The Albany Gallery

I recently reviewed an exhibit at the Albany Gallery in Roath. The three artist are prime examples of the quality of work which is coming out of Wales. Please read

At first I wasn’t expecting much from an exhibition put on by a gallery above an Italian takeaway. But the three artists on display at the Albany Gallery, Roath left me pleasantly surprised.

All three painters chose similar subject matters, rural Wales, so the paintings work well with one another. But their styles are so different, which allows a great deal of variety as well.

Walking into the gallery, the first artist you come across is Wendy Murphy. Originally from Kent, she moved to Wales in 1990 to become a full-time artist. Ms Murphy has been exhibiting at the Albany Galley for a number of years.

Her work catches the eye because of her use colour and the way she paints gives a sense of movement and life to her work. Both her still-lifes and her landscapes have clearly taken a lot of inspiration from the post-Impressionist artist, Vincent van Gogh. Her “Daffodils” and “Geraniums” are similar in style and composition of van Gough’s famous “Sunflowers”.

She has said: “I draw great emotional support from walking in the Welsh hills and listening to music, which I find uplifting. I gain inspiration from direct observation of the landscapes, people that I know and things from my everyday life.”

She adds “The painting process I find both painful and exciting. I encourage serendipity by working quickly and allowing the paint a certain amount of freedom.”

Some of Wendy Murphy’s paintings:

“Geraniums”

“Cow Parsley”

“Aberdovey Boat”

“Girls”

“Daffodils”

“Alun and Betti”

The second artist of the exhibit is Stephen Jon Owen, a Caerphilly-born painter. He is self-taught and draws his inspiration from his upbringing in Caernarfon and Church Bay, Anglesey.

Many of the smaller paintings in the gallery are Mr Owen’s work. His use of mixed media may look crude, compared to other artists in the gallery, but I found them to be very charming. They show a more warm and welcoming side to the Welsh landscape. His use of mix media does work to very good effect on his painting “Yr Hen Giat” giving the snow a three dimensional effect.

His style is certainly more modern than the other two artists exhibited. In his larger pieces he has painted using sponges to recreate the landscape. The subject of the paintings is clear, but they are more abstract and colourful than other landscapes in the exhibit.

Some of Stephen Jon Owen’s work:

“Yr Wyddfa A Crib Goch”

“Mynd I Bingo”

“Ar Ol Y Glaw”

“Tai Deiniolen”

“Glan Rafon”

“Yr Hen Giat”

“Machlud Groeslon”

“Rhaf Y Foryd”

Finally there are the paintings by David Porteous- Butler. This painter was taught by and became a good friend of the late Welsh landscape painter, Sir Kyffin Williams. The paintings are undeniably beautiful and the artist is highly skilled. His use of a palette knife gives a realistic texture to his more rustic landscapes.

Yet the sheer size and scale of his paintings can leave a feeling isolation and lifelessness, and I think their realistic appearance does not help them with this problem. Unlike the other two artists in the gallery, his paintings are beautiful but they seem to lack warmth and charm.

In my opinion it is the artist smaller pieces, which are his finest. Focusing on smaller landscapes shows the artist is capable of achieving the special something, which is lacking in his larger pieces.

Some of David Porteous-Butler’s work:

“Moelfre”

Kyffin’s House 3

“From Beaumaris 2”

“Porth Nobla”

“Waterfall – Bettws Y Coed”

“Towards Pentrefoelas”

“Kyffin with Keys”

“View from Pen Y Pass”

“Ascending Snowden”

On the whole the pieces were a beautiful example of what kind of art is being produced in Wales. The three artist will exhibit their work until 2 February.

4 out 5 stars.

Grangetown Graffiti – Sevenoaks Park

I trudged through the snow, risked life and limb on icy paths to bring you these images today … well not really, but I’ve always liked to be a bit dramatic. As I mentioned in the last post, I heard about another legal graffiti wall in Sevenoaks Park, Grangetown. It was just a short walk from the centre of Cardiff, but at first site the park is rather disappointing. It appears to be fine for dog walking, but not really somewhere you would actively go out of your way to visit.

