Advertising Exhibitions “Lines” Exhibition at The Strand Gallery – Plus a Great Big Lump of Everything Else (in a disorderly manner)
March 11, 2013
Art Journal Post 2013 by Jenny Meehan
London Downpour
It may be some time ahead, but you know how time flies. I am was pleased to have my painting “London Downpour” selected for the exhibition ” Lines” at The Strand Gallery (32 John Adam Street, London, WCZN 6BP) and I am looking forward to this event.
When I painted “London Downpour” the rain had already begun, though it sadly feels a little as if it has not stopped since then! I have a skylight window in my studio, which gives me a steady flow of water when the rain is pelting down, and I have tolerated this so far with the understanding that rain only happens for a few months in the year. I am wondering if I need to alter my thinking on the matter…
Here is “London Downpour”.
Advertising Exhibitions is an ambitious, non-profit exhibiting body founded in May 2012 by a group of University students eager to put their skills into practice whilst providing a platform for other emerging talent in the visual arts world, to do the same. The debut event ‘Lines’ is an open exhibition calling creative’s across all artistic disciplines, with the theme of “Process and Materiality” and will open at The Strand Gallery June 11-15 2013.
Looking back at “London Downpour” which was painted last year, I see this is the first painting where my regular trips up to London have made their presence known in an obvious way, simply because of the geometric structures of buildings coming into play, though heavily submerged in the Thames, by all appearances! Isn’t it funny how what we take in visually has a way of seeping into our thinking even if we don’t realise it.
From the early stages of the painting I knew I had buildings and water forms, but only a vague little idea, and I thought they might just go away as the painting progressed. But having decided to take a very process led approach to my painting, it became clear fairly early on that the painting was intending to stay firmly put in the basic beginning of solids and liquids. As for what happened later, I was most encouraged by looking and being influenced by the paintings of Claude Venard (1913 – 1999) who at least reassured me that taking such a path with a painting wasn’t a complete step into the unknown, and I may not be completely mad to paint in this way! (Rather, just a little touched by whatever Claude Venard was also quite clearly touched by!).
Since then, I have continued in a related vein, and this seems to be working for me in respect that I am getting some satisfaction from it.
It looks promising I think, this painting direction. As I sit here gazing at my scrap book of cut out prints which I have been meditating on over the last year (very handy to have these in front of the computer, and great to look at while waiting for things to load!) I’m confronted with Peter Lanyon’s Clevedon canvases, which he thought rather “crazy, quite invisible, victorian and unsaleable” and I’m reminded of the qualities which fascinate me so much. “Clevedon Night” 1964 is probably the one which has inspired me the most. I look at that every day, even though it’s just when I check my emails!!!!
(Post note: London Downpour sold and I was pleased to donate £50 to charity. Very pleased it was purchased by a collector and now hangs with some pleasant company, I understand, including a painting by Sandra Blow… I’m delighted, I love her paintings! )
Reading and Reflection
Wednesday the 6th February brought to me “RS Thomas and the Hiddenness of God” an interesting lecture by the Reverend Mark Oakley, Canon Treasurer of St Paul’s Cathedral. This was a public lecture given by Canon Mark Oakley, Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral
“Mark Oakley explores the idea that God is in the world as poetry is in the poem and that therefore silence and absence are part of his presence. He will do this by looking at the poetry of the celebrated Welsh priest and poet RS Thomas”
I understand that this very interesting lecture will be put up on the Kingston Parish Church (All Saints Church) website.
My reading at the moment is very much in this type of vein. I am dipping in and out of “Open To God” by Brother Bernard. Brother Bernard interweaves the story of St Francis, his own personal story, the story of humanity on the move, and a insights into human nature and it makes for a lovely read. I have also spent some considerable time looking at the writings of Saint Julian of Norwich and written a poem in response to them. I would like to read the Reverend Mark Oakley’s, now re published book “The Collage of God”. So that’s on the reading list! Just ordered a second hand copy, so will start soon.
Leatherhead Theatre Art Exhibition
I have put my hand, for the first time, to curating an exhibition, which will take place at Leatherhead Theatre, Church Street, Leatherhead. It will run from Sunday 5th May until Friday 31st May. Contact me for more details.
