44 AD Art Gallery Exhibition 2 nd Exhibition

44 AD Art Gallery Exhibition

2 nd Exhibition • After the trial exhibition at Loves Café it was refreshing to have the chance to exhibit at 44 AD in Bath. • This professional gallery is situated in a prominent position next to the Abbey. • Once preliminary enquires were made we went to Bath to look at the exhibition space. •

Building

The following slides show the ground level exhibition space

This space was downstairs in the basement

• Everyone agreed it was a great opportunity and were really impressed with the exhibition space. • Unlike Loves Café which was free this space cost £ 550. 00 to put on a show for a week. • Lessons learned from Loves Café meant hopefully things would run smoothly • Also this space was open for 3 D artists like myself

Poster • It was decided to revamp the existing poster and it was agreed to take photos of actual work which was then merged together to form an abstract image. • The work was photographed up close using a Macro lens so the images were not representational or easily recognisable. • Once the images were merged and the information was included in the poster it had a much more personal and professional appeal than the original poster. • We still used the word individual as we all agreed the class is very diverse.

Poster

Making work • Although there was a rush to complete work right to the last minute I believe that there was a better feel as 3 D artists were able to show their work rather than having to come up with a 2 D project for the last show. • The last show was easily transported in students cars however this show required a lot more organisation. A van would be needed to transport the sculptural pieces and some paintings were very large. • Due to the opportunity and prestigious situation of this exhibition it was decided to include the Y 3 students work. This decision was met with some opposition from Y 2 students.

Loading up the van • A large transit van was required to carry all of the work which had to be properly wrapped and packed to avoid damage. • Sculpture too had to be bubble wrapped and strapped down. • The tutors were curating the exhibition but at the last minute needed helping hands to unload at the gallery and unwrap all the work so I got roped in. • The gallery although in an excellent position had no parking outside so on arrival the work had to be walked a short distance into the premises.

Curating the exhibition • For me, this was by far the most interesting, stressful and informative part of the whole process. • There is an absolute science to putting up a show especially when you have such diversity within the group. • For example the height of the work has to be measured and in uniform with each other. • Work had to be put out so it was all viewable. • Once again work was not completely prepared and mirror plates had to be screwed to the back of some paintings and prints.

Cont’d • Work was hung, moved and rehung on numerous occasions. • Initially the view from outside through the windows was assessed, in order to get people through the door you have to have visible work that would pull them in. • Once the viewers are in the gallery the first room has to work, the pieces need to complement each other and have a cohesive feel. A doorway opened to the second room so there had to be natural flow from one room to the next with all the work in the second room also working together. Marrying print, oils and sculpture conveying different messages is not an easy task.

cont’d • Other considerations were problems such as the reflections from windows obscuring worked framed with cheap glass. • Frames that had broken, and/or work that was framed badly. • Some work looked far better out of frames that were chosen by students due to inexperience. I certainly was unaware how the wrong framing of your work can devalue it. • During the curation of a show I would seek out a professional when looking to frame any work.

cont’d • It was very apparent that the volume of work was too much to hang as we worked hard at it all day and didn’t get it finished. • Luckily I was rotated to be on duty the following day so I was able to see the curation process to the end. • It is important to note that there are different styles of curation. • The following day we worked hard to hang the remainder of the show in some of the most difficult areas the hallway and the basement. • Some of the decisions were met with opposition from the students however once the process had been explained I believe these feelings were dismissed.

cont’d • On the second day of curation we were in discussion with a different representative from the gallery who did not agree with the drilling of holes to put up work. • This is something that needs to be fully clarified prior to commencement as it could have caused great difficulty. All of the previous days 2 d work was drilled into the walls. • The work was finished during the arrival of the students for the opening event. Clearly the time it took to put up the show was seriously underestimated. • It was important to remember that when taking down the show we would have to make good all the damage to black white walls and plinths.

cont’d • Being present during the whole process of loading, unwrapping, preparing, curating and hanging of the show I was amazed at what hard work it was. • The opening event coincided with the final pieces being put up. Personally I found the attitude of some of the students, ungrateful, hostile and prima donna like behaviour. • I strongly feel that allowing students to understand the process of curation and the reasoning behind why their work was placed in a certain area alongside other work may have gone some way in alleviating bad feeling.

cont’d • Overall I found the whole experience very rewarding. I was introduced to curating and the methods behind it which I found particularly interesting. I am glad I was fortunate enough to experience every aspect of putting up the show and now fully appreciate what a difficult and exhausting task it is. • I think either a lesson or practical experience for others would be beneficial. • I feel the show looked as professional as any established group of artists might and was very proud to be part of it. • I enjoyed talking to visitors who seemed very interested and impressed by the range of materials and themes. I believe the show was a success.

2 nd year work

My work that was include in the show

Comparision • Comparing Loves Café and 44 AD. • The two venues could not be further part in quality of location and premises. It is important to remember Loves was free and a trial run and 44 AD was quite expensive but very professional. In my opinion I would never use Loves again whereas I would jump at the chance to exhibit in 44 AD despite the cost. • During the process I think some lessons were learned however different obstacles were apparent in both. • Organisation was a flaw during both shows as was accountability. This is an important lesson to learn when approaching collaborations in the future.

cont’d • Time management and schedules need better attention and execution, it is important to keep referring back to dates and deadlines. • Keeping everyone informed is another area that requires attention, tutors, students and even including people who run the venue. • The poster and flyers were again left right to the last minute which has a direct impact on advertising. • Invitations and robust marketing are a necessity and again in both exhibitions overlooked this important area. • There is often little cohesion in the group and this can lead to bad feeling. Clear expectations and accountability are a must.

Cont’d • With regard to the marketing, again, newspapers social media and gallery invitations could have been exploited. • Personal marketing like business cards and personal statements would have been a professional touch for visitors. • Contact details are important if we are intending to sell our work and personal statements give the visitors a personal insight into out work in order to help them understand what they are looking at. • Most of these areas were missed and notes should be made as it can be too easy to focus on the logistics of an exhibition rather than the detail.

cont’d • Finally, on a personal level the whole experience has imparted a vast amount of information and knowledge. I did not enjoy the Loves experience and was not impressed by the venue. I did enjoy the process of the 44 AD show, and feel that I have grown immensely from the experience. Although I don’t believe the first show prepared the class for the second or indeed enabled us to work better as a group, I have a greater understanding of what is required. This is mainly due to making a personal choice to get involved in order to gain as much as possible out of the experience. • Not everybody feels as interested or excited by exhibiting their work and it is not always possible to enthuse them to participate. However I can control what I gain from the experience and seize every opportunity to learn despite negativity.