ARTS CENTRE BLOG
'A Proposal' - Jack Brindley and Nick Barton
The duality of two artists in collaboration puts into question the politics of social interaction. The exhibition plays out a series of ideas through the collection of both realized and failed proposals for artworks.
Concerned with the taxonomy of gestures, Nicholas Barton and Jack Brindley attempt to reveal the visual and verbal languages active in art. Focusing on the dialogue between these two artists is an effort to broaden the platform of communication.
The inner workings and failings of the proposed works dissolve the boundaries between production and consumption. With shared autonomy we are invited back stage to find out for our selves the exploration of art and language.
Brian Aldiss Exhibition 16th Aug-29th Sept
BRIAN ALDISS’s first published story appeared in 1954, heralding an internationally sucessful literary career that has produced bestselling contemporary and science fiction novels, short stries, poetry and non-fiction. But along with the words came the pictures, streaming from the other hemisphere of the author’s brain.
To mark Brian Aldiss’s 85th Birthday, the JAM FACTORY presents the first public exhibition of his non-verbal work. As with his writing, Aldiss displays a cunning proficiency with differing media. ‘THE OTHER HEMISPHERE’ illuminates that part of his artistic vision that has until now remained hidden from the public.
Aldiss says he was struck by the beauty of the human brain when he saw his own brain under examination. Of course, there is more complexity to the brain than that contained in the two hemispheres; below them lies the cerebellum, and the nerve connections with the spinal chord.
Higher cognitive functions communicate with lower, and those with inheritors of deep time. Deep time that lurks far beyond our relationship with apes, back to the cynodonts swimming in the Paleo-Tethyis Ocean - creatures emerging from the extinctions of the Permian era, some 280 million years ago.
You can see how long it takes to rear an artist - or an English football player...
To venture down these cranial connections is to plunge back in time. Why should we want to do so? Because we are finite, and so we long for the infinite. Aldiss’ writings and artwork make at least a small gesture towards the infinite, and to what remains inarticulate.
Just as apples originated from Kazakhstan in Central Asia, so what was to become part of us had its first stirrings in that mythic imagined sea.
[DNA proves that all apples originated in what is now Kazakstan, where the Mongols first broke and rode the horse.]
Miles James
PAINTINGS BY MIKE MACCGREGOR
Paintings, Drawings and Boxes by Mike MacGregor
Born in South London in1944. Studied Art at Croydon college of Art until 1968. Tutors at the time were Alan Jones and Bridget Riley. Visited St Ives and became fascinated by the atmosphere and light.
Exhibited in a variety of exhibitions including the Association of International Artists, the Royal Festival Hall and Dunedin Public Art Gallery and New Zealand.
“I travelled extensively in Europe, Asia and New Zealand which gave me an insight into different cultures and different ways of life. From this I became aware of Picasso’s Guernica and Goya’s political paintings and etchings.
Early photography was also an interest. We can learn about people from looking at a snapshot, peering into someone’s private experiences. Muybridge’s photographs capture such images in a series of freeze frames stills. These experiences have informed my work as an artist.
My exhibition is concerned with Human activity past and present, sensations evoked by circumstance. Taking fragments from history and juxtaposing these into orderly compositions have created images which are sometimes funny, sad, beautiful or tragic.
My aim has been to capture a presence and a sense of time in a single moment, without overstating but conjuring up an atmosphere of uneasy expectation.”
WOMBLEVISION
Womblevision everyday sorts of things folks leave behind
With more and more emphasis being placed on recycling, Womblevision is my take on the issue; objects which have either been discarded, fallen apart, or are just past their best, are transformed into vibrant, often quite abstract images. I have always been drawn to patterns and colours in everyday objects, whether they’re natural or man-made, it could be the shape of the object that draws my attention, or how it looks from a particular angle. Through photography I can experiment with how lighting affects and changes one’s perception of all objects, by focusing in on the finer details and adding light and shade accordingly. The resulting image often challenges the viewers’ perceptions, and even their notions of what constitutes beauty or art. Although my work is digital I focus my energy on setting the image up physically, so digital editing is kept to a minimum.
This exhibition will prove that one man's trash can be anyone's treasure....!
