‘Behind the line’ Exhibition 2015
My ‘Behind the Line’ exhibition was one which brought me many things to think about… When is a work really finished? Is it okay to exhibit experiments? Is it okay to exhibit extracts of sketchbooks? Is it okay to exhibit written pieces alongside visual works? What are the rules?…. I decided all of this was okay and created an exhibition showing processes, sketches, automatic writing and finished works all mixed with each other. And to my delight it was really well received. The ‘behind the scenes’ and ‘inside the mind’ of an artist approach caused a great deal of discussion and debate, and really helped the not so confident or proficient explorers of art. Everyone seemed to feel so much less intimidated and much more able to engage with and discuss all of the pieces of work… And this made me really happy. To engage people who would not usually engage with art was a joy and an honour. Surely this is what we should all aim to do? To encourage ordinary folk to explore and interact with art, rather than keep it as an exclusive ‘members only’ club. Surely its better to expand ones audience and ones audience’s minds than it is to intimidate and alienate, which is so often the case with so many galleries. As an artist it can often be intimidating, let alone if you are taking your first tentative steps into the world of Art…. So I say ‘balls’ to the rules, do it your own way and engage, engage, engage!!!
3rd SEPTEMBER 2015