Exhibitions
Visual Exhibition At Nutmeg House In London
05/12/09 04:54 Post: Exhibitions
‘Illumination Restoration’ as featured in the forthcoming Visual exhibition at Nutmeg House in London.
This new in-house exhibition at Nutmeg House in London was selected from the Visual For Business collection by Arts & Business staff in the North West, the South West, the South East and the Midlands. Each region also put forward one ‘signature piece’ for staff vote across the country to be displayed behind the reception desk. The artwork with the most votes was Nigel Jackson’s piece ‘In the Presence of Absence’.
The exhibition features fine art, photography and contemporary craft by new, emerging and established British artists.
The exhibition was installed on the 3rd October 2009 (the preview night will be held on the 14th December) and will remain at Nutmeg House until 9th January 2010.
Please contact Visual For Business or call 0844 335 1305 if you would like more information
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Sony World Photography Awards 2009: Global Tour Dates
15/09/09 22:26 Post: Exhibitions
The four photographs from the series 'Starlings Above' currently featured on the SWPA Global Tour.
Yesterday I received confirmation of the forthcoming dates and venues of the Sony World Photography Awards Global Tour 2009/10, so I thought I'd post the information in case anyone wishes to take a look at the exhibition for him/herself. Further details and website links for the galleries can be found on my exhibitions page.
6th October 2009 - 20th October 2009
Edward Day Gallery (Toronto, Canada)
13th October 2009 - 24th October 2009
Galerie Esther Woerdehoff (Paris, France)
22nd October 2009 - 30th October 2009
Aperture Gallery (New York City, USA)
22nd October 2009 - 23rd October 2009
Pavilion (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
26th November 2009 - 12th December 2009
Ardel Gallery of Modern Art (Bangkok, Thailand)
The exhibition will also feature in Mexico (late 2009), London (2010) & Berlin (2010) although the dates/venues have yet to be confirmed. I shall (of course) post the relevant dates/venues when I find out.
I visited the Aperture Gallery in NYC back in April 2006 where I saw a fantastic exhibition entitled 'Regeneration: 50 Photographers of Tomorrow' (there is also an accompanying book for those of you who may be interested). It's such a wonderful space for viewing photography and I'm just so thrilled to know that I'll have my work on display there next month. If only I could get myself over there...
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Buy Art Fair 2009
10/09/09 10:22 Post: News
Image (Above) © 2009 Buy Art Fair Limited. All rights reserved.
In August 2009 Katja Orgin from Visual For Business asked if I would like to show my work at the Buy Art Fair at Urbis in Manchester. Of course, I jumped at the chance. I've never shown my photographs at an art fair before and I thought it might be a good way of getting my work seen by the general public and art lovers alike. I think that my work will be shown on the Arts & Business stall and I'll certainly be going to check out the Buy Art Fair for myself. I've included some further information about the event below which is taken from the Buy Art Fair press release.
"Following its hugely successful debut last year, Buy Art Fair has announced its return for 2009 with a three-day event from the 24th to 27th September. The consumer art exhibition, one of the largest in the country, will showcase the work of over 300 renowned and highly sought after artists, presented by over 75 carefully selected galleries. Amongst those confirmed are Paul Stolper, The Bluecoat and The Open Gallery alongside returning galleries Wendy J Levy Contemporary Art Ltd, Bleach Box and Fiumano Fine Art.
A fresh and exciting addition for 2009 will be the first presentation of The Manchester Contemporary, a new platform within the fair dedicated to cutting edge contemporary art. Produced by the Contemporary Art Society, Castlefield Gallery and Ceri Hand Gallery, The Manchester Contemporary will feature 15 leading contemporary art galleries from around the UK.
The new showcase will be situated alongside three floors of fine and contemporary affordable art. Headline sponsors for the 2009 event are Bluefin and AXA Art.
