Artists I Admire - Tracey Emin

With the new year well underway, now is the time I love to look ahead and plan for the things I would like to achieve. Although work is still busy, the Christmas madness has passed and I can take a breath, relax a little and allow my mind to wander and daydream. It's a good time to look back through my notes and tear sheets and absorb myself in the things that influence and inspire me.

An artist whose work I admire is Tracey Emin. She was becoming a big name on the British art scene as I was nearing the end of my time at art college, so she's been a part of the artistic landscape for the majority of my adult years, but the moment I really fell under her spell came when I visited her entry in the Turner Prize. This was when one of her most famous works was on show - 'My Bed' - and I was completely won over by the intimacy and the honesty of the work; the fact that her life and her art were indivisible, being so closely entwined, and I found her dedication truly inspirational. She felt so real. There was no posturing, just a truth that was unflinching and raw... so raw that at times it could feel uncomfortable. Yet for all the pain and hurt that was evident, there was also a warmth and comfort with some of the materials and methods she chose to work in such as collected scraps of fabric, blankets, hand embroidery and applique. Timeless methods of expression.

Tracey Emin in her studio

She has been a huge inspiration to me. I'm a completely different kind of person with my own story to tell but like Tracey I also seek to express who I am through the work that I do and I think that the people we like and admire become a part of who we are and how we frame ourselves.

Amanda xxx

My Everyday. Once

I live in Yorkshire in an area that was once rich in textiles. Most of the old mills have either gone or been converted into apartments but lots of little villages can still be found dotted around with the old stone cottages at their heart.

This next embroidery I have done is a depiction of a typical view across the rooftops in one of these villages, with chimneys and roofs of varying heights, a view very similar to the one I had from my old house.

'My Everyday.Once'

I love the higgledy piggledy nature of these buildings, an indication of the steep hills that form this landscape. Who doesn't know the steep road that led up to the parsonage where the Brontes lived?

The title of the piece references the fact that this was once the view I saw every day, and so even though I have moved on, to a different view over fields and hills, this one still forms a part of my story. It remains in my memory and has been woven into my narrative. The older we get, the more past we carry with us and it's good to be able to draw on that history and experience, but always with an eye to the future.

Amanda xxx

The Hepworth Prize for Sculpture

A few evenings ago I visited The Hepworth in Wakefield for the opening party to celebrate The Hepworth Prize for Sculpture. The Prize was created to celebrate the gallery's 5th anniversary and is the UK's newest art prize.

I'd had a busy day at work, getting home when darkness was already falling, and the thought of cosying up in pyjama's was a tempting one. I'm so glad I made the effort to go out though...the works on show are diverse, bold and fabulous.

The first piece of work I saw was 'Cloud Canyons' by David Medalla, a system of clear plastic 'Willy Wonka' style tubes with bubbles of foam slowly and constantly frothing up and over.

Everyone showed great restraint in not plunging their hands into the frothy foaminess. These bubbles relate to both life and death with direct links to experiences in the artist's life.

As I entered 'Screestage' by Phyllida Barlow I was amazed at the monumental scale. As you approach from the rear, you find yourself in a kind of underground forest which gets lower and lower the further you go, making you want to sit down and create a child-like den.

 

As you walk round to the front, the landscape of the piece changes to an uneven broken surface constructed from layer upon layer of painted board, out of which rise totemic posts.

I was completely in awe of this sculpture; its massive scale; its immersive quality. Phyllida Barlow has created a whole new world within the confines of a gallery space and I loved it. My own work is so small and delicate it was a pleasure to spend time in something at the other end of the scale.

Helen Marten is the youngest sculptor on the shortlist but her work is no less accomplished for that. Her works initially look large, and you step back to take in the full effect (with one of the pieces this is the only way to properly see it) but then you find yourself edging closer and closer to get a good look at the quirky little details.

 

I found myself smiling a lot in this room.

Blue and yellow are the colours I immediately think of when recalling the room housing Steven Claydon's work... you enter through industrial yellow curtains and the space is lit with blue LED bulbs, probably enhanced by the fact that I saw it at night so there was no daylight streaming through the large windows. I wonder how different it will feel during the day.

A large wall even looked like an inky sky full of twinkling stars; which is in fact rubberised sheeting holding copper pennies to it's surface.

Leaving the work of the sculpture prize entrants I then found myself in 'Anthea Hamilton Reimagines Kettle's Yard', which is on display while Kettle's Yard is closed for renovation. This was a real treat for me as it included work by Alfred Wallis whose naïve paintings of boats and harbours I have long been a fan of. His paintings seem to come from the heart and displayed in this domestic setting the exhibit felt both familiar and comforting.