Then I stepped in, walked down a narrow path and almost out of nowhere this wall of colour emerged from around the corner. I have to say, after several weeks of tracking down much of Cardiff’s graffiti work I’ve come to expect a certain standard, and one things for sure the park does not disappoint. With the whole park covered in snow, the wall shone through magnificently. I was completely won over when I saw a Star Wars stormtrooper riding a giant chicken. The art lover in me marvelled at the creativity of many of these artists, the nerd in me did think the Rebel Alliance would not have stood a chance if George Lucas had factored in giant chickens. But in all seriousness, my trip to the park was tinged with sadness, Sevenoaks Park  is the last major site for graffiti in Cardiff, so I hope you enjoy what’s on offer:

Elm Street Graffiti Alley

Hello, all

Just a quick one this week, as I’m currently revising for a public administration exam (which is about as fun as it sounds!), so this post is really procrastination.

When I went to Trackside last week, I was actually on my way to an alleyway just off Elm Street, Roath which Cardiff-based graffiti artist, SPK  tipped me off about (some of his piece have featured in past posts as well).

So here we go, you can click to enlarge:

I have to say I’m astounded each time I visit these places, and after finding out about another graffiti wall in the Grangetown area of Cardiff (possibly a future post) I can say that street art has become an integral part of the cultural fabric of this city.

I have found this youtube video, it shows pieces which are sadly are not in the alleyway anymore, but at least they are not forgotten:

Behind the Gate – Return to Trackside Studio

When I was researching my previous post on graffiti, I went down to an alleyway, just off Richmond Road, that showcased work from the Trackside studio. I got a good amount of pictures of the work along there, but to my frustration I was unable to get any from outside the studio itself. That part of the alley was gated off, I could see the quality of the work but without a long lens camera, there was no way I would have been able to get a photo to do the artworks justice.

Over the festive season, I found out that one of the pieces outside Trackside had been painted over, with the image above. Showing to me the importance of documenting these pieces before they are replaced or removed for good. I then noticed the gate to the previously inaccessible alley was open, so I am now able to show you the rest of the Trackside pieces.

The Late Amy Winehouse

The image below is the subject of a youtube video showing how artists, Rmer and Amoe came together to create it.

2012 – The best graffiti and street art

Loved this post. Great to see a compilation of street art from all around the world.

DJ Leekee Online

Time to look back and see what amazing pieces have been created for our enjoyment on walls across the world. These are just a small selection of the many thousands of original pieces that created yearly. I’m sure it’s becoming more commonplace for large murals to be adorning walls on all major cities on every continent.

Beginning in Cardiff and some random heart balloons taken around the alleyway leading to the Cardiff City Stadium.

Throughout the whole year Enta continued to update her artwork opposite Chapter Arts in Cardiff. I think the weather has been so rubbish that it hasn’t been updated as often as last year!

The shutters of local shops were been brightened up with artwork from local artists in the Canton area of Cardiff.

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Public Art – Part 1: Natural Talent

Over the next couple of weeks, I will be devoting several posts to Cardiff public art. You would think, as this type of art is plonked in areas so accessible to the public, that people would take more notice of it than other forms of art. However I find that we’ve become so accustomed to public art, that they have practically become invisible.

Bute Park at dusk.

In fact many of the piece that I will be showcasing over the next couple of weeks, I came across completely by accident. As I did with the focus of this post.

I like Bute Park, in the centre of Cardiff, it gives you an escape from the hustle and bustles of urban life. So after a particularly stressful week, I decided to go for a walk. The park is naturally beautiful, so I didn’t go out in the search for a piece to write about, I  inevitably stumbled across something that caught my interest.

Pumba the warthog

Poking out of the ground I saw… a head! Thankfully, not anything you may hear about in the newspaper or on the news. This was what I could only describe as a massive boars head with Spock ears, I later found out it was a warthog known as Pumba. Made from material found in the park it looks as though the ground itself had spat out this monster pig.