John Dare, Show Director of Buy Art Fair, commented: “One of the biggest barriers to buying original art is the way in which it is bought and sold. Last year we set out to remove that barrier and make art accessible to all. In what was, and continues to be a difficult economic climate, I’m thrilled to say Buy Art Fair succeeded, generating over £200,000 of sales in its debut show."
If anyone is interested in meeting up and going to Buy Art Fair at Urbis with me then please feel free to contact me.
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Blott Artist Studios: Summer Exhibition 2009
28/07/09 17:22 Post: Exhibitions
Preview of Blott Artist Studios Summer Exhibition 2009 (Flyer Design By David Butterworth).
The summer exhibition at Blott Artist Studios in Blackpool officially opened on Saturday 25th July 2009 and features an array of new artworks from Blott’s current members alongside paintings from this year’s guest artist Nazmin Abdullah. The preview night was a great opportunity to discuss the work, meet up with all of the artists and have our photograph taken for the local newspaper (as well as enjoying a few glasses of wine). The gallery is one of the few independent art spaces in Blackpool where local artists can exhibit and sell their original artworks to the general public, so its quite a pleasure to show my documentary photographs of Blackpool within this space.
Nazmin’s striking paintings of Muslim figures draped in Union Jack colours are a particular favourite of mine from the summer exhibition and I would throughly recommend viewing them for yourself if you get the chance. Speaking about the concept behind her work, Nazmin states that she “aims to challenge society’s perceptions and stereotypes against British Muslim females that are based solely upon appearance and dress”. She goes on to say “the image of the Union Jack, along with various other images associated with popular culture; consistently appear throughout my work, acting as visual metaphors, as a means of expressing the subject’s desire to conform to western culture as they strive to be labeled as British”.
Blott’s Summer Exhibition will run until the 15th August 2009. Gallery details can be found on my exhibitions page.
Featured Artists
Nazmin Abdullah | David Butterworth | Yannick Dixon | Simon Plum | Brian Spooner | Corrine Streetly
Important Amendment
From the 15th August 2009 I will no longer be a represented artist of Blott Artist Studios. This was a difficult personal decision of mine that I don't wish to go into here, but I do send my sincere thanks to Corrine and all the other artists at the gallery for their support and understanding.
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Arts & Business: Invest In Art Seminar
05/06/09 17:13 Post: Exhibitions
Screenshot from the Visual For Business website (www.visualforbusiness.com)
Last year I was selected as one of the North West based artists for Visual For Business (a service from Arts & Business) and later this month I’ll be exhibiting a selection of my photographs at the ‘Arts & Business: Invest In Art’ seminar alongside seven fellow artists from the North West. The seminar will take place at City Inn, Manchester on the 22nd June 2009 (artworks on show until 26th June 2009).
The following text in taken from the Arts & Business press release for the event:
“Speakers include Ceri Hand founder of Ceri Hand Gallery, Liverpool's first contemporary commercial art gallery, with advice on how to spot the perfect piece for your office or home. Gavin Buckley, from Arts & Business, will speak about the unique benefits of bringing contemporary art into the workplace. There will also be other specialists talking about how to protect your investment in the long term.
Claire Barlow, Regional Manager for Arts & Business said, "This is a great opportunity to view exceptional art, meet the artists and perhaps be inspired to buy a piece of art that you love."
The seminar will also provide the first opportunity to experience Visual in the North West. Visual is a new, unique and flexible service bringing high quality contemporary art to businesses and their employees. Works included in the collection have been selected by curators from the region's finest contemporary arts venues and many artists are award winning with some having exhibited at the Tate Gallery and the V&A.”
Artists Include
Tracey Eastham
Charlie MacPherson
Susan Laughton
Yannick Dixon
Colin McPherson
Mark Adams
Stuart Royse
Susie MacMurray
To register your interest please contact Claire Barlow, Regional Manager at Arts & Business, via email on claire.barlow@artsandbusiness.org.uk or call her on 0161 236 2058.
