How to write an Exhibition Review

I have never written a exhibition review quite as long or as formal as this one before so decided to research some tips of how to write one. I have read other reviews such as the ones in source magazine and although they give you some idea I felt some more structure would be helpful.

1. Discuss the artwork that stands out most to you from the exhibition and why you like it/don't like it
2. Try to find interviews to back up what you want to say about the artist
3. Find out about the gallery at which the exhibition is being held as a lot of galleries only display certain types of work.
4. what issue is the artist trying to portray in their work? what makes it uniique
5. Make sure to write in 3rd person
6. Opinions need to be backed up with evidence
7. Magazine layout ? A title that engages reader ?

Exhibition Review- Chuck Close: 'Process & Collaboration'

Chuck Close is an american painter who is most known for his photo-realist approach to his portraits of family and friends but in 1988 was paralyzed by a spinal artery collapse and is now in a wheelchair but amazingly that never stopped him from making work. His illness forced him to find a new way to work so had to move on from his detailed photo-like paintings so now works in a more abstract way.

This exhibition was held at The White Cube Bermondsey in London from the 6th of march until the 21st of April. This is a newer gallery as it only opened in October 2011 however it is the biggest of all of The White Cube galleries. It has 3 major exhibition spaces and also has a book shop which is rather handy as art book are not exactly the easiest to get hold on in a regular book shop. To go along side the exhibitions they also run lectures in their 60 seat auditorium so it is great for those in education. Although it is great because it displays work of very well known artists it is focused on making money rather than getting artists known in the world.

I have admired Chuck Close's work for a long time as although I'm studying photography I tend to find myself more inspired by artwork and I think his work shows a lot of skill. The piece that I've always loved is 'Emma' which he created in 2002 however what I did not realize was that he had a few different versions using oil paint, watercolors and woodblocks.His work is one of those must-see because its even more incredible in person especially as they are large scale pieces so they have a great impact in an exhibition than a book.

Emma,2002

Although I am normally not the biggest fan of such a clean layout gallery I felt this one worked because although still on white walls it had a classic but simple layout and was not over packed with work but it just felt fitting to chuck closes work. I would happily go back here to see other artists work as they kept it simple yet professional.

Sources:

http://whitecube.com/

Book: Chuck Close (Exhibition),1998-1999 :Museum of Modern Art http://prism.talis.com/jersey/items/226834?query=chuck+close&resultsUri=items%3Fquery%3Dchuck%2Bclose

Exhibition Review- Ansel Adams: 'Photography from Mountains to the Sea'

Ansel Adams was an american photographer who worked on a large format camera and is best known for his black and white landscapes. This exhibition displayed a lot of his work considering the space maybe too much ranging from waterfalls and rivers to mountains and close-up shoots too.

This exhibition of Ansel Adams work was held at the national maritime museum in London from November 9th 2012 until 28th of April 2013 which is a long time for an exhibition to be held but for someone so famous and influential in photography it is a must see exhibition.

The piece of work that stood out the most was his large triptych due to the scale of them and they were near enough in the center of the exhibition space however it could be questioned that they really work best as individual pieces as appose to a trip-tic. Triptych normally fit together much better then these did it was like Adams' just printed his all time favorite 3 photographs in large scale because he could. Having said that they way he made each image was quite outstanding especially for the 1950's. Adams' did this by hanging large sheets of unexposed paper on the wall and projected his image horizontally from the enlarger. These had to be printed in sections and joined on backing board. 

Although this was the biggest piece in the exhibition is was no where near the most visually appealing one of the show. Several other prints such as his close up of a shipwreck titled, 'shipwreck series, lands end, San Francisco, 1931'. Adams uses the word extract instead of abstract as a photographer can only represent a moment in time however it can be selective. Well that's what drew me to this series how he had extracted something from such a big thing which really forces the viewer to focus on what happened giving very little sense of escape.

