Sunday 21 March 2010

Px3+J= ? Exhibition

First, I would like to apologise for my last post, despite me saying that I didnt want to rant that was a proper "ranting" post, but when things that you need are dragged and delayed for such amount of time, and never explained, can drive you into crazyness, and into believing that the whole system (society that we live in) is against us in that particular time. However, I received the paper on Friday, while in bed trying to recover from unhealthy night. Although, Im feeling better, I still feel an exquisite feeling inside by stomach. Hopefully it wont be anything serious.

Okay, now sticking up with the subject of this post.

Yesterday, after a 5 hours of working, I took the afternoon to go and visit Phil's exhibition called " Px3+J= ?". So when I finished at 3 in my job, I took the train to the remote and lovely town of Whistable, and how much that reminds me of my country, the beach, the wind, the smell of fish, the restaurants by the seaside everything made feel as if I was at one small seaside town back in Portugal. When I arrived at 2o past 5 at this beautiful place, I made my way to the local Arts Centre just off the High Street, on my way there, it was visible what type of place it was, remote full of independent shops, which sell the most variety of things.

When arriving to the exhibition, I saw familiar faces such as Phil Gomm (tutorphil for the bloggers), Phil Hosking (Photoshop Phil) and not so familiar faces but yet the artists of that exhibitions such as Phill Cooper and Jan Groszer.

Although, I arrived at about half 5 and art gallery closed at 6, which was quite annoying, I still had some time to "travel" through the exhibition. It was for my surprise to find such diverse works in such a small room, but yet so interesting to see.

Starting my "journey" by looking at Phil Gomm's Pictures, I really liked how despite being normal flora that we can see everyday, is explored in a rather more detailed and abstract way, as I didnt have time to get the names of the pictures, I enjoyed most of them. I liked that exploration of the colour and the shapes, which gave that abstract effect, where the viewer is presented with such familiar world but yet so unknown.

Moving towards Phil Hosking's wall, I was presented by some sort of Kadisnky style (not that I want to associate both), but the use of bold colours and the abstract shapes, Although not being the greatest fan of Kadisnky's work, I do agree with his ideals, of using colour to express. Although the shapes are not really defined in Phil Hosking paintings, the colours are the high point of it. The epxressionism delivered by the colours can be perceived by each individual differentely and that what makes it interesting.
On the far end of Hosking's wall was 2 series of sculptured busts, while the 1st 4 were interesting to watch, the last 4 were the ones which stroke me the most in which he could actually just by making a bust capture what the character is and its personality.

Once again, moving towards Jan Groszer's wall, I saw the favourite part of this exhibition, more specifically the Totem Series, I dont know if is because I like machinery and all its details or not. The totem series were moody and dark photographs of different machines abandoned in this remote place. As I first looked at the pictures, our brain resembles to something that we have already seen somewhere, and the picture of my brain was of a German Bunker abandoned for long years after WWII or any kind of Steampunk, the beautiful textures and lighting shot by the camera creating such a atmosphere of post-apocalyptic place never again to be inhabitated. Something out of the "the Road".
Also on Groszer's wall were far more intimate pictures of the author nude in different rooms of his old flat in London. A far more honest approach than the Totem series, I perceive it as the comodity of home, the idea of comfort, "there's no place like home" slogan, on the contrary,I also had the idea of moving the new skin coming into your body a new life to be build from that time onwards. The pictures were beautifully shot, with a lot of contrast created by using black and white photograph, but also the lighting, On one hand,they could distinguish the portrayed element, Jan, on the other hand they also camouflaged him as part of the house.

Finally, for my last stop in the exhibition, were the paintings by Phil Cooper, once again the abstract factor as presented in some of them, the strong use of colour. But what I found diferent from hosking's paintings, this painting had a different athmosphere, a more cold and wintery effect to them.

Overall I really enjoyed the exhibition despite not spending much time in there. What elese can I say about the town of Whistable apart from loving it, and definately a place that I will visit more often.

4 comments:

Jackie said...

Glad you are feeling better and that you made it to the exhibition!

Bluejetdude said...

Mate there is no need to apoligise about your rant. Trust me, we ALL rant at the UK delivery system :)

Ruben Martins said...

@jackie
im a bit better, thank you

@Earl

I know it is just a nightmare

Charlotte said...

Yes it's true, UK post and the public transport make even us English roll our eyes and rant at least once (lost count of how many times I've complaigned about it). Good to hear your feeling better. Wished I'd been able to go to Phil's exhibition, sounded like it was a fun event. However I had work :(.