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Bloomfield Talks: Book Launch & Exhibition 2009
10/05/09 17:55 Post: Publications | Exhibitions
Bloomfield Talks Photography Exhibition By Yannick Dixon. Saturday 9th May 2009.
I was asked to join the community based arts project Bloomfield Talks in August 2008 by internationally renowned artist Simon Grennan. Bloomfield Talks is a year-long oral history project commissioned by Blackpool Council and ran between July 2008 and May 2009. The project focuses upon the experiences of people who have connections with the Bloomfield, Foxhall, Revoe and near South Shore area of Blackpool.
At the heart of Bloomfield Talks was a team of local volunteers brought together specifically for the project. Ranging in age from the late teens to the late seventies, the volunteers engaged other local people in conversations and activities focusing on their daily lives in the area. The volunteers documenting these exchanges in writing, pictures and audio recordings, creating a new archive of records about ordinary people’s lives. There really are some great photographs taken by local people over the years that say so much about life in the area and I’m really pleased to have my pictures shown beside them. In February 2009, the volunteers edited and published the new archive as a book and will given away as a gift to the five thousand households in the area. All of the original material will be lodged with Blackpool Libraries and the North West Sound Archive. This archive is available online.
I was asked if I’d like to put together a photography exhibition of my Blackpool photographs to compliment the launch of the Bloomfield Talks book on Saturday 9th May 2009. I exhibition included a few of the photographs that feature in the book as well as some from my MA project ‘Blackpool: An Unimagined Space?’. The images were printed on an Epson Stylus Pro 7900 and then mounted onto Aluminium (wooden frames on reverse). There were sixteen photographs in all; ranging from A1 to A4 size. It was a great opportunity to get a response from local people about my work and to support such a fantastic event.
I also got the chance to take some more portraits during the book launch.
Although there was so much going on with the launch of the book and the photography exhibition, I think that this photograph I took of two old ladies standing outside the church is my favourite image from the day. The bad weather meant that more and more people came off the streets to see what all the fuss was about. These two ladies had come to see what the Bloomfield Talks project was all about and were braving the weather to watch a group of school children banging drums out on the street in celebration of the event.
I’ve included one of the pages that feature my photographs below.
To view a previous Bloomfield Talks blog post click on the link below:
Bloomfield Talks Tea Party
To view the Bloomfield Talks gallery click on the link below:
Commissioned Work
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April 2009: Recent Work & News
30/04/09 18:11 Post: News
Today’s blog post is chance to show the latest addition to my Blackpool: An Unimagined Space? project and to share some news regarding the forthcoming SWPA Global Tour exhibitions and a reminder about the Bloomfield Talks book launch next month.
Taken at 02:49pm on Blackpool’s South Pier. Tuesday 31st March 2009.
SWPA Forthcoming Exhibitions
After the Sony World Photography Awards ceremony in Cannes earlier this month the SWPA Global Tour 2009/10 has already begun with showcases of the work at the Edge gallery in Hong Kong before moving on to the Hong Kong Art Fair (the details of which can be found on my exhibitions page). A number of limited edition prints from my starlings series will be on sale throughout the tour and will hopefully be seen in print by a global audience for the very first time.
Bloomfield Talks Book Launch
On the 9th May 2009 the launch of the new social history book ‘Bloomfield Talks’ will be launched at St. Peter’s church on Lytham Road, Blackpool. I will be exhibiting 14 photographs from my Blackpool projects (some of which appear in the book) as well as documenting a creative account of the event itself. Further information can be found on the Bloomfield Talks website.
Sizzle Network ‘Staying Upbeat in the Downturn’
On the 22nd April 2009 I attended my first ever Sizzle creative networking event at the Barcelo Imperial Hotel in Blackpool. The aim of the meeting was to cast a positive light into how artists and creative business’s can tackle and survive the current economic climate. The event was organised by Creative Lancashire and was a great opportunity to meet liked-minded artists in the Blackpool area. I would certainly recommend attending the next one in July...
