Curators choice on BBC Wiltshire

I spoke on Curators Choice this week with BBC's Graham Rogers as Sue Davies who usually presents this programme was on holiday. Curators from around Wiltshire talk about objects from their museum's in this slot every Wednesday from 2.15 p.m.

I featured a ceramic by Charles Stone from the Swindon Collection of Studio Ceramics. The piece titled Ceramic Sculpture was made in porcelain in 1979. It is tiny and merits close observation. Its dimensions are height 8.5 cm; (3.5 ins) length 9.2 cm; width 5.6 cm.

It depicts a walled, riverfront castle in front of a forest with 3 birds and a moored boat.

It is made from several different coloured clays: light brown, grey, light grey, and body-coloured porcelain clays which have been rolled, cut and delicately modelled to produce the forms. Its surface shows various impressed textures and sgraffito used for architectural and folar detail.

It is part of a currently available display called Clay and Water which will accompany the next Art Gallery exhibition The Lure of Water opening on 15 July.

Pots in Clay and Water have been chosen for their connection with St Ives, the sea, beach and boat shapes.

Christopher Easdon's Art

Today, 18th, June Chris Easdon laid out all of his pictures on the gallery floor so that they could be photographed from above. Chris wanted to be able to show all of his pictures in one shot and the gallery provided the ideal location. He told me that he started this work in May when he got his new computer. He abstracts from photographs and manipulates the images using computer software.

Chris also writes books, one of which is called 'The Wonderful World of Wobbly Bob and Muggy Sam'.

Parallel Lives with Artsite

Around 20 Artsite artists have each chosen a picture from the Swindon Collection of Modern British Art. On Friday 11 June, the artists came to the art gallery to view their chosen pictures and to read the archived information related to each artwork.

Paul Ricketts and Tim Carroll got the pictures out of the store for the viewing and I provided the accompanying information.

There was a tranquil studious atmosphere in the gallery as the artists worked. Some made drawings; other made notes. Andy Preston shot video footage while others clicked away on their mobile phones and cameras. We also photocopied photographs and texts from the folders. It was really satisfying to be able to make all these resources available to artists from our area.

Artsite artists will use their responses to the Swindon collection pictures to make their own artworks to be shown in an exhibition Parallel Lives which will be at The Post Modern gallery, Swindon in September 2010.

For further information about Artsite, visit http://www.artsite.ltd.uk/

Art Publications - Paris and London

I've had two calls today requesting images for publications, one from Paris and the other from London.

Our painting by Roger Fry, The Black Sea Coast, 1911 will be shown in an exhibition on the Bloomsbury Group at the museum of Roubaix (France) from November 2009 to February 2010.

The Éditions Gallimard are going to publish the catalogue of the exhibition. This afternoon I received a call today from the publisher asking for a high quality picture.

I also heard from Fiona Candlin from Birkbeck College, London who has written a book entitled, Art, Museums and Touch. Fiona has requested a image of Ben Nicholson, Composition in Black and White, 1933 for inclusion in the publication.

It is always good to see our pictures reproduced in publications as it helps to raise the profile of this important collection, Swindon Collection of Modern British Art

Monsters and Beasts

Over 140 five to seven year old children from Lethbridge School in Old Town Swindon are creating monsters and beasts in the art gallery this week and next. The children are taking inspiration from 'Jake and Dinos Chapman: My Colouring Book' exhibition and Maurice Sendak's 'Where the Wild Things Are'.

The session combines storytelling, drama and drawing

The children play picture consequences to create fantastic beasts and design their very own monsters in chalk, charcoal and pastels.

Each session finishes with a 'wild rumpus'!

If you are a teacher who would like your pupils to have a thoroughly creative time here, contact Elaine Bennett, Education Officer on 01793 466556 or ebennett@swindon.gov.uk

Sessions like this one are designed around school-based themes.

We also have off-the-shelf sessions on Art, the Egyptians and Romans.

Jake and Dinos Chapman: My Giant Colouring Book is a Hayward Touring Exhibition, from Southbank Centre, London, on behalf of Arts Council, England.

For further information about Lethbridge School:
http://www.lethbridge.swindon.sch.uk/