Media Jam
INSTANT JESUS_005
'Finding a way to express such a thing as belief through a photograph is never going to be easy, the best I can hope for is that one or two people will see one or two pictures they connect with.'
Nigel's editorial photographs are published in news and feature sections of the national newspapers. 'Instant_Jesus_005' is his first solo exhibition and the first public viewing of this new work. 'Instant_Jesus_005' is a personal reaction to living in a secular world but wanting a breathing god. The photographs are traditionally made using a large format film camera and hand printed using a black and white technique called lithprinting. With this technique subtle colours and soft tones replace the cold sharpness of black and white creating a warm optimistic medium.
The concept is visually led from picture to picture, there is no prescription for how an idea will develop or a liturgy that has to be followed. At the time of writing this is a work in progress, a mixture of prints, negatives and ideas in the process of coming
'A Proposal' - Jack Brindley and Nick Barton
The duality of two artists in collaboration puts into question the politics of social interaction. The exhibition plays out a series of ideas through the collection of both realized and failed proposals for artworks.
Concerned with the taxonomy of gestures, Nicholas Barton and Jack Brindley attempt to reveal the visual and verbal languages active in art. Focusing on the dialogue between these two artists is an effort to broaden the platform of communication.
The inner workings and failings of the proposed works dissolve the boundaries between production and consumption. With shared autonomy we are invited back stage to find out for our selves the exploration of art and language.
LOST IN SHADOWS
Matt Smith: LOST IN SHADOWS PRESS RELEASE
‘‘ I chose the title “LOST IN SHADOWS” because all my subjects are lost in an empty, deserted dark place searching for even the smallest spot of light to escape to...’’
‘Lost in Shadows’ is an exploration of the limits of emotion; the capabilities and confinements of the soul on canvas, conceived by the penetrating vision of Matt Smith.
Having already exhibited alongside pioneering urban artists Blek Le Rat, Micallef and UK sensation Banksy, Matt Smith’s ‘Lost in Shadows’ presentation confirms him as one of the most moving and immediately distinctive talents in Oxfordshire.
Running for three weeks from Wednesday 14th July at the Jam Factory in Oxford, ‘Lost in Shadows’ exposes Smith’s exceptional ability to capture and embody the internal emotions of his subjects externally.
‘‘In my works of art I try to give paintings a depth, something more meaningful than just what is seen at face value. Quite often my work is focused around the human psyche as I try to project a state of mind.’’
As one of the most emotionally incisive and creatively astute artists working out of Oxfordshire, Smith’s inspiration lies in his flirtation with human emotion, and his willingness to allow himself to be seduced by the darker side.
‘‘I find the darkness of the human mind intriguing. I love the way life’s events develop our individuality.’’
Smith will allow himself, and the viewer, to go to the very deepest, darkest corners of human emotion; intimately exploring the exposed vulnerability of us all; Matt Smith’s work takes you to a place where few other artists can find so naturally, so personally or with so much success.
‘Lost in Shadows’ runs for three weeks from 15th July to the 8th August 2010 and contains recent and new works. The open night is 14th of July from 7pm and is open to all members of the public.
Matt Smith’s works can also be seen in the group presentation ‘Bright Young Things’ running from Monday 2nd of August to the 8th of August.
Review by Matt Ottey
Penetrating, piercing...infinite absence of happiness...self destruction and the seclusion of emotional solitude.Smith deals in the gravest and singularly unhappiest subjects; solitude, grief and the raw vulnerability that comes with the exposure of pure emotion; and yet throughout his work, amongst the drowning eyes and soulless expressions you seem to find the smallest shred of hope, light and personality. Which is why, as an artist, Matt Smith succeeds in so many ways; subtly coaxing you into the story behind the image, including you, and your thoughts into the piece.
Often viewers are manipulated into experiencing what the artist wants you to see, whereas Smith gives you the absolute minimum of direction; a nudge, a gentle blowing wind guiding you into seeing what could be possible with the subtle application of imagination and honesty. ‘Lost in Shadows’ is not only an exhibition of art, it is an exploration of the soul.
NOD EXHIBITION
OXFORD PRIDE Exhibition 7-24 June
The opening night is this Monday 7th June starting at 6pm, everybody welcome to attend.
OXFORD PRIDE presents ......