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Sony World Photography Awards 2009 - Finalist
18/03/09 09:10 Post: News
A screenshot of my shortlisted series ‘Starlings Above’ in the Sony World Photography Awards 2009.
The Sony World Photography Awards is a truly global competition. From Argentina to Zimbabwe, over 60,000 photograph entries were submitted this year from 139 different countries. The Honorary Judging Committee, comprising of world-renowned photographers, curators, representatives from leading international photo agencies, publishers and critics made their selection from 36,546 professional and 25,370 amateur photography submissions. I was shortlisted in the Fine Art - Natural History category in February 2009 with my series of black & white photographs documenting starlings in flight. Yesterday I was announced as one of the third place professional category finalists! I really didn’t expect to even be shortlisted, so I’m really pleased to have got this far on my first attempt of entering the competition (and plus, there’s always next year!).
Those who judged the Fine Art - Natural History category include Zelda Cheatle, portfolio manager and curator (UK); Mary-Ellen Mark, photographer (USA); Sarah Moon, photographer (France), and Philippe Garner, International Head of Photographs at Christie’s (UK).
The 44 photographers, from 22 separate countries, were selected from the 186 shortlisted photographers revealed last month. Each of the photographers on the list will be exhibited and honoured at the Sony World Photography Awards ceremony at the prestigious Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France, on Thursday 16 April. Of the 12 professional category winners, one photographer will be the recipient of the L’Iris D’Or, the Sony World Photography Awards Photographer of the Year.
As one of the finalists, my photographs will be showcased as part of the winner’s exhibition in Cannes from the 14th-19th April 2009. The work will also be featured in the 2009/10 Global Tour exhibition and be published in the SWPA 2009 Winner’s Book. The work will be represented by SWPA and will be made available for sale during the various exhibitions on the Global Tour which, next year, include Hong Kong, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Thailand, Canada, USA as well as stops in South America and Europe. I also receive two complimentary tickets to attend the Awards Ceremony in Cannes on the 16th April as well as the week-long Festival.
To see my entry alongside the other photographers in the Natural History category visit the Sony World Photography Awards 2009 website. You can also read the official press release and an online article featured on Culture 24 for more information too.
Note: This blog post is an update/modification of a previous post written on Sunday 8th March 2009.
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Visual For Business
25/02/09 17:57 Post: News
‘Dog In The Water’ is one of my photographic works currently represented by Visual For Business.
I applied to be represented by Visual For Business in October 2008 and was delighted to be selected as one of their North West artists towards the end of 2008. Visual is “a unique and flexible service from Arts & Business bringing high quality contemporary art to businesses and their employees”. Its fantastic to feature alongside other artists that I greatly admire and I’m really looking forward to working with the Visual team who have provided an excellent platform for the work of new and emerging creative talent.
Further information about Visual For Business can be found on their website and you can also view my selected artworks on my Visual Artists Profile if you wish to do so.
Here are just a few things that Visual For Business offers:
- Affordable contemporary art from carefully selected professional artists
- Temporary exhibitions in business and loans of artworks
- Permanent corporate art collections
- Commissioning services for both businesses and employees
- Events, employee engagement and participatory opportunities
- Consultancy and advice
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Breakwater
05/02/09 10:25 Post: Personal Work
Taken at 01:16pm in North Shore Blackpool, UK. Friday 23rd January 2009.
I’ve always loved being on the edge of the seaside fringe, so to start today’s blog post I thought I’d share where I think this fascination originated. As a young boy I spent my summer holidays with my Grandma at her house in St-Idesbald, Belgium. We’d spend our days picking shells along the beach, walking her three lovely Bassett hounds and enjoying being at the seaside together. I think this is were my affinity and affection for coastal life began, yet it wasn’t until I moved to Blackpool in 2003 that I became aware of what a profound influence the times with my Grandma had on me and my relationship with the seaside.