This discovery led me to find a number of wood carvings dotted about the park.  These sculptures were part of the Bute Park Restoration Project which it is hoped will encourage children to explore and play in the park. Subjects include a large frog, a stag beetle, an otter and fish.

The sculptures are the work of wood carver, Tom Harvey. After studying fine art and working for a few years in forestry and tree surgery, Mr Harvey decided to take up wood carving as a profession. He used a chainsaw and chisel to create these larger than life sculptures out fallen tree trunks.

Mr Harvey’s website said: “Whilst working in this way (often in public places on very large visible sculptures) can be unnerving as it is hard to turn back on decisions made, the artist feels that this process of discovery makes the creation of the sculptures all the more exciting and intuitive.”

Cardiff Gallery on Tour – Kings Cross Station, London

The idea for this blog post came as a result of not being in Cardiff for the next three weeks, so I’m taking you on my very own art tour. But don’t worry I’ve not abandoned Cardiff altogether, I will also be posting a series of posts on public art in Cardiff soon, so keep an eye out for them.

I was in London recently, and I’m not going to bore you with the a long article on the traditional art venues, like the National Gallery, or the Tate Modern. Mainly because they are pretty well known already, and I didn’t actually stay in London very long.

I came across the subject of this post purely by accident, which I sometimes find is the best way to find out about certain pieces of art.

As I was waiting for my train at London’s King’s Cross Station, I saw a flash of colour in the corner of my eye. I looked out of the main exit of the station, onto Euston Road, to see an amazing site, a massive graffiti mural. In fact at 450 square metres it is London’s largest mural.

The Megaro Hotel new redesign was at the request of the building’s owner, Tony Megaro, and was completed in two weeks, earlier this year. It took 150 litres of emulsion, 160 litres of spray paint and 4 street artists to produce the work.

But the mural has proved controversial among local residents and the members of the King’s Cross Conservation Area.

I can understand why, the building itself is a beautiful piece of Georgian architecture. But it’s not listed, so the owner is perfectly within his rights to do what he wants with it.

In my opinion, the mural is stunning, and London, like Cardiff, is a modern, edgy capital city which should encourage more of this sort of thing.

I would not have even taken notice of this building while waiting for a train before, now it is really hard to miss.

The Boiler House legal graffiti

The Boiler House wasn’t open when I went there the other day, its such a shame because the work they do there’s amazing. To see my own piece on street art: https://thecardiffgallery.wordpress.com/2012/12/06/graffiti-vandalism-or-street-art/

Graffiti – Vandalism or Street Art?

GRAFFITI MANAGEMENT PLAN

Last month,Toronto city council established an official panel to assess the city’s graffiti. The ‘Graffiti Management Plan’ as it is now known came from a pledge by the city’s mayor to reduce public vandalism. The panel consists of five specialist who will go around Toronto, to determine which pieces of graffiti have enough artistic credentials to warrant preserving and which should just be removed.

You might ask, what has this got to do with Cardiff? Well the issues Toronto council are addressing are not restricted to one country, or even one continent. Any culturally-conscious city in the world can see that over the last ten years street art has become more recognised and accepted as an art form by the general public. Cardiff has a thriving street art scene but faces the same conundrum as Toronto and other cities.

VANDALISM 

Cardiff Council receive on average 1200 complaints about graffiti a year. Many of the complaints are completely understandable, people thinking something looks unsightly, or it brings down the reputation of an area. The council also removes graffiti which is likely to cause offense such as those which used threatening words. Preventative measures have been put in place to minimize the damage some graffiti has on an area, such as murals, anti-graffiti coatings and educating in schools.

However the council is aware the decision to remove some street art can be difficult at times. Alex Gazi, from Cardiff Council, said:

“We recognise the line does blur on occasions. In general if something is unauthorised its graffiti. 90% of what we come across really has little artistic merit and was probably completed in under a minute. There are occasions when we do come across work that is undoubtedly highly skilled and has probably taken quite a while to complete. Unfortunately this is still classed as illegal. It has been done without the owners consent. To date though, even in cases such as this, I’ve never had a property owner want it removed, probably because they like it.”

