Jo Murfin

ARTIST'S STATEMENT


I am an artist and designer who enjoys working in different disciplines, Textiles, Photography and Fine Art.

The work I produce focuses on some of these key elements. I enjoy the impact doodle drawing have in design and art and how photographs can be stripped from their original status and take on a new lease of life through the perspective of a pattern, creating innovative and exciting results.

Elaine Akester

ARTIST'S STATEMENT


In my artistic practise, I am drawn to exploring the recurrent themes of self and cultural identity. Questions such as "Who am I?" and "Where do I come from?" and "Why am I here?" are often starting points for a piece of work.
Allied themes to this include memory, displacement, and difference often initiated from an autobiographical perspective.

Another key aspect to my work is understanding and capturing our relationship with place and landscape. I am intrigued by the emotional responses people get by being in particular geographic places. Our need to connect with particular places and immerse ourselves in the feelings generated by these experiences (cathexis) informs my development and work greatly.

I work predominantly in producing installation pieces. Once I have gained clarity about the message I want to convey, I will start to develop a visual image of how this will look. These images are then converted, initially to rough pencil sketches. I will collect objects, photographs and other found objects and begin the process of developing some small scale models, where appropriate. I then begin to construct the piece, often taking away or otherwise altering the piece until it is as distilled and minimal as it can be, without losing the intended message. Audience engagement and participation are important aspects to my art work. I want the viewer to be intrigued and curious about what they are experiencing and the engagement of their senses in addition to the visual sense is important. My intention, throughout, is to create visual poetic installations which distil large and complex themes.

I also use photography in my work. Sometimes, photography is the chosen medium for my art. Other times, taking photographs can act as a catalyst or starting point for a body of work. The manipulation and incorporation of old photographs, especially autobiographically ones is an important component of my working practise.

My primary influences are Louise Bourgeois, Christian Boltanski and contemporary Irish artist Alice Maher.

Phil Barker

ARTIST'S STATEMENT

My work focuses on the theme of the urban
environment,and is representative of our
lifestyle. My inspiration draws from the
architecture around the urban landscape
and I use different media to create images
of past and present situations to show the
way society uses and abuses areas of
depravation and/or beauty.

I also like to use light and colour as a
key element in my work, and explore
different ways of making light work.I use
this media to stimulate the imagination of
the viewer, to enable them to create their
own mental image through their knowledge
of the environment.

I also draw from my past experience within
the building industry. Travelling in
different countries has also given me an
insight into other culture's urbanisation.

Naomi Gale

ARTIST'S STATEMENT

I predominately work as a
painter and drawer but do
venture down many other
avenues encompassed within
visual arts spectrum.

The inspiration for my work
is often focused on the
physical act of mark making
and the tactile experience
of paint. It incorporates
gestural marks that create
layers and textures which
represent visceral sensa-
-tions embedded within the
canvas.

My work visualises a sense
of energy and spontaneity
under certain elements of
control.

Melanie Jakubson

Exhibiting at The Malt Cross,
The Malt Cross Gallery,
St James St, Nottm.

3-17th Feb 2010.

Exhibiting along with artists: -
Julie Deacon, Giovanni Scavetta,
Ann McCartney

ARTIST'S STATEMENT

My work focuses on the existence
of presence, observation, action
and change: physical and
spiritual, the very concept of
life experience itself.

In addition, I am inspired by the
natural world in all its
complexity, exploring a wide
variety of materials from around
the world which brings colourful
textile imagery to my work.
Experimentation of such materials
along with exploration of culture
allows me the opportunity to
develop a unique, diverse visual
language.

I am also very inspired by natural
forms and patterns changing over
time, which intrigues me by the
very action of change.