A wonderful end to an inspiring evening.

The winner of the sculpture prize will be announced on 17th November 2016.

Amanda xxx

A Child of Books

I just had to treat myself to a copy of this new book by Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston:-

It feels like it's been written for me, and about me... I was a child of books.

The book is a beautifully produced work of art infused with a deep love of books and stories and words, marrying as it does the drawings of Jeffers' and the soaring text-scapes of Winston. Although a children's book, it will undoubtedly appeal to adults. I myself couldn't resist it.

Scenes depict a young girl riding high on the crest of a wave of words; and escaping from the clutches of a monster wrought in dense black type. Such a wonderful testament to the stories we read.

Amanda xxx

Attic Dreams

This is the completed fourth embroidery from 'Maps, Series1', titled 'Trapped by the Dream'.

As a child I loved the idea of an attic room, tucked away high up under the roof. A safe, snug, cosy refuge; somewhere to read books, draw, paint and dream. My grandparents boarded out the attic of their bungalow and so on my weekend sleepovers this would become my secret agent headquarters, as well as a place to create my architectural  or fashion designs - I had many career aspirations as a child.

I've carried this romantic vision with me and still relish the thought of hiding away in some kind of artist's eyrie complete with drawing board, easel and day bed.

But in some classic works of fiction, the attic room can be a place of imprisonment as in 'A Little Princess' by Frances Hodgson Burnett or 'Jane Eyre' by Charlotte Bronte. The cosy haven suddenly becomes a cold and lonely place where things have gone terribly wrong.

Having hopes and dreams is essential but hanging on to the idea of a dream whilst knowing it will never be real is not good, and so sometimes you have to let go and walk away. This piece of work was conceived at a time when I was struggling with the dream I had, and the reality I had to face.

I now have my very own little attic that brings back the feelings from childhood, and provides a cosy space for my son.

Amanda
xxx

Time for a Clear Out

I've been in my house nearly three years now but I still had old college and university work crammed into my garden shed waiting to be dealt with. I couldn't let another Summer pass without tackling this job, and so now was the time to roll up my sleeves and delve into the past.

I have managed to part with some of my work over the years and I was fairly ruthless when I moved, but I was still hanging on to far too much. There is a part of me that would like to get rid of everything; streamline and simplify; but there are some things I just can't part with. As I turn the pages of design work, I reconnect with the younger me and realise that some things feel too precious to let go off.

Final Year Design Project

But I'm still creating work now and I don't want the present to be suffocated by the past, so I'm pleased when I find I can sift through and clear some space so there's air to breathe between the memories.

I loved my time at art college and looking at the designs I created there brought back happy memories...sitting in the studio with friends, immersing ourselves in projects and dreaming of the future. It was a wonderful experience, opening up and expanding my mind; filling me up with the desire to learn and see where I could go with my ideas. A feeling that I carry with me still.

So I've actually managed to edit it all down to a manageable amount that I can access easily to look at, rather than being boxed away becoming hoarders' relics. Such a relief to tick that off the list.

Amanda
xxx

Visiting Mister Finch

A couple of weeks ago I took advantage of some lovely warm weather and a free day off to pay a visit to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. I love to see the work of other artists and I particularly wanted to see an exhibit by the Leeds artist Mister Finch who works in fabric, bringing to life his darkly fairy tale visions.

This particular work is called 'The Midnight Meeting'. The idea behind the exhibition is a secret meeting in a secret wood. A magical fox has borrowed the moon and hidden it inside his body that is a cabinet. With the help of his friends, a pair of tall hares and birds who are all decorated in flowers and spices, they are there to welcome the first moths of spring. The fox doors open and the light of the moon inside leads the way.  All the pieces are pale in colour as the meeting only comes together at night. They never see the sun and only meet one night a year.

His work is enchanting with an undercurrent of unease and exquisite attention to detail. You can imagine the creatures coming to life as the moonlight hits the cabinet. It ends on 28th August 2016.

The current major exhibition at ysp is by the Swiss artist Not Vital, someone that I'm not familiar with, but found myself transfixed by his work in both its range and its impact.

He is showing both in the grounds of the park and in the Underground Gallery. This work is called 'The Last Supper', an 11-metre wide painting created to span an entire wall:-

This work, positioned on the Underground Gallery roof, is called 'House to Watch the Sunset':-

I would certainly recommend a visit. It runs until 2nd January 2017.

I'm aiming for an update on my own work before the end of the month, so you should be hearing from me again soon.

Amanda xxx