Monday, July 31, 2006

Welcome aboard Matthew Blackstock!

A big welcome to a new member of the Collective - Matt Blackstock.
Matt is a Birmingham based artist who uses all sorts of media to create paintings and ceramics - here is a small sample of some of his work - you will be seeing plenty more of it at future BrainCell events!

Artist of the Year 2006...


Get ready to start voting... September 4th!!!

Thursday, July 27, 2006

Check out the work of Han Hoogerbrugge...


If you haven't seen it before, then visit his site - www.hoogerbrugge.com - and have a browse...

Watch out for time, as it quickly goes while on his site - there is so much great stuff!!! Have your sound on if you can...

My favourite is the 'Modern Living' series in the animation section - WOW!!!

Anyway, don't waste any more time - visit NOW!

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

New member to the collective...

Welcome aboard Laura Kirk!

Laura actually joined a while ago, but I've been crap with my pooter & lost all my old emails, including loads of stuff artists have sent me... So sorry Laura, but here is a plug for your online shops...

Laura makes all kinds of stuff, from handmade jewellery with a kitsch vibe, to lush junk and designer toys! Please check out her work on ilovekitsch.etsy.com and in her Ebay shop ilovekitsch2004.

Monday, July 24, 2006

Review of Friday's Happening at the Chameleon Gallery...

(By Alan Cheeseman)

What can i say!!
Thankyou to all who came and feasted upon delicious treats from maxs' film through to fantastic sets from:
1. Routinebusiness whose brilliant take on man's existence and procreative abilities and habits were mind bogling- special thanks to those who joined in the "drunken" recording session and I'll keep in touch when the resulting track is online for you to claim! Also await the invite for a picnic to record the video for it too, keep in touch directly with adrian via www.routinebusiness.co.uk.
2. Motorcyclestunts, Neil and Brendan would also like to thankyou saying the place had the most chilled vibe going and would hopefully be back to do more, the duo played some beautifully crafted and well vocally delivered material, again busy boys so check out their site for more info on where they play locally.
www.stuntsmusic.co.uk
As for Vj Chromatouch, the skill and craftsmenship was admired by the artists performing as well as stunning the audience with graphic visuals, good tunes both well themed.
Special thanks to a lady who overcame many anxieties to attend and have read out for her, her poetry, her privacy respected here, but I'm sure she will exhibit in the future.
Carps t-shirts and limited edition prints sold well, his preview of his anti-capitalist images well-received too.
Overall a top night and be prepared for a repeat on the 11th August TBC with a possible larger slice of film and poetry from local and further afield artists possibly involving DJ/VJ Chromatouch and some readings from the routinebusiness guys concerning "repro-juice" ing!
Above all it worked, so much talk of collaborations and people meeting people, with a potential of a show involving Rob Randell and friends in the future at the gallery
Comments included "excellent idea, nice chilled atmosphere" and "there was more than i imagined, a good mix of themes and styles."
Alan x

Sunday, July 23, 2006

Spectacle Gallery invites you to the following Ayling & Conroy exhibition


Eyesore Sundae

Saturday + Sunday from 5th August – 3rd September [weekdays by appointment]
Opening times: 12 pm – 5 pm
Opening event: Saturday 5th August, 6pm onwards - Clown fancy dress + Karaoke

Dated happy hardcore music plays aloud in a room filled with 20,000 ball-pool balls, a room of doors, playing the Doors, a sweet shop, an a cowboy toilet, what can Ayling & Conroy’s artwork at Spectacle Gallery mean, if anything?

Ayling & Conroy present, ‘Eyesore Sundae’, at the Spectacle Gallery. Playfully advertised as the greatest art show ever, the exhibition makes a spectacle of itself to maintain the audiences attention, it strives to overwhelm the senses with a maze of themed rooms, sounds, smells, colourful lighting and visual delights, all of which are just a little too lurid to endure. Eyesore Sundae demonstrates Ayling & Conroy's preoccupation with entertaining, and showing the audience a good time. The success of the exhibition is primarily in the audiences ability to recognise and enjoy re-occurring themes, objects, and the adaptation of the language of entertainment.

