Prescriptions: Artist’s Books on wellbeing and medicine

Image: Martha Hall, Maine Women Writers Collection, University of New England

This week I’m off to Kent for a symposium and workshop on Artist’s Books and the Medical Humanities.The symposium is linked to an exhibition of Martha A Hall’s work curated by Dr Stella Bolaki and Egidija Ciricaite at The Beaney,  see below for more details.

Prescriptions: artist’s books on wellbeing and medicine

with featured artist Martha A Hall in The Drawing Room at The Beaney House of Art & Knowledge CT1 2RA from April 22 – August 14. Preview April 21.

The exhibition focuses on the book art of Martha Hall, on loan from the University of New England, and linked to a University of Kent symposium. Hall’s books document her experiences with breast cancer and interactions with the medical community, and are accompanied by a curated show of artists books responding to themes of art, empathy and wellbeing. Supported by the Wellcome Trust.

 

I’m also really pleased to have some work in the supporting show.  home was made to give me time to reflect upon and share my understanding of my nan’s dementia, and how it affected both her and my relationship with ‘home’. Sharing the work at book fairs and exhibitions has opened up conversations with others in similar situations, has allowed reflection and disclosure of thoughts and feelings often censored in situations.  Along with some other exhibitors I’m donating my final copy of this edition to the University of Kent’s collection for future research by medical humanities students.  I’m really looking forward to hearing more about the project later in the week.

 

home, screen printed  flash cards 2009

Pictures on walls

But not in this blog post I’m afraid, which is essentially notes on 3 shows I saw, at the last minute, a fortnight ago, which means 2 of them have now finished, but still, there are links to more words and pictures if you’re interested.

Group Thirteen are the last of the first intake of the Complete Printmaker course at Hot Bed Press, an open access print workshop in Salford that I’m a member of. The last as in the majority insisted on 2 more years of the 1 year Complete Printmaker course and hence they have completed 3 years of routine, study, daydreaming and break times all in the name of printmaking. As far as I can tell thirteen got through 3 years together and seem set to be a well oiled exhibiting machine into the future.  Group Thirteen, the show, brought the 13 printmakers together, each project installed within it’s own space in the old Cow Lane studios.

My main link to the group is Karen Joyce.  Having driven through the countryside with Karen towards many a book fair over the last few years, oohing at sunsets and ahhing at walls, fields and bridges together,  I think I can see how her work has come about.  Karen showed beautiful trees on a deep purple background…though she called it blue…perhaps forget me not?  See her blog for a more extensive write up of the show and some pictures! Below are links to a few of my favourites.

Gwil Hughes  A wonderful woodcutter conjuring the shift and blurring of tales in old photographs out of found wood.  Large dark images on blood red walls

Lithography works so well for Katy Hollinshead, but I’ve seen her make her delicate drawings of mainly dead animals with woodcut tools too, she just has the right touch.  It’s like Hollinshead’s stroking the creature with the drawing and not in a cute or gross way either.

Ciarrai Samson’s beautifully wrecked plates that have never been printed

Sonja Wellings battered gestural marks shown in an appropriately tattered room reminds me of 2 books of overlayed drypoint drawings called Line and a Line  (you can find them on my book page here) that I made whilst a tenant drawing ceiling cracks at Cow Lane.

Also 2 shows interesting to view in the same day, just down the road from each other.

An exhibition at Salford Art Gallery by Heart and Sold an organisation who represent international artists with down syndrome. Favourites included Peter Escott,  Rachel Heller, Fiona Stevenson and Richard Cloake on until June 5th.

Inside Out a Castlefield Gallery exhibition exploring the notion of outsider art. Including, Darren Brian Adcock’s excellent pen, sound and light drawings, Mit Senoj’s flora figures and co-curator David Maclagen’s oil bar drawings  The show has now finished but you can read the Creative Tourist review.

Next time I’ll take pictures.