Queer Arts 2010: A PROUD ODYSSEY
The Jam Factory Gallery Boiler Room
7 – 30 June
Exhibition Opening 6pm-8pm, Mon 7 June.
Kate Kessling Photography
Mazz Image, Photography
Miles Chisholm, Painting
Mirren Kessling, Mixed media
Robert Taylor, Photography
Tabitha Millet, Painting
Trevor Barton, Painting
VCV, photography
Opening night performance by Stavroula Kounadea
4th June opening for nod exhibition
Tonight is the opening for the NOD exhibition, a collection of paintings by french artist Frederick Naud. Everybody welcome. Starts at 7.30pm.
PRESS RELEASE FOR CTRL.ALT.SHIFT EXHIBTION
Comic book heroes fight global corruption
Just as the X-Men fought crime in the pages of comic books, so now an exhibition of comic strips looks set to do the same for global corruption in the real world.
The exhibition launches the new anthology, Ctrl.Alt.Shift Unmasks Corruption, a collection from some of the world's best graphic novelists, comic artists and satirists – such as Lee O'Connor, Pat Mills, V V Brown, Dave McKean and Dan Goldman – who have come together to engage and challenge the issues of social justice. The limited edition comic book features original work and hopes to enthuse and politicise a new generation of activists through the medium of popular comic culture.
A selection of pieces from Ctrl.Alt.Shift Unmasks Corruption will be exhibited at the The Jam Factory in Oxford, alongside the winners of the November ’09 Ctrl.Alt.Shift Unmasks Corruption comic strip competition.
In September ’09, Ctrl.Alt.Shift ran a competition asking people to create comic strips on the theme of corruption. The winner’s work was exhibited in the Lazarides Gallery in London in November ’09 alongside a retrospective look at how comics and satire have been used throughout history to highlight political important issues.
The one-off comic book anthology, Ctrl.Alt.Shift Unmasks Corruption, will be available to buy at the exhibition and, for those who aren’t able to attend, can be bought through the Ctrl.Alt.Shift website.
Where: The Jam Factory, 27 Park End Street, Oxford, OX1 1HU http://www.thejamfactoryoxford.com/
When: Opening Night: Wednesday 30th June
Exhibition runs: 30th June – 13th July
Cost: Free Admission
Time: Opening night: 7.00pm – 11.00pm
Exhibition open: Monday - Sunday 10am - 11pm
Notes to editors
Ctrl.Alt.Shift is an experimental youth initiative. It was set up in 2008 by the international development agency Christian Aid and aims to use art – whether comics, film or music – to create a new generation of activists. For information about the work that Ctrl.Alt.Shift does, the anthology Ctrl.Alt.Shift Unmasks Corruption and the exhibition, please contact Olivia Flint on 0207 523 2381 or olivia@ctrlaltshift.co.uk
The Jam Factory is an arts centre, restaurant and bar situated in the west end of Oxford. Designed to encourage the participation and appreciation of the visual arts on all levels, The Jam Factory provides a relaxed and welcoming venue to meet, eat and enjoy any of the exhibitions, classes or other art events on offer.www.thejamfactoryoxford.com
CTRL.ALT.SHIFT EXHIBTION
Press Release
Josephine Lyons I’m in love with the world
April 22nd – May 22nd 2010 at The Jam Factory Oxford
Untitled, (February 2010) Oil on Canvas, 12cm x 6cm
For her first solo exhibition at the Jam Factory in Oxford Josephine Lyons is to present new and recent paintings and sculptures. Regarded by many as one of the most promising young artists working in the UK this will be her first solo exhibition at the Jam Factory. The exhibition will showcase Oxford-based Lyon’s characteristically exuberant vision, her use of compelling and joyful imagery, and her unique engagement with art history.
I’m in love with the world presents a subjective and open ended narrative. It explores the way meaningful connections are created between disparate experiences and between works of art, using this to making one coherent work from a range individual ‘moments’. The notion of self portraiture is key to her work, as is the idea that a subject can be developed and understood through a series of different moments, motifs or images. In the exhibition Lyons treats each artwork as part of a greater whole, much as in an orchestra a violin or a cello contributes to the overall creation. Primarily a painter, Lyons is interested creating beautiful new forms and images and in creating work that is both complex and evocative, and accessible.