I am pleased to be showing some of my work alongside fellow painters Derek Turner and Nigel Prabhavalkar who like myself are members of KAOS (Kingston Artist’s Open Studios). There is a lot of work in organising something like this but worth it. It is far more interesting and enjoyable to see and experience other people’s work. You get so stuck in your own, and working out how to put different artist’s work into relationships with each other is a good challenge in itself. It’s quite a lot of admin to put something like this together, but good experience.
International Art English
And now, an amusing and very readable write, regarding International Art English. Now we all may know why “THE ART WORLD” in all it’s “glory” slips quickly into the sea, and reveals it was only made of sand! (Though most of us knew that anyway, I think).
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2013/jan/27/users-guide-international-art-english?CMP=twt_gu
I remember reading another article, some time ago, titled “Art Bollocks” or something like that which was running along the same track, fast.
Women’s Art Festival
47 Nelson Square, Surviving Houses at The Dugout Inclusive Women’s Art Festival
“47 Nelson Square, Surviving Houses” was selected to be exhibited as part of The Dugout Inclusive Women’s Arts Festival which tool place on the 2nd March at Hoxton Arches (arch 402) , Cremer Street, London.
This was a lovely event which included a short film festival. “47 Nelson Square Surviving Houses” looked great among the other works which were well spaced out and made for an interesting exhibition.
As part of the project the curators posed questions to the artists and the text for these was included as part of the exhibition. The questions the curators wanted to ask me and my responses were as follows:
Do you feel this painting is like a self-portrait?
I see it as showing a journey inside of myself, so it is a sort of internal portrait. Psychotherapy feels like going on a journey through your own ways of thinking. Sometimes it’s hard to find your way, and work out a sense of direction. I wanted the painting to show a mixture of outside and inside views so that the person looking at it would experience the same sense of difficulty and feeling as I have experienced in therapy. Before deciding to start therapy I also had a dream that my own mind was a house, and that it was crumbling and breaking up because the foundations were all destroyed.
Why did the building catch your attention? Why did you decide to learn its history?
The building caught my interest because it is part of a small terrace of old buildings (built 1807 – 1814) in a square of blocks of flats which are all much newer. I wanted to know why. Because I go inside 47 Nelson Road often I know how wonky the floor inside is. So I knew something had happened! Lambeth Bomb Damage maps which mapped all damage during WW2 in London show that all other houses in the square sustained some damage, ranging from “General Blast Damage – not structural” to “Seriously Damaged; doubtful if repairable”. Though 47 and it’s neighbours did survive the bombing it was not unaffected by the impact. Rather like me! So I felt a link with it.
Sexuality and the Church
I tend to keep my blog mostly to art related matters but I’ve been very interested in following the recent contribution to dialogue on the matter of homosexuality/GLBT raised by Steve Chalke, and see his response to responses to his article.
The video is called “A Matter of Integrity” and the full text of it can also be read here, among other places:
http://www.rogersteer.com/full-text-of-steve-chalkes-article-a-matter-of-integrity/
I am really pleased that Steve Chalke has breathed a breath of sanity into the whole situation of sexuality. Christians who also happen to have a different sexual orientation other than heterosexual are many. I am bisexual, and thankfully I’ve made it through a lot of confusion as to how I stand in relation to self acceptance and my religion, though its certainly a work in progress. Hopefully things like this will challenge many people to review their own thinking on the matter. We are called to love and acceptance for all. That means just that.
Poetry
Encouraged by a dear friend recently with respect to my writing, I am going to try and include the occasional poem in my WordPress Journal. Several years ago I wrote a poem called “Tiny Bones” which was based on a newspaper article about the amount of human bones which covered the ground in an area of one of the gas chambers run by the Nazis. I cannot remember which one it is off hand, but I do remember the impact it had on me. To see for myself the terrible reality, so clearly shown, of a certain attitude, one of prejudice, the sin of which we all suffer with, however, one which needs to be carefully and regularly rooted out. And how well disguised it can be, how it can claim to be motivated for the good of society.
Tiny Bones
I trod on fragments of bone,
homosexual, Jew and gypsy.
Unknowingly desecrating
precious loved ones
with my soles.
A heartless, human realisation –
I did not know, until the man told me,
when he spoke,
my world changed.
Brokenness took a new meaning.
Even the tiniest
prejudice
is a terrible thing.
I took one of the splinters –
pressed it
into my skin
and wept.
(Jenny Meehan copyright 2009)
Don’t know why the font as pasted as so, and too busy right now to change, but take it as being in the same font!
