Thursday 30 October 2014

We recently had a visiting talk from Chris Grant Peterkin, the founder of Visual Art Trader. On the Visual Art Trader website, buyers can buy directly from the artist, so there’s no commission as well. Visual arts trader puts on pop up exhibitions in local areas for its artist members work and for its registered buyers to go see new work. Buyers can also arrange to visit artist’s studios. Chris Peterkin gave a talk not just about Visual Art Trader, and how it can help us, but he was a great speaker about how we can get our work out there for people to see. Discussing all the issues that face a practicing artist. He told us how to get our work out there on online platforms, and how each platform is different (some platforms have bigger database of members, but might charge more commission). He gave really helpful advice on how the art market works and how to navigate it. The talk was a really useful talk about being a professional artist online, it was really interesting and educational

http://www.visualarttrader.co.uk/index.cfm



Monday 27 October 2014

Last week I was at SSW (Scottish Sculpture Workshop) on a bronze casting course. It was a brilliant experience and I learn a lot about working with bronze, a very traditional material with many appealing properties. I wanted to bring the material value and tradition of bronze casting into my work, and juxtapose these qualities with my broken found objects. The strength and meaning behind the bronze which I cast into a chair leg compared to the weakened, discarded old chair where the wax cast came from brought to light an interesting counter balance for me. Trying to marry these two opposing materials will be a constant battle.

At SSW I talked to the technicians working there, one of the assistant technicians was a recent graduate from Dundee University, and was doing a year apprenticeship at SSW. He said it has been a brilliant experience, and he didn't go in with a background in working with bronze, but has learnt a lot from being there and is going on to work in Venice for a year when he has finished at SSW. Applying for an apprenticeship like this after I graduate would be something I would be really be interested in. Not only would it be a valuable experience learning all about the different materials and processes, there would be access to facilities for the whole year of your apprenticeship to work in your spare time. An apprenticeship as a technician would be great for me CV and would open doors to work in all kinds of different places, and as a material based sculptor, I could really develop my skills in my chosen field.


Saturday 4 October 2014

The Gego: Line as Object exhibition at The Henry Moor Institute was a great exhibition to visit. I visited the exhibition a couple of times, the first time I was interested by the forms Gego's wire lines made, pulsating in and out at uneven angles. They seemed to hold space, without taking up any room at all. They were an impression of something being there, creating shadows, dividing space but not suppressing it. They seemed to react to the space in and around them like molecules.
The second time I went I was with my Dad, who studied physics at University. I was interested in how he interpreted Gego's work (who after all did say her work wasn't sculpture). He told me that 'Vibration in Black' (1957) looked like interference patterns, as the slowly revolving lines of loosely coiled aluminium was suspended from the ceiling, revealed patterned shadows on the wall. When the shadows on the wall crossed over each other caused by the revolving coiled lines of the aluminium, they created optical interference patterns which looked like waves moving of their own accord. A clever manipulation of light and space I hadn't noticed before! but my Dad being the physics expert picked up on it straight away.
I could see that the line as object was a lot more than sculptural form for Gego; it was an experiment with light, weight, force and space.


http://www.henry-moore.org/hmf/press/press-releases/henry-moore-institute-leeds/2014/gego-line-as-object

Wednesday 1 October 2014


New blog for Personal and Professional Practice module. Looking to create a Public profile for my work and to link with my website. By linking my website with my blog I hope it will show how one informs the other, and to look at how I develop my work. But it's early days yet!

My website so far: http://www.yvonnebainesartist.co.uk/