Walking into the exhibition and heading around the corner I noticed it was quite a large space but had lots of temporary walls put in which actually made it feel really small. The first thing I noticed was Ansel Adams quotes on the walls which I thought really added to the feel of the exhibition, it reminded me of an old Diner. The quote that stood out to me most was one Adams' wrote in a letter to his father in 1920,

"Wait and see what I can do with it- I may fall down completely: 

Photography is limited, you know, but I am hoping for results."

He fills many people currently studying photography with inspiration in a way he that he says it wont be easy or a walk in the park but its possible so don't let anything get in the way. The exhibition felt quite mix and match but except for there being way too much in one room the different size photographs in all different frames ranging in thickness and colour, some black some white added character to the show. As well as the frames the wall colour were pastel colours and sepia tones which complemented the photographs. Most exhibitions you walk into have bright white walls that take the attention away from the artwork and identical frames which gives a more professional looking finish. 

Overall, except for them packing way too much work into one room which really put a downer on the experience of viewing Adams' work in person however saying that his work really does have a lot more impact in reality and books really do not show his work at there best so his work is really one of the few that going to an exhibition of is a must see.

Source:

http://www.rmg.co.uk/visit/events/ansel-adams

Morgan-Griffiths, Lauris, Ansel Adams: Landscapes of the American West, 2008

Exhibition Review- Julia Hugo: 'Reflections'

The other exhibition I visited at home for Easter holidays was by an artist Julia Hugo who moved to Jersey 10 years ago. 'Reflections' was inspired by experiences relating to her time in Jersey. This exhibition was held from Monday 18th March until Saturday 6th April. The process she used to make each piece of work involved layering images and textures in order to reach a completed image which creates depth and meaning to her paintings.






















The painting that stood out was no.8 Crown which was not for sale unlike every other painting in the exhibition. It just did not seem as fitting in the exhibition but the detail was more accurate then the rest. The viewer was able to see the resplendence with Jersey but for once it was not straight up landscapes and seascapes, it was close up things giving some of the paintings a slight abstract feel to them.





Sources:

http://artscentre.je/event/reflections/

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.508158762579353.1073741827.481860178542545&type=3

Exhibition Review- Graham Tovey: 'Paintings from the Edge'

When heading back to Jersey for Easter holidays I looked up exhibitions I could visit,  however there are not many galleries at home so the choices are limited. I found two exhibitions being held at the Berni Gallery at the Jersey art center, one was on until the day after I got home and the other was just starting. This meant I could see both during the holidays which was very convenient.

The First Exhibition started on the 4th of March and ran until 16th of March. It was titled 'Paintings from the Edge' by local artist Graham Tovey. He is landscape painter who is highly influenced by Joseph Mallord William Turner, a famous British landscape painter. As well as making and exhibiting work Tovey also teaches art. He mainly works in oil paints with a palette knife which allows him to execute his work with speed and spontaneity. His painting are mostly of places in Jersey and France which he always revisits several times which helps him understand the place.

Turner, Peace-burial at sea 1842

Graham Tovey

Before seeing his exhibition I was not expecting much from it but it is one of those shows that look better in real life. Seeing a variety of his work in the one room helped me to get a better perspective of his work however I don't think one piece on its own works well.but the two series he displayed were more prominent. In my opinion the series helps the viewer to understand the meaning to his work. I think this was due to the compositional layout of each painting within the series. His work is very abstract but having lived in Jersey all my life I was still able to associate a place with the painting which to me was quite comforting.

Overall I was more impressed with the exhibition then I expected to be as viewing the work made me understand his way of working. The colour and depth throughout his work was visually appealing and is the type of work I would expect to see in many homes but I don't think it is the most skillful artwork
I have seen.

Sources:

http://artscentre.je/event/paintings-from-the-edge/

Exhibition Review- Matt Collishaw: 'This is not an exit'

A gallery we decided to visit was Blain Southern which had an Exhibition on by British artist, Matt Collishaw titled 'This Is Not An Exit'. This exhibition was on from the 14th of February to the 30th of March which seems a long time for it to run as they are normally a few weeks to a month.

This exhibition was made up of 14 detailed oil paintings, many of which were hung at an angle. Being hung at an angle must of been a way to draw attention to them. The angled paintings were defiantly the ones I noticed first, it is almost as if he wants you to read them in an order to make a story. Although I noticed the angled ones first by the end I was much more drawn the the colour and detail in some of the others.