Lyons was encouraged to paint from the age of four. She was much influenced by her art teacher at Wimbledon High School, Calan Lewis, who sadly recently passed away, who asked her to paint what she felt, and thereby gave her a new language to communicate with. In addition she cites artists as varied as Tracey Emin, Roi Vareeri, Howard Hodgkin’s, Turner, Cranach, Picasso, Van Gogh, Matisse, Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller, and Regina Jose Galindo, as being important for her.
Editor’s Notes,
Josephine Lyons (born 1983, England) studied at Goldsmiths (2002-2006). She has exhibited in group exhibition in London and Oxford including, ‘Opera and art’ at Covent Garden Film Studios (2007). Her first solo exhibition, Unexpected Signs and Location of other Realms, was held in the old Woolworths building in Crouch End, London, in June 2009. Josephine Lyons lives and works in Oxford.
For further information and High Resolution images, please contact the artist, Josephine Lyons on
Info@josephinelyons.net
Digital SLR Photography Courses
Every Tuesday morning from 10:30 – 12:30, with an optional group lunch in the Jam Factory restaurant to follow (not included in the course fee)
6-week beginners course starts April 27th to June 1st
6-week intermediates course follows on from June 8th to July 13th
Maximum of 10 students, £150 per course and advance booking required.
For bookings and enquiries email info@michaelbetts.com or call 07957 230632
To view more information about the course visit our art classes section.
Tuesday, 27 April 2010
ARTS WINES OPENING
WORK FROM GRASSROOTS & GLASS CEILINGS
WORK FROM GRASSROOTS & GLASS CEILINGS
WORK FROM GRASSROOTS & GLASS CEILINGS
Opening Night for '.....'
Opening Night for 'Beauty in Decay'
WORK FROM ELEVEN EXHIBITION
WORK FROM ELEVEN EXHIBITION
WORK FROM ELEVEN EXHIBITION
WORK FROM ELEVEN EXHIBITION
WORK FROM ELEVEN EXHIBITION
WORK FROM ELEVEN EXHIBITION
WORK FROM ELEVEN EXHIBITION
RESTAURANT COLLECTION
The Art Book/CALLING All artists!!
The purpose of the art book is to support and promote artists living and working in the Oxford and Oxfordshire area, allowing professional and semi-professional practitioners to display their Work in a publication with high production values
Our goal is to offer newest, sometimes most challenging work from across the region, and to expand the public perception of art, with the prospect to launch the careers of promising young artists.
By no means exhaustive, this selection will reflect a spectrum of current work carefully selected to showcase art and artists in Oxfordshire, with a fresh and original approach to Art.
Each artist will be represented by a colour image of a typical work (Half page, full page, double page) accompanied by text to illuminate the artist and its practice.
This Art publication will provide a fresh and original approach to Art, a unique visual source book, as well as a celebration of the rich and multi-faceted range of visual art culture in Oxford and Oxfordshire.
Patrick Messaoudi
Art & Events Director
Think Locally Productions
LIVE DRAWING BY MIRREN
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6ZAJEsWwbQ -this is the video of Mirren drawing at the Jam Factory as a part of the Woman’s Festival Exhibition . Soundtrack-The Horrors
25th March - 21st April / Art wines exhibition
10th - 29th March Beauty in decay exhibition
Oxford International Women’s Festival in association with Oxford Pride presents
“Grassroots & Glass Ceilings”
a diverse art exhibition celebrating work by local and international women artists inspired by the 2010 Festival theme of ‘Grassroots and Glass Ceilings’. This group show includes wall art, sculpture, performance, video and poetry.
