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Beep Painting Prize – The Winners, Elysium Gallery
Arron Kupier, Paint³
Arron’s developing medium of Sculptural Painting allows the creation of three-dimensional forms solely in oil paint, freeing paint from surface and gravity whilst retaining the fundamental painterly qualities with true weight granted to colour. It can have physical form, shape, texture, and colour whilst remaining simultaneously suspended and animated with a sculptural zeal that vastly surpasses the remit of impasto. Whilst using a raw palette, colour seems subject to a near Newtonian quality of interaction and meaning becomes a function of parallax.
Paul Mitchell
Paul Mitchell is a sculptor from Cardiff. Here he is photographed with his entry in the Glynn Vivian Gallery Open. He is currently studying an MA in Glass at Swansea College of Art, where he is using glass and stone combined. Continue reading
Susie Wild
Susie Wild is an author of the poetry collections Windfalls and Better Houses, the short story collection The Art of Contraception listed for the Edge Hill Prize, and the novella Arrivals. Her work has recently featured in Carol Ann Duffy’s pandemic project WRITE Where We Are NOW, The Atlanta Review, Ink Sweat & Tears and Poetry Wales.
Owain Sparnon
Owain Sparnon, artist of Neath, winner of the Glynn Vivian Gallery Open, Friends Prize, (top). One of two of his paintings that were accepted.
Swansea Open 2021, Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea
It is that time of the year again and the Glynn Vivian is packed full with entries for the Open Competition.
Ffoto Newport, Gallery
Photographer Ieuan Berry gets ready for the opening of his new Ffoto Newport Gallery in the Market Arcade on Friday 26th November, with the Ron McCormick exhibition Carrot – Fly.
Great to see an exciting new photography Gallery in Newport.
The Abysm, by Gareth Phillips, College Street Gallery, Swansea
The Abysm – Elysium Gallery, College Street, Swansea – 27th November 2021.
I don’t often say this but I found that the exhibition by Gareth Phillips, at the Elysium, College Street Gallery, in Swansea was profound and moving.
The work was created over a long period of time, as a memorial and tribute to his father during his period of ill health, in the form of both prints and a large number of books.
‘No Place Like Home’ Richard Ansett at Elysium Gallery, Swansea
‘No Place Like Home’ an exhibition by Richard Ansett of photographs taken in Town Hill, Swansea, at the Elysium Gallery Bar, High Street. Photographed at his artists talk at the Gallery on the 9th November, the exhibitions runs until the 20th of November.
Emrys Parry Exhibition
Emrys Parry, Small Paintings and Works on Paper, Mandell’s Gallery, Norwich. 6th Nov to 27th Nov 2021.
A Visit to the Mid Wales Arts Centre
Travelling from Aberystwyth to Llandysul photographing the Welsh Group Artists Heather Eastes and Wendy Earle, I took advantage to stop at a bed and breakfast at the magnificent country house that is The Mid-Wales Arts Centre, at Caersws run by Cathy and John Knapp-Evans. Continue reading
Clive Hicks Jenkins
Clive Hicks-Jenkins was born in Newport, South Wales, in 1951. The early part of his career was as a choreographer and stage director. In the 1990s he turned away from theatre to concentrate on painting. He has been praised by critics in The Independent, Modern Painters and Art Review. Simon Callow has called him ‘one of the most individual and complete artists of our time’ and Nicholas Usherwood in Galleries has described his work as ‘reflective, expressive painting of the highest order.’ Here he is, photographed by myself at his latest exhibition, Adventures in Books at The Martin Tinney Gallery this week, open from the 7th-30th October.
Obit for Nicolas Mcdowall
It’s difficult to understand that, there will be no more trips to visit Nicolas and Frances at Catchmays Court, Llandogo, no more beautiful volumes from The Old Stile Press. To sit in rooms with every wall covered in wonderful paintings and talk of poets and artists and the next project that Nicolas was planning. I invited Steph Mastoris, Letterpress Printer and Director of the Waterfront Museum in Swansea, to visit the Old Stile Press and meet Nicolas, it was a day to remember and take my last photograph of Nicolas.