Above left titled: Sinners, 2012 (detail), Oil on canvas, 225 X 225cm

I initially found his work drew me in as I walked into the white open space and although quite liked it had very little idea about the concept about it. While doing research on Matt Collishaw's exhibition I came across this film of him speaking about it which helped me understand his work much more.

http://www.blainsouthern.com/artists/mat-collishaw/multimedia/7   

This quote from the Blain Southern gallery about Collishaw's work  '... nothing is literal; the primary source material - magnified images drawn from the pages of glossy magazines - is a simple metaphor,..' reminded me about a lecture we had about Metaphors and Allegory and it is only now while writing this review the reason of having that lecture has become clear.

 Metaphor: Representation that is symbolic of something else but does not literally apply.

Allegory: A story with hidden meaning not just the literal one.

Metaphors and Allegories are something that are used within every piece artwork as they always have more then meets the eye and it takes a lot to understand the concept of  it. I know realize how helpful this lecture was as it helps us look at artwork as more then 'nice', everything has a reason for its making.

The first thing I wanted to know was the reason behind the title of this exhibition,'This is not an exit' which my first thought was there is no escape which is part of what he was trying to say and in fact he actually got the name of his exhibition from a film made in 2000 called 'American Psycho' when the  man realizes there is no escape. Collishaw really emphasized no escape by creating illusionistic paintings  which give potential to feel escapism into another world but its a flat surface.The scale of his paintings played a significant part to this as they were very large scale it helped you lose yourself in them which creates a field of void.

This was by far the best exhibition I saw during the day I spent looking at West end galleries. Although the work on display was not the more outstanding work I saw this day, however it was a close second, the gallery layout was easier to view then any other exhibition I went to while in London. Collishaw's work is one of those exhibitions that going to the opening day would help a lot because the artist would be there to talk about his work. It is not something you can view to its full potential until you really understand it. His work is out there to make people aware of these issues more then to sell the work, it is not really something you would expect to see in a home. After seeing this exhibition of his I would be encouraged to go to future ones as I think he raises important issues and I love the abstract way he works.

Sources:

http://www.blainsouthern.com/exhibitions/2013/mat-collishaw-this-is-not-an-exit

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0144084/

Exhibition Review- Taryn Simon: 'The Picture collection'

During our day in London The Gagosian in Davies street was one of the galleries we visited as a group towards the end of the day. It was an exhibition of a New York artist, Taryn Simon's most recent body of work titled 'The Picture Collection'.

TARYN SIMON

 Express Highways, 2012

47 x 62 inches framed  (119.4 x 157.5 cm)

This collection was made to go with the online database 'Image Atlas' something she earlier created with computer programmer Aaron Swartz. It is made up of forty-four works found in the New York public library picture archive. The archive contains 1.2 million prints, postcards, posters, and printed images, most of which have been cut from secondary sources, such as books and magazines. Taryn Simon found it important to  put well known images throughout history next to others that are by unknown artists in order to make the viewer question it and to tries to question the way in which contemporary culture works. 

The gallery had a professional layout that you would expect to see with the white walls beaming, matching frames, photographs hung at the correct height and spaced out equally in the space. There is nothing good about this way out although its clear its just missing the excitement and I personally would hate my work to be in a gallery space like this. The white walls really draw the attention away from the work because your normally feeling quite blinded by the walls which is rather overwhelming.  

Although I understand the idea behind her work I just dont see a college of lots of images a final peice for me its just a mood board and a starting point. This type of gallery is not what I enjoy because I just feel too fresh and perfect can take away from the quality of the work so I dont see myself going back there anytime soon. 

Sources:

http://www.tarynsimon.com/

http://www.gagosian.com/

Overview of London Trip to the West End Galleries

On the 11th of March we took a coach to the west end in London to visit galleries of which we had two arranged by tutors at the Photographers Gallery and another at the Gagosian gallery to finish the day off. These planned out ones were helpful as we had speakers come and tell us about the work and the gallery which is not available with a normal viewing. Having a speaker allowed me to get a better insight on what the work is about which you cant always tell just from looking but more importantly it gave me a good idea on how a gallery is run.

