Hosted at G39,
Cardiff on Thursday 29th March 2012
Gordon Dalton/ Amber
Mottram
Following
the Dan Rees talk, we had a great turn out at March’s Forum. Gordon Dalton got the ball rolling by
discussing the nature of Art Fairs, experience he has gained within his own
painting practice and as a curator and co-founder of Mermaid and Monster.
Mermaid
and Monster is a Swansea based contemporary art agency. They represent both
emerging and established artists and promote their work through curatorial
projects, publications, events, and art fairs. Their artists include Nicholas
Dietrich Williams (currently exhibited at Chapter’s Art in the Bar), Paul
Emmanuel, Helen Sear and Alistair Owen.
M&M
have had a range of experiences at various art fairs. Generally the
commerciality of the experience is described as a necessary but arguably
unfortunate aspect of gallery representation. The spaces are small and compact.
The necessity for the buyer to meet the maker is considered during the
discussion. It certainly helps, and self-promotion appears to be integral to any
form of success, commercially or otherwise. Conversely, if a piece of art
appeals to a buyer or dealer at an art fair, (whether that be for it’s artistic
merit or simply because it matches their sofa,) they’ll buy it. Gordon
describes positive experiences at smaller art fairs such as Manchester
Contemporary (http://www.themanchestercontemporary.com)
who support a wider range of regional galleries. Still in it’s early years, The
Manchester Contemporary aims to encourage and develop a market for critically
engaged contemporary art in Manchester, with a focus on curating higher end
galleries alongside those that are new and emerging. (http://www.creativetourist.com/features/time-to-collect-and-pass-go)
The
question is raised; is there room for an event like this one in Cardiff or
South Wales? How would it function, or affect the art being produced and
promoted? March’s Forum occurred days before two artist-run, non-profit events:
The Art Carbootique and Made in Spring, both aimed at promoting
the diverse arts community in Cardiff and South Wales.
Gordon
Dalton is an artist, curator and writer, recently having co-curated Motorcade/ Flashparade’s ‘The Man Don’t Give a Fuck’ in Bristol
with Tom Goddard. See his website www.gordondalton.com
to see more of his work and www.mermaidandmonster.com
for news on their upcoming projects and events. You can also subscribe to their
mailing list, just contact mail@mermaidandmonster.com.
Since
graduating from a BA in Fine Art at CSAD, Amber
Mottram has recently exhibited her work at Chapter’s ‘Art in the Bar’ and currently occupies the TestBed space at Oriel
Davies Gallery in Powys. She
describes her recent experiences at two art fairs in London through Woodbine
Contemporary Arts, a gallery based in Uppingham.
Amber creates visceral works that lie between
painting and sculpture, using thermoplastic screed (road paint). Manipulating
the material’s depth and tactility, she experiments with chance against
intention. Oscillating between representation and abstraction, the work
represents an organised chaos in which her overflowing, organic forms are
confined by gridded frames and structures. She explores the materiality of the
substance to its limits and has recently departed from her explorations of
colour, creating several monochrome works for the Oriel Davies exhibition and
Battersea Art Fair. See Amber's Axis profile at http://www.axisweb.org/seCVPG.aspx?ARTISTID=15728,
and the Oriel Davies website http://www.orieldavies.org/en/exhibition/monopours
for more information on the Monopours exhibition.
It is well worth a visit, especially alongside the Oriel Davies Open 2012. Both
exhibitions continue until the end of June.
Amber Mottram, Monopours, 2012
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