The Rosalind Davis Newsletter has arrived !

My newletter has arrived, that’s right people, with pictures, jazzy boxes, links and everything. My friend Tammasyn Gambell ( www.tammasyngambell.com ) has a studio in cockpit arts and she sent me hers a while ago which was gorgeous and smart and I coveted it immediately and her lovely boyfriend Jamie Young assisted me.

Check it out here:
Rosalind Davis Newsletter http://bit.ly/dt3mxO

Why a newsletter one might ask, well what with exhibitions, press, core gallery etc its all too messy to put in an email and expect people to read all the info- this way people can just check out what interests them in bite size nuggets. I know it may not be very ‘ arty’ to be so professional and to do all this sort of ‘ marketing stuff’ but being an artist means you have to stand up and show yourself, get exposure, otherwise how are you going to survive telling no-one about your work? In this recession we have to work even harder to get noticed and you have to be professional; A two liner email with no image attached isn’t going to get people outside your circle of friends to a show.

On a different note our core gallery website may be live soon – only a few months delayed….somehow I ended up being the one to be instructed on how to update the website, a few words went into my brain from Max Saunders, our webdesigner and then the rest was dalek speak. Chantelle and I spent an evening tearing our hair out over the functionalities and I really did not understand what the heck I was doing…..so if it is down to me then it may not be live for a while…..plus I feel like I am going blind with tiredness at the moment, but one last push is the final week of Wilderness and open studios, a lovely blurb written below sums it up nicely;

We are sad to announce the coming of the end of the much celebrated “WILDERNESS” exhibition at Core Gallery, which will end on Sunday 20th June. *sighs and moans of grief*
But we are very happy to announce it has been a very great success. With over 400 visitors, an extended showing time, several artist talks including among them Deptford Arts Map and the fantastic discussion with the reputable Graham Crowley, we wanted to invite those of you who didn’t make it down yet, or for those who just want to see it again, for the final few days. *cheers and hoorays rise in crescendo*
Friday 18th June, we have a little chilled out bar, with some music and who knows what little surprises on the way.
Also starting on Friday through to Sunday there will also be the fabulous ‘JUMBLE JUMBLE’ arts sale going on in and around the space with guest such as Pigeon Wing Gallery and Miss Led…..and as if that wasn’t enough, the quite excellent Cor Blimey Artists are opening up their studios for everyone to have a little butchers at what everyone’s up to and maybe bag a bargain piece of artwork whilst you’re there. *exasperations of WoooooWWw*
Anyhoo…
It’ll be lovely to see you all again where you’ll all have the final chance to check out Rosalind’s dizzyingly beautiful painting-stitching, pull me up on my layering and spectaculour use of colour and have you’re photo taken in front of Neil’s now famous, idyllic mountainside wallpaper.

*applause ensues*


The Deptford X entries for Core Gallery’s open submission are pouring in which is fantastic and the entries are very strong already, Emily, our super intern is sending all over the place. If you would like to apply the info is here-
http://coregallerydeptford.blogspot.com
PLus theres a load of other great opportunities to get involved with Deptford X: www.deptfordx.org
we would love to hear from you……

Artist's talk, Mountains to climb, interviews to do.....

I have been trying to clamber atop the mountain of paperwork as I mentioned, my to do list however has gotten out of control and its looking like I may never paint again! On the other hand I have worked my ass off painting lately, so the balance must be addressed and to keep all those various plates as creative practitioner, gallery manager and writer keep spinning away. besides I am letting ideas boil away in the background.



Our artists talk at Wilderness, ( my exhibition at Core Gallery with Enver Gursev and Neil Kelly) with distinguished painter Graham Crowley , ooh , a couple of weeks ago now , was superb.



Graham was utterly brilliant. Erudite, enthusiastic and full of energy, throwing art history, critical theory, opinion, popular culture; morsels of delicious information at our hungry feet. Charming too is Mr Crowley, when I introduced him as my visiting professor at RCA who taught me how to paint, he demurred, ‘No Rosalind I told you about painting, not how to paint, you did that…’ Graham has seen me develop in the last 5 years as a painter and I think he is happy with the result of what he sees from what I could gather. Neil and Enver were equally bowled over and charmed. To have a critically constructive eye over our work is wonderfully motivating.



