Creating the Self Anew: The Art of Journalling

“Through reflecting on the concrete reality of our immediate experience, and through giving voice to our perceptions, intuitions, and “felt-sense” of things, we create ourselves anew”. – Marlene A. Schiwy from: Taking Things Personally: Women, Journal Writing, and Self-Creation As the new year gets underway, I find myself wondering what to do with the collection … More Creating the Self Anew: The Art of Journalling

Filming Day

Marcus and Nick (Redbrck Productions) visited the studio on Tuesday to collect footage for the Cultural Cwtsh Film. I have been busy preparing the script – a ten minute presentation on how to create photo stories that I sent to the guys in advance so they could make a schedule for the day. As I’ve … More Filming Day

Photo Poems

More photo poems for the Arts Council of Wales/NHS Creative Cwtsh commission. I haven’t been strict about the 5,7,5 syllable structure with these, but they are inspired by the Haiku form. Also, having fun with cut-up collaging of letters: In Japanese poetry, kigo (季語) is the word or phrase used to indicate the season and it is often … More Photo Poems

Artists Apart

Two exhibitions in Swansea this weekend: Sarah Poland who has a residency in GS Gallery, and Frances Richards at the Glynn Vivian. Sarah Poland’s mark making using inks made from oak galls has a zen-like quality. I love how she combines this with photographic images she calls ‘moon-drawings’, made by using a long exposure on … More Artists Apart

Memories and Monuments

Two inspiring photography exhibitions in London recently: Roman Vishniac Rediscovered at The Photographers’ Gallery, and Guido Guidi: Per Strada at Large Glass. Vishniac is best known for having created one of the most widely recognised and reproduced photographic records of Jewish life in Eastern Europe between the two World Wars. This exhibition features iconic works … More Memories and Monuments

Art on the Hill

My friend transformed his flat into a gallery space for local artists as part of Art on the Hill in Newport. 11:00 – 18:00 : Art House #1, 26 Bryngwyn Road (19) *PG* The first in a series of mixed media events that focus upon the more outer edges of Newport’s developing art scene. Featuring … More Art on the Hill

Awkward Objects: The Work of Alina Szapocznikow

This weekend, I travelled to Wakefield to see Human Landscapes,  the first UK retrospective of the work of the much-overlooked Polish artist Alina Szapocznikow (1926–1973). Powerful, innovative, disturbing, these pieces have dark undertones, which isn’t surprising when you discover that Szapocznikow survived several of the Nazi camps as a teenager, and bouts of severe illness. … More Awkward Objects: The Work of Alina Szapocznikow