Layout of Blain Southern Gallery with Matt Collishaw Exhibtion- This is not an exit)

We started at the Photographers gallery in which we had a talk which really helped me get a good insight bout how galleries are run and I liked that this gallery was more about the work getting known the commissions. We then had some time to view galleries alone which was helpful as I could see galleries that were more interesting to me an individual. During the spare time with a small group of others we headed to White Cube but that was closed due to it being a Monday so we then made our way to Blain Southern gallery that had the work of Matt Collishaw on display. This gallery was quite small but used the space well and made it look very spacious  We then headed up to the Gagosian gallery were we had to meet for the arranged talk but with some half an hour to spare we decided to see what was a bit further up the road and came across another gallery called Gimpel Fils Limited. After having a talk in the Gagosian about the work of Taryn Simon we headed back towards the meeting place to some galleries we spotted on the way up and went to Studio Voltaire and Simon Lee Gallery.

Sources:

http://thephotographersgallery.org.uk/

http://whitecube.com/

http://www.blainsouthern.com/exhibitions/2013/mat-collishaw-this-is-not-an-exit

http://www.gimpelfils.com/exhib_popup.php?exhib_id=124

http://www.blainsouthern.com/exhibitions/2013/mat-collishaw-this-is-not-an-exit

http://www.studiovoltaire.org/home.htm

http://www.simonleegallery.com/artists/jim_shaw/exhibitions/2013_02/press_release.html

Is it all about instagram ?

My Statement in the forum: Instagram describes its self as a “fast and fun way to share photos with family and friends” therefore I don’t understand why would anyone even think it was anymore then a fun social networking app making it easier to share photographs with others. I completely agree with Emma’s statement, “is a fun thing rather than a professional thing. Exactly why it's linked to facebook because it fits within the social scene.” The majority of people use it in the way it is set out for so I disagree with most statements made about it such as Aaron’s statement, “Instagram is a poor excuse for teenagers and adults alike that have no photographic skill what so ever to call themselves a photographer for 5 mins.” And when he says this he really is talking about a small minority of people using this app. I really agree with Tom it is a great app to see what your friends are up to so I see no issue with the app what so ever and feel that people can post what they wish to on it and if you don’t like it ignore it.

Overall all from the forum it has been said that Instagram is an app for fun and keeping up with what your friends and doing and it not really somewhere you would post your proffesional quality photographs.

I do have Instagram myself but have only actually posted once myself of a cat I was looking after and this is  a common theme on this app because it is used to show friends what is happening in your day to day life in picture form. Here is an example of someone I follow on Instagram who is also a Beauty You-tuber called Fleurdeforce and I love being able to see cute pictures of her puppies and what she is up to and such. I really don't see whats wrong with this app but it is not a photography app it is a social app like Facebook. A positive for photography that has come of this app is photography is more accessible so it gets it more well known in the world which can only be a good thing.

The quote that most stood out to me throughout the whole forum was from Fran because this is so true just because you use Instagram does not mean you are a bad photographer and training doesnt make you a better photographer either,
"Does it mean that all the users are bad photographers or that they have no right to call themselves photographers because they haven't had training? I'm quite sure there are people in the profession who didn't go to college or university but produce beautiful thoughtful images and people who've been trained who turn out rubbish."

Sources:

http://instagram.com/

http://mycourse.solent.ac.uk/mod/forum/view.php?id=101690 

Digital Vs Analogue

As a class we have had a forum on which we have had to discuss the pros and cons of digital and analogue photography and  which is best and why. It was started by our tutor who put a quote up from an interview with a photographer, Ricky Adams. The whole interview can be found HERE

 

Digital

 Pros
-Affordable
-Easier to edit
- More accessible
- Auto mode
- Can see photograph straight away

Cons
- lost its true value due to how easy it is for anyone to take photographs
- hides the truth in photography due to manipulation
- Less satisfaction with final result
-Harder to become an established photographer due to how accessible photography is now