Nicolas took great care to choose the right artist for the text or poem, and here are two examples of how that relationship between artist, writer and publisher grew.
A Tribute for Josef, Malcolm and the great R.S.
Josef Janda was a Czech surrealist poet, who I met in Prague over many a beer, and Malcolm taught me English, in Swansea. So here is my tribute to the pair of friends who partied at my home in Craig Cefn Parc. Josef’s book ‘Free Style’ translated into English, by Dada ( Dagmar Stepankova, and edited by the other Welsh surrealist David Greenslade, and to round my tribute off, a print given to me by Malcolm with a poem by him for the late great R.S. Thomas, designed by the wonderful Paul Peter Piech.
Bernard Mitchell 2021
Roger Cecil, A Secret Artist
Roger Cecil, one of the Great Artists of Wales tragically passed away in 2015. As a tribute to his life and work, I would like to share with you a fine book by art historian Peter Wakelin who has recently curated Roger Cecil – A Secret Artist which is currently open at the Brecon Museum and Gallery until the end of October 2021.
Roger was a dear friend. Here he his is at his home and studio in Abertillery, where I photographed him on many occasions.
Roger Cecil, A Secret Artist by Peter Wakelin Published in 2017.
Bernard Mitchell, 2021.
An Obit for Mel Gooding
I am sad to report the passing of Mel Gooding, art historian, writer and curator.
Mel Gooding
Rhea Seren Phillips, Poet
Keith Bayliss – Visual Artist
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- Keith Bayliss, 2021.
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- Keith Bayliss, 2021.
‘Keith Bayliss ‘ work is figurative and expressive – his motif, the human figure in the landscape. He works in a variety of mediums: pencil and ink on paper, oil on canvas, relief printing and more recently, small mixed media sculptural constructions’
Ways of Protest, Elysium Gallery Bar, High Street, Swansea.
Ways of Protest earlier this year at the Elysium Gallery and Bar in Swansea, High Street, in partnership Swansea Museum, changemakers and Fusion. Contained artworks from over sixty Welsh and International Artists, archival artifacts from Swansea museum, as well as memorabilia , interviews, and photographs from the public and protest groups from Swansea and Wales.
This extensive exhibition explores how the arts can be a vehicle for protest and social change. A celebration of people who have fought for social equality in Swansea and Wales.
The gallery have provided a photographic record and 360 Video tour on their website elysiumgallery.com (exhibitions, archive )
The artworks as always were wonderful and the excellent documentary photography was memorable. Here are just a few examples.
With over 60 artists both local and national, it was very apt in these current turbulent times. Brilliant documentary photography, including Black Lives Matter and disabled protesters in wheelchairs, marching chairs and a birthday cake for Trump you Bastard.
Bernard Mitchell 2021.
To link to a 360 degree view of the exhibition, click.
David Tress – New Works and Writings 2020
Messum’s 12 Bury Street, St. James’s, London. SW1Y 6AB.
4th to 27th November 2020.
Because of this damn virus I can not travel to London to the opening of David Tress’s exhibition at Messum’s in St. James, London. I would love to be there. However thanks to David I have the wonderful catalogue which not only includes all the work but also his beautifully written words a must buy at only £18.00. Messum’s have done a truly magnificent effort on the design and printing.
If you live in London, it’s a must go, but if not, here are a few photographs of the catalogue to tempt you!
Roman Wall, Housteads Looking West, 2020. Watercolour and mixed media on paper. 32 by 47 cm. 2019
‘’ Love the sinuous shapes of Hadrian’s Wall as it loops up and around its high ridges of land.’’
– David Tress 2020
Land (Fields, Hay Tor, Dartmoor) . Mixed Media on Paper, 52 by 65 cm. 2019
www.messums.com