The Blackpool coast is a constantly shifting and morphing landscape which offers a mélange of creative possibilities and the space for conceptual musings. This space where the sea meets the land has been a major theme of many artistic practitioners (including nineteenth century landscape painters such as JMW Turner and John Constable) and plays an integral part of my own personal work documenting life on the Fylde coast. This black & white photograph, entitled ‘Breakwater’ looks at the boundaries between the sea, the land and ourselves. The composition is simply constructed into thirds, focussing on the three main elements of water, concrete and rock in the image.
Forthcoming Exhibition News - I’ve been selected to exhibit my work at Keele University’s Three Counties Open Photography Exhibition 2009. I’ve exhibited at this annual exhibition in my hometown for the past seven years and its always a pleasure to have my work next to other photographers from the area. This year I have one photograph (entitled ‘Ballroom Dancing’) in the exhibition and I’m really looking forward to the preview night on the 25th February 2009. If your in the area on the day, feel free to come down and take a look at the work. The exhibition will officially open on the 26th February 2009 and will run until early April 2009.
Technical Information
Camera: Canon EOS 40D Digital SLR
Lens: Canon EF-S 17mm - 85mm IS USM
ISO: 250
Focal Length: 24mm
Shutter Speed: 1/200th sec
F-Stop: f/8
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Blott Artist Studios
21/11/08 20:05 Post: News
I have the pleasure to announce that I’ve been invited to be a member of Blott Artist Studios in Blackpool.
Blott Artist Studios was founded in 1998 by Corrine Streetly with help from Sean Hanford and Ann Carragher for professional artists living in and around the Blackpool area. Blott Studios have put on some great exhibitions in their gallery and I can’t wait to exhibit my own work alongside the other members of the group. I’ve already printed some of my photographs ready to be framed and I’m really excited about showing & selling my work in a local gallery. Much of the work that comes out of Blott represents the artists individual responses to the town and I’d like to think my photographs will fit in quite nicely. As I’ve only joined this week my details are yet to feature on their website, but I’ll be sure to announce it on this blog as soon as they are.
Speaking of exhibitions, I have some new work featured in the MA Visual Design as Creative Practice graduate exhibition in the foyer of the School of Art & Design in Blackpool. The exhibition officially opens on the 3rd December 2008 and if your around in the area it would be great if you’d check it out. Some great work to be found from my peers, including Aaron Tonks fabulous sculptures and amazing hand-made frames. The exhibition celebrates over two years work and showcases some of our finest work. I hope you can make it.
Finally, there won’t be any blog posts over the next week as I’m paying a flying visit to the city of Guangzhou in China and then on to Hong Kong for a few days. The weather forecast doesn’t look too promising (typical that it has been sunny there all this week!) yet I’m 100% determined to make it most of it regardless. I’ve never visited that side of the world before and I’m so excited to get out there, soak up the atmosphere and start taking some great photographs (hopefully)!
If you would like to get in touch with me regarding anything over the next week please contact me via email and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
Important Amendment
From the 15th August 2009 I will no longer be a represented artist of Blott Artist Studios. This was a difficult personal decision of mine that I don't wish to go into here, but I do send my sincere thanks to Corrine and all the other artists at the gallery for their support and understanding.
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CIWEM Environmental Photographer Of The Year 2008
22/08/08 19:34 Post: News
In July I submitted a series of photographs into this years ‘Environmental Photographer of The Year Competition’. This international competition seeks to “honour photographers who use their ability to raise awareness of environmental and social issues”. Today I was contacted by the judges who said I’d been successful and that they would like to include my photograph ‘Aloha From Blackpool’ (above) in the exhibition, which is some great news for the weekend! I will certainly be attended the preview night in London on the 17th September 2008 and I can’t wait to see all of the photographs featured in the exhibition.
More information on the competition can be found on the Environmental Photographer of The Year website.
Exhibition Details
17th September 2008 - 11th October 2008
The Art Pavilion,
Mile End Park,
Clinton Road
London
E3 4QX
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