Graham also gave us an overview of his work, admittedly difficult for a man whose career as an artist spans over 40 years, ‘like trying to do a short overview of Proust’ he told us. Graham started at the beginning of his art school education and emergence into the artworld; the climate, the way people were taught, again: more political, cultural and social history thrown in. Talking about his processes of working and ideas behind the work was fascinating.



A very satisfying day!



On another note, we finally got a teeny bit of funding to do a project at Cor Blimey! A one day drawing workshop involving the community working with 3 external artists from local studios in Deptford. The wrangling and endless re-workings of our application was worth it! As although its not much funding, we have had a success in it and it motivates us to try to do more.



Plus we have launched our first Gallery open submission with 3 fantastic judges; Graham Crowley, Kate Jones and Matt Roberts launched on

http://coregallerydeptford.blogspot.com



Now, about that paperwork, I have 2 articles to write- one for AIR about the government cuts to the arts under the coalition government ( eek !) and another for Becky Hunter who is going to create an artist led space in the US. All again very exciting stuff!

Axisweb

Axisweb

Core Gallery in action!

In this insecure and heady world of art and creativity, I and Elizabeth as spearhead and momentum gatherer of many people’s ideas at Cor Blimey helped establish a gallery ,created in two shows so far, in two months , that most edifying addictive atmosphere that celebrates the expressiveness of exciting contemporary art, opened up wondrous conversations and serious discussion,created opportunities for artists, established relationships with artists, curators and fellow visionaries. All held up , supported and channelled by my fellow believers at Core

I have been dazzled by Chantelle, Enver, Leyla's, Neil, Arnold and Gillian's hard work who have also been key in this, by Lizzie who has stepped in as well. I am awed by the genorosity of local galleries and studios such as Bearspace , The Agency and Creekside and all the artists and curators who have joined us so far and are part of the core family now; Nick Kaplony and Helen Griffiths

……Although I feel finally part of something I am also at times a little scared by the responsibility of it all ! but driven too!

read all the latest on http://coregallerydeptford.blogspot.com

Wilderness Art Talk with Graham Crowley!

Gosh what a week or two! Got four new paintings finally finished on the day before the opening. The Core Gallery launch had taken up more than a chunk of my life so everything else has been shunted- to be expected. Then just as things looked a bit more normalised and I could start making headway on masses of paperwork the curator we had for the artist talk this saturday had to pull out to deal with family emergencies.

Several frantic phone calls later Graham Crowley managed to save the day, stepping into the helm and he shall be chairing our discussion about Wilderness. I am so very excited to have him chair the talk, it will be fantastic!


Also, we had our first gallery intern Emily Chan joined us who will be taking over some of the Core Gallery work for us. A double blessing week!

Invitation to :

Wilderness

rosalind davis, enver gursev & neil kelly

Saturday 29th May 2010, 2pm onwards

Artists in Dialogue with Graham Crowley

Graham Crowley one of the most distinguished living painters in the UK shall be in conversation with Wilderness Artists: Rosalind Davis, Enver Gürsev and Neil Kelly

Please rsvp coregalleryinfo@gmail.com to reserve a space as places are limited

Wilderness is an exhibition by three of London's most promising emerging artists exploring the idea of wilderness through painting, drawing and installation.

Davis, Gursev & Kelly’s works each interpret notions of seemingly abandoned spaces. The results depict urban and dystopian scenes, as if in the wake of apocalypse.


Graham will discuss and explore with the artists the concepts in their works, their notions of Wilderness as well as their own varied and fascinating careers so far in the Wilderness of the Art World!


Wilderness is a show not to be missed, with new works on display from each of the artists.


About Graham Crowley
Graham Crowley is one of the most distinguished living painters in the UK today
Born in 1950, Graham Crowley studied at St. Martin’s School of Art London 1968-72 and Royal College of Art London 1972-75, and has held significant teaching posts including Professor of Painting at the RCA (1998-2006)


His paintings span a vast variance in style from the approprationist art of the 70s to his brilliantly luminous landscapes of the present day, tracking a fundamental narrative with political, cultural and personal histories within them.