Afroditi Aparti
Emmie van Biervliet
Georgina Jestico
Linda Wride
Madi Acharya-Baskerville
Mirren Kessling
Nia Walling
Sherrey Tysom
Susan Moxley
Tabitha Millett
Tina Calloway
Poet Lizzie McHale will MC the Launch with performance by Lydia Faith
For more information about the festival and artists visit www.oxfordwomen.co.uk and www.oxfordpride.org.uk
Festival Launch & Opening Performance Event: Sunday 28th February 7.30-9.30pm
Exhibition: Sun 28 FEBRUARY – Mon 21 MARCH open everyday 10am-10pm @ Jam Factory
fIVE STAR sHOW
The Creative Collective Exhibition has been a huge success and has received a five star review in this weeks copy of the Oxford Times. To read it online click … http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/search/?search=CREATIVE+COLLECTIVE
CREATIVE COLLEVE OPENING NIGHT
PERFORMANCE PIECE
SHOP
A Call for submissions
Life Drawing Tuesday 2nd Feb
New Book Collection
Pete Ross Exhibition
“Since 2005 my painting has been autobiographical and relate to growing up in South Wales in the 1950/60’s, this current work is in galleries in Brecon and Cardiff and I have a major exhibition at the Riverfront Arts complex in Newport in the Summer 2010.
The work in this exhibition falls mainly into 3 categories. Portraits, Couples and Conflicts. The work from these themes started with the large heads in 1993 and developed into couples and later into conflict pictures until 2005. The portrait and couple paintings are straightforward interpretations from photographs which were chosen for various reasons. Some are well known people, some are not, but all have physical characteristics which appeal to me. The conflict pictures are more complex are better explained face to face, though in simple terms they convey a misunderstanding and conditioning of conflicts by us, the observers.” Pete Ross
Creative Collective Exhibition
Eleven is the first exhibition curated by Oxford based Creative Collective, showcasing work by 11 up and coming young artists from across the county.
All 11 artists are aged between 18 and 20 and currently study art-based subjects at universities around the country, four of which are current students on the art foundation course at Oxford Brookes University.
The exhibition stretches across all mediums and included in the exhibition are illustrators Lara Hawthorne and Rachel Hardwick; fine artists Joe Carter, Anna Munday, Henry Franks and James Lomax, photographers Rishi Mullett-Sadones, Kenz Leverne and Jamie Clark; designers Zoe Regoczy and Rossie Edenbrow. On the preview evening former fine art student from Oxford Brookes Lauren O’Day will be providing a live performance piece from 9pm onwards.
Alison Honour, course leader of the Art & Design Foundation and Head of Arts at Oxford Brookes commented, “These young artists should be commended for the ambition and determination required in organising and creating work for an exhibition which will provide them with the valuable experience of exhibiting as professional practicing artists.”
Creative Collective are keen to support local artists that show enthusiasm, passion and commitment that is reflected within the work they produce. Rishi Mullett-Sadones of Creative Collective comments: “The original idea to do this came to me back in March last year, realising there are very few opportunities to exhibit work in a professional environment inside the city unless you are either a professional or post-graduate artist. Being a photographer myself, I wanted to solve this problem giving likeminded individuals the opportunity to promote their work at an early stage in their careers, while highlighting the fresh innovative talent being produced in Oxfordshire.”
With no set theme, young artists were simply invited through the Facebook groups to submit pieces of work that represented their own views or style. Giving them complete freedom to express themselves as artists and what they have produced is a real testament to the brimming creative talent that exists here in Oxfordshire.
Forth coming exhibition - Arts Wines
Judging of Arts Wines competition
Simpson and Zahon Exhibition
Rona
Opening night of 'Wonderland'
The opening night for the 'Wonderland' exhibition included live performances from speakowire and AI/DS
Wonderland exhibition
Pictures from 'made in oxford' exhibition
opening night
Made In oxford exhibition
The exhibition is the brainchild of a group of 30 local photographers who live, work and study in the Oxford area, most of whom had only met online before they decided to arrange this exhibition. They are here before term starts and they are here when the tourists have jetted back to their own cities. And whilst it’s an outstandingly beautiful city to live in, it can get awfully boring photographing the Dreaming Spires again and again. So what they've set out to do is try and show you their Oxford
Who we are
The Jam Factory doesn’t just provide a relaxed and welcoming venue to meet and dine, but is now built up its reputation to be an arts centre in its own right, providing tutored art classes, rehearsal spaces for theatre productions and discussion groups as well as exciting exhibitions ranging from graduate shows to works from Marc Chagall. We are accessible for anybody passionate about the arts. Exhibiting works from established artists yet still providing a platform for emerging talent.
Our mission is to ignite and sustain a passion for the arts that is accessible to a wider variety of people. It's not about convincing people we are the same as other galleries, as were not, and this is what makes our lovely Jam Factory Gallery special.