He added to implement a panel, as Toronto has done, in Cardiff would ultimately be difficult because the power lies with the property owner and not the council.

STREET ART

Street art has become more prominent in the UK as a result of well-known artists such as Banksy. Yet even these people have had their work targeted in campaigns against graffiti. In 2009, a volunteer in Somerset painted over a Banksy piece worth £5000.

Yet Cardiff street artist have been given a safe place to showcase their work, free from fear of prosecution. In Landaff North, just off St Andrew’s Road, artists have been given two walls, both 500 ft long, to spray to their hearts content. Walking down this thoroughfare, it’s like an open air gallery, you are immediately struck by the colour, the variety and the quality of the work on show.

The walls are next to Wales’s first graffiti and street art gallery, The Boiler House. The galleries aim is to support and showcase street art while providing local and national artists a place to sell their work. The gallery is run by Peaceful Progress and they provide community workshops which they claim “are great for building confidence, and are an exciting way to engage and inspire young people of all ages”.

Two years ago, Bradley Rmer set up a similar project, called Trackside Studio in Roath. He said: “I needed a space to create my art, this has led to holding community workshop in the space, our workshop are for every one from school children to graphic designers. Everyone can get positive and creative experience out of our workshop sessions.”

Both studios encourage community involvement and education, far from the reputation of urban decay and criminality that graffiti once had. The tutors of these workshops are experienced artists, Mr Rmer said”I have been using aerosol paint for 17 years but have been drawing since I could first pick up a crayon.” But he adds, “I’m still learning!  You can learn a lot in just a few months, depending on the energy and practice you put into it.

What becomes clear is, far from mindless vandalism, street art requires great skill and experience. What distinguishes them from ‘traditional’ artists is their choice of canvas – the urban environment.

This type of art has inspired Cardiff based artist, Alexandra Jones:

If you want to see for yourself some of Cardiff street art, see map below:

And the Winner is?

On Friday, the winner of Artes Mundi 5 was announced to be Mexican artist, Teresa Margolles. I have to say when I heard I was surprised, but then I thought if I have learnt anything while doing this blog it is this, the days when art was merely something attractive to put on your wall are gone.

Especially in contemporary art, the aims are less about an esthetically pleasing piece of art and more about the message the piece is trying to convey. I went to see the Artes Mundi exhibits at Cardiff National Museum in October and although I may not have found Ms Margolles work very pleasant, it was one of the only exhibits in this years Artes Mundi that I actually understood.

Ms Margolles has a degree in forensic medicine and this knowledge seems to have clearly influenced the mortuary themed exhibit. Her piece Plancha, is a row of hot plates in which water, used to wash down corpses in a Mexican morgue, is dropped on. The water immediately evaporates which is meant to represent the transition in death from present to absent and the processes of decomposition. Although I have to admit part of me thought, “I’m breathing in water used to wash down dead people”.Moving on from that, Sonidos de la morgue allows you to experience the sound of an autopsy.

“Plancha”

But the last of her exhibits has a far more personal edge to it. When you walk into the room the spotlight falls on a square of tiles. These tiles are from the studio of a close friend of the artist, Luis Miguel Suro, who was brutally murdered. In fact the tiles were from the exact spot where his body was found. You’re looking at a crime scene, and marks from the crime are clearly visible. This piece shows the impact violence has on our everyday lives.

“32 años. Levantamiento y traslado donde cayo el cuerpo asesinado del artista Luis Miguel Suro”

Now it might seem a morbid subject to base an exhibit on, but I think exhibit also picks up on the different culture between the UK and Mexico. Whereas we try and shy away from death, in Mexico, they have special holidays devoted to it. I do wonder whether my reaction would have been different, if we took a different approach to death in this country.

The judges reasons for picking Margolles were the way the pieces showed “the visceral power and urgency as well as the sophistication of her work in confronting an on-going human tragedy”. The first prize was £40,000, the largest cash price for art in the UK.