the duration of the exhibition.

Claire Weetman will be exhibiting her video 'Watermark' which documents an intervention she made in Barbaros Park, Istanbul in 2012.  It will be presented as a four channel installation for the first time, making the viewer feel as though they are in the middle of the square. 

The exhibition runs till Sunday 2^nd June. Viewing times at neo:gallery22 are 11am- 5pm Thursday – Sunday.

For more information about the individual artists or any other enquiries please contact Jason Simpson – Jason@neoartists.co.uk

New Photogram series: On show at the Halton Open from 12 April 2013

Following her residency to Shanghai in November 2012, Claire has been developing work using the arrows that she photographed there.  Using the camerless technique of producing a photogram, Claire has produced a series of works which see the arrows move across the page, leaving traces of where they have been behind them.

One of these works, 'Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here? (Down)' is on show at the Halton Open, at The Brindley Arts Centre, Runcorn from 13 April 2013, and has been awarded a Highly Commended prize.

The works are made using photosensitive paper in a darkroom, placing cut-out outlines of the Shanghai arrows onto the paper surface, exposing them to light, then moving the cut outs to a new position, exposing them to light, moving them again, and so on for a number of repetitions.

The works are for sale at a cost of £100 each (framed), contact the artist on info@claireweetman.co.uk

Coming soon.... 'Through'

 

18th April - 2nd June.

Neo:gallery22, The Market Place, Bolton, BL1 2AL

a-n awards over £20,000 in artists' bursaries

Twenty-five artists are to gain professional development support through a-n’s artists’ Re:view bursaries. Awarded in March, the bursaries range in value from £310-£1000, from a total fund of £21,700. They are specifically designed to support artists’ self-determined critical and artistic development.

Claire Weetman has been awarded one of these bursaries to enable her to develop her skills to produce digital interactive works that she developed proposals for during her 2012 residency to Shanghai.  She will work with Salford University and internationally recognised artists to develop her work both technically and with critical support.

Writing last year about the Arts Council England cuts to small-scale, practice-centred organisations, Dany Louise said: ‘Disinvestment will impact considerably on the scope of opportunity for artists, impacting adversely on their career development and livelihoods and increasing competition for the professional development opportunities that remain.”

a-n’s research has revealed that artists’ practices and livelihoods have indeed been badly affected, including through reductions in levels of paid work on offer and increased charges and costs being passed onto artists.

Set within a professional development programme that also includes seminars, Go and see bursaries, AIRTIME networking events and online resources, the Re:view bursaries are exclusive to a-n’s Artist + AIR membership. It is hoped they will play their part in providing artists with much-needed finance for self-directed critique and advice, assisting more artists to move their practice forward.

All artists with a-n Artist+AIR membership were eligible to apply for a share of the £21,700 fund, and from 56 applications received, the following were successful: Judith Alder (Sussex), Sovay Berriman (London), Charlie Carter (Hampshire), Amelia Crouch (Leeds), Sophie Cullinan (East Midlands), Susan Diab (Brighton), Susan Francis (Salisbury), FrenchMottershead-(London), Penny Hallas (Powys), Anton Hecht (Newcastle), Matthew Krishanu (London), Sally Lemsford (East Midlands), Jean McEwan (Keighley), Steve Messam (Cumbria, Elizabeth Murton (London), Julia O'Connell (Coventry), Kate Paxman (Torbay), Chantal Powell (London) Phiona Richards (Northampton), Alexis Zelda Stevens (London), Joe Stevens (Bridport), Clare Thornton (Bristol), Alana Tyson (Wales) and Claire Weetman (St Helens).

The practices of the successful artists range from painting, print and photography to digital art, dance, design and sound, many with collaborative working integral.