I guess if you count my writing as part of my art, it does qualify to be here! I notice I am getting a bit more cohesive in the respect that my art practice is engaging more with issues that matter to me. I haven’t set out for it to be that way, but certain mediums, for me, photography and writing, rather than the painting right now, do lean towards in a more social engagement type ilk. That’s a great word, “ilk”. Just love it!
Speaking Out Against Violence
Embrace Arts (University of Leicester Art Centre) Speaking Out: Women Healing from the Trauma of Violence Art Exhibition
Following then along the same thread, was a decision to submit some work for the forthcoming Embrace Arts (Universityof Leicester’s arts centre) exhibition 2014 which is titled ‘Speaking Out: Women Healing from the Trauma of Violence’. It’s a collaboration of Embrace Arts and the School of Modern Languages.The exhibition will be at Embrace Arts from Monday 13 January through to Friday 28 March 2014.
“The aims of Speaking Out are to promote awareness of the processes of healing from the trauma of violence against women and girls; communicate women’s experiences through contemporary art and from their testimonies; foster a dialogue about the connection between violence and mental health; break the secrecy and silence about the prevalence of abuse against the disabled; inspire confidence by speaking out to empower women and girls.”
All really worthwhile stuff. And some more of the blurb:
How to Support Jenny Meehan
If you like my art working and would like to support me you can!
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You can buy my original paintings directly from me personally.
Just contact me via the contact form. Price range is between £250 and £400.
Sometimes they are offered for sale during exhibitions too. Normally its more expensive to buy them this way, (though not always). Some organisations enable me to price my work in an accessible way due to the way they operate, but if a submission fee is required I obviously have to factor it in.
I dislike this system, but art exhibitions are used to generate funds for different organisations and charging artists to submit artwork (to submit… Even if not accepted!) is one way this is done. There are also other costs incurred by the artist in supplying the artwork for exhibition. So artists artworks sold during an exhibition are frequently more expensive for an art collector to purchase. It is often preferable to approach an artist directly and view work by arrangement in person.
If you are thinking of buying one of my original paintings I can arrange a viewing for you. If you are looking for something specific in terms of colour and/or style, just let me know because I have many more paintings than I am able to display online. I can send you further information on the process of buying artwork directly from me if you would find that helpful. I appreciate that it is unfamiliar ground for many people.
Also available via redbubble, the well known print on demand marketplace, you can buy unsigned prints on many substrates. This is an easy and convenient way to purchase my art online.
Take a look here:
It’s also a very good place to get a feel for quite a big strand of my creative artworking. Any problems locating what you want, feel free to contact me via the contact page on this Art Journal/ Artist Blog.
I have TWO Redbubble Artist portfolios! The “jennyjimjams” one has most artwork on it at the time of writing.
My two Redbubble Artist portfolios are;
I have mostly the abstract, flat colour geometrical art in Redbubble as it makes nice prints. I selected work for that platform in order to help my work become more accessible. There’s also a lot of surface pattern designs. I post more of those on my
Artist profile. I find creating patterns very therapeutic!
The main style of my original painting is Lyrical Abstraction/Abstract Expressionism. I also enjoy working with black and white photography tending towards pictorialism. I frequently use collage and digital collage.
Copyright and Licensing Digital Images Information – Jenny Meehan
Copyright in all images by Jenny Meehan is held by the artist.
Permission must be sought in advance for the reproduction, copying or any other use of any images by Jenny Meehan. Individuals or businesses seeking licenses or permission to use, copy or reproduce any image by Jenny Meehan should, in the first instance, contact Jenny Meehan.
Copyright for all visual art by Jenny Meehan is managed by the Design and Artists Copyright Society (DACS) in the UK. If you wish to licence a work of art by Jenny Meehan, please contact Jenny Meehan in the first instance to clarify your requirements.
DACS always make an initial proposal for image licensing fees in line with the industry standard. Personally, I am open to negotiation. So contact me in the first instance so we can discuss your requirements, project, and budget. The Designer and Artists Copyright Society will administrate accordingly.
It is I, the artist, who determines the final licensing fee, and there are often projects, charitable organisations, people and smaller ventures with which I am particularly keen to work with because of a shared vision. I appreciate budgets can be restrictive. While image licensing fees for my art images will broadly based on the industry standard, this is a guide amount, and can vary subject to circumstances.
The administration for organising an image licence is straightforward for both parties, and is done through the Design and Artist Copyright Society. They provide you with the licence paperwork and I supply you with the image.
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