Analogue

Pros
- Shows your skills more as a photographer
- Quality is better
- Helps you understand setting therefore helps with digital photography

Cons
- No Auto mode
- Does not allow for mistakes(not always possible to re-shoot)
- Darkroom's are not always easy to access
- Expensive

"The manipulation of imagery comes automatically with digital, and therefore you have to question whether the digital age presents great photographers or great editors? while analog photography separates the photographers from editors?"(Emma Miller)
This quote stood out to me most through the forum because over editing a digital image is a pet peeve of mine as I think you should be able to take a good photograph not just edit it well. Analogue relies on getting it perfect the first time and there is a lot less editing available in the darkroom to digitally on Photoshop.

With Digital I think that anyone can take a standard photograph but only someone with a lot of skill can perfect something like the depth of field of a photograph to really enhance, having a good reason for it, not just for the sake of it. Analogue can be beneficial in helping you use your digital camera such as knowing how to use the camera settings well. The final product you get from developing analogue prints is so much more rewarding as it takes a lot more care and time and I think that feeling is totally worth the extra costs. It’s a great thing to be able to learn as it’s not very accessible anymore and I think it makes you a more valuable person to hire for a job due to how much more you learn so for me Analogue wins.

Discussion- How work is Viewed ?

There are many opinions of where your work is displayed and how but  it comes down to personal preference of the artist.

Should you use the web and galleries to display your work?

One view is that the web does not show your work as you would like it to be viewed so it loses part of the quality and feel to it. Having it in a gallery allows you to put it up how you wanted it to be viewed so you are happy with it.

An argument against this is that choosing the way to display your work could be seen as manipulating the viewer opinion. 

However I feel you cannot have one without the other as using the web helps to get your work out there and you should be able to find a way to lay it out that to an extent represents your work in the way you want. Your work should still look just as good on the internet and i think this helps you to become more well known and if people have heard about you are more incline to visit your exhibition. After visiting your exhibition the web can be helpful so people such as student can research you further. I do think that the way you display your work can be manipulating however I don't think it can change someones opinion enough to matter. At the end of the day you are the artist so the layout is part of the art.

Is someone else reprinting/re-using and displaying your work acceptable?

An argument for is that your work being reprinted even on a poor quality printer is still getting your work out there in someones home as long as the are not manipulating it in any way such as cropping. This is were re-using comes in, re-using is changing your work and is only okay if they are not showing it as yours.

An argument againest this statement is that it should not be allowed as it loses it quality. For example if you make a photograph that is in a series of 1/50 it makes the buyer more respectful of your work.

Re-using in my opinion is not acceptable unless it is completely different and with your permission. An example i see as quite disrespectful is the adaption of the Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci by Marcel Duchamp were he drew facial hair on too. This is not something that would normally be socially acceptable so why is it okay for his work to be seen as art? 



Sources:

http://www.marcelduchamp.net/L.H.O.O.Q.php

The Photograph as Contemporary Art by Charlotte Cotton

I am not really into books especially academic ones due to the wording however for once this book is a fairy easy read so makes it much more appealing. Due to the ease of understanding this well written book that for once is not over complex I have read most of it. It has a lot of great photographers in such as Anna Gaskell in chapter 2, 'Once upon a time'. This chapter is all about the use of story telling within photography often making references to, 'fables, fairy tales, apocryphal events and modern myths that are already part of our collective consciousness'. This chapter has been very helpful throughout my studies this year as there are a lot of tableaux photographers in it. It is easy to find the artist, very informative but  has plenty of illustrations to keep you interested.

Anna Gaskell, Untitled #59, 1999 

Chapter 3, Deadpan is another chapter that has been very useful for my Orientation unit which I did during the first semester. For this I looked at Deadpan as photographic strategy rather then a specific photographer as I chose to use this strategy like this my self so I was not influencing the viewers opinion of the graffiti.

.
Overall this book is very informative, has many photographers in it and is an easy read so for me this book is great.

Sources:

Book: Charlotte Cotton, The photograph as contemporary art, 2004