Crowley was a judge on the 25 John Moores panel in 2008. As an applicant he has exhibited eight times, winning prizes in 1987 and 2006.

www.deptfordartmap.com/core-gallery

coregalleryinfo@gmail.com

Core Gallery C101 Faircharm Trading Estate, 8-12 Creekside, Deptford, London SE8 3DX

A review of my solo show: A Difference in Vision

As I frantically finsh paintings for my upcoming group show at Wilderness in Core Gallery , a lovely review for my current solo show has arrived! Hussah!

http://poptartlondon.com/2010/05/10/a-difference-in-vision/
Check it out on :
http://poptartlondon.com/2010/05/10/a-difference-in-vision/

Pop T'art London
I first noticed Rosalind Davis‘ mixed media paintings last year at the Deptford X art festival. I was drawn by the vibrant colours and clever use of fabric to create collage pieces which she then paints and embroiders over.
So it was a real pleasure to be shown round her new solo show A Difference in Vision by Rosalind herself at Bloww gallery off Regent Street recently.
The above piece, from which the show takes its title, is oil and embroidery on vintage print cotton sateen. It depicts the huge Robin Hood estate in Poplar, East London which was designed in the 1960s and condemned in the 2000s (much to the dismay of many leading architects campaigning to preserve it as a modernist masterpiece).
What I really like about Rosalind’s work is the surprising contrast between her subject matter of brutalist architecture with the materials she employs to depict them – florid fabric and delicate hand stitching – to create otherworldly, surreal pieces. “I enjoy mark making with embroidery,” says Rosalind. “It’s more controlled and emphasises the fragility of our buildings and of our own existence.”

Rosalind meticulously researches the buildings she paints by photographing them and talking to their residents where possible (many of the buildings are derelict).

This one above called 26 Remain refers to the 26 remaining families in the Ferriers estate in Kidbrooke, Greenwich.

While you may recognise Elephant and Castle’s famously dilapidated, and soon to be demolished, shopping centre in this piece, Belong Nowhere.
It can take Rosalind between one to four months to execute a piece. Often sourcing the fabric becomes a mission in itself as she likes to incorporate material which reference the period of the buildings’ construction.

Her work highlights the breakdown of social housing, community and the overall failings of modernity. And it certainly lives up to this show’s title. I really like Rosalind’s unusual, thorough and intricate approach which gives layers of meaning to each picture. Go see!
A Difference in Vision runs until 9pm, this Saturday 15th May. After that you can see new and existing work from Rosalind Davis (and two other artists) at a new exhibition Wilderness which runs at Core Gallery in Deptford from Saturday 22nd May.

Exquisite Opening.

I owe an apology! A whole week without update on how the Exquisite Corpse private view and first week went. I have battling with a funding application ( more weeping and comforting tea at hand, thank you also Emily Speed for the consolation! )

Well , the Exquisite Corpse exhibition has been going very very well. About 450 people have come through the doors- local artists, studios, galleries, collectors, the general public, important people from various organisations have also come in support. It feels very very great to be part of something.
The private view was super excellent fun with some fantastic performance from La Donne and live music from the Islington Boys Club and Sex Funeral , who I somehow got wangled into singing with.

We also sold a piece, Lucy Newman’s ‘ Prehistoric Landscape’ to the University of the Arts Collection . Not bad going for a first timer gallery!


Exquisite Corpse is reaching the end of its time with us and its gone so quickly and so well! A great first exhibition. We are now looking forward to an

Curators and Artists in Dialogue; Nick Kaplony, Liv Pennington and Sarah
Schuster
Sat 08 May 2010 -2pm
Core Gallery
C101 Faircharm Trading Estate, 8-12 Creekside, Deptford, SE8 3DX
www.coregallery.co.uk
You are more than welcome to come along!
Free admission but please rsvp to book a place as numbers are limited
Email: Rosalind.davis@network.rca.ac.ac.uk

Also this month I have an article based on this blog in the Degrees Unedited Guide for a-n. www.a-n.co.uk
I hope you enjoy the read if you are a subscriber