Immersed within a fanciful landscape of borrowed imagery, the pair present a cut ‘n’ paste style re-modelling previous artworks and present new sculptural artworks that draw upon the aesthetics of the theme park. The 'theme park' gives the pair legitimacy to make almost what ever they want, similar perhaps, to the surrealists' dream.

Ayling & Conroy’s Previous exhibitions include: ‘Fight for Sore Eyes’, Sideshow, Nottingham, 2006, ‘Here Come the Serious Quirks’, Stand Assembly Studios, Nottingham, 2006, ‘History’, New Walk Museum, Leicester, 2006

Editors note :

Spectacle Gallery is an artist-led gallery space in Ladywood, Birmingham. The gallery opened in early 2005, and promotes the work of emerging artists. www.spectacle-gallery.co.uk


Ayling & Conroy live and work in Nottingham and have collaborated since 2005. Both are members of Stand Assembly Studios. They curate the My House Gallery program, and are currently co-coordinating ‘Critical Meet’, a festival of critique and discourse in Derby, Leicester and Nottingham.

www.aylingandconroy.net
www.myhousegallery.co.uk
www.criticalmeet.co.uk

38 Freeth Street
Ladywood
Birmingham
B16 0QP
spectacle_gallery@hotmail.co.uk
07773905445

BrainCell Artist of the Year 2006...

The entries for this year's competition to find the Artist of the Year have started coming in and it looks like it's going to be a good one!

The exhibition will be online from September 4th, so get ready to start voting for your favourite...!

Thursday, July 20, 2006

New BrainCell members...

Welcome aboard Nikki Hewish and Emma Duggan!

Nikki works with all kinds of media, creating sculptures, perspex pieces, paintings, installations, theatre sets etc etc... She has also led visual art workshops for disabled artists and exhibited her work in many locations - we will be seeing more of Nikki's work at the Art Fairs and other BrainCell events...

Emma is a textile-based artist, producing fashion accessories, greetings cards, illustrative pieces and jewellery.
"My work spans the disciplines of illustration and textile design. I include recycled fabrics in most of my pieces, from second hand garments, leftover fabrics and “hand me downs”..."
You can see more of Emma's work on her website.

Chameleon Gallery Happening

WHAT
"Happening" on Friday the 21st July, doors open at 7p.m.

WHO
Max Burrows Film-"3" showing at 7.30pm
Motorcyclestunts on at 8p.m.(www.stuntsmusic.co.uk)
Routine business on at 9p.m. (www.routinebusiness.co.uk)
VJ Chromatouch to round off the night,all are welcome.
Featured artists include Ben Mcphee(phtography),Carp(Graffitti artist/Painter/Graphic designer),Rob Randel(Sculptor),Jo cound (photography),Funso Mayawa(Nigerian painter)

WHERE
Chamelon Gallery ,23-25 Sandwell Street,Walsall,WS1 3DR

WHY
The night is basically a review and preview of shows happening at the gallery,it is intended to raise funds!(RAFFLED BEVERAGES AVAILABLE) and awareness of the diverse talent available locally.Also for people to meet and talk about projects they are working on or want to get off the ground and for all to have a relaxing chilled atmosphere,in which to talk and engage with each other in fruitfull conversations.Please come expecting all and nothing,it is what you make of it!

Highlights include local young filmaker Max Burrows showing an animated short film called 3,featuring animated scenes.Two accoustic type bands ,Routine Busines and Motorcyclestunts (visit their respective websites-see above)and VJ Chromatouch from Birmingham(He plays at the boiler room in Birmingham,is part of projectX,and collaborates with various artists exhibiting at the haddon tower project and at the mailbox in many shows)
Rob Randel showing his metal sculptures and some anti-capitalist images from Carp,who the gallery is representing with a show in Birmingham Central Library in September.(see www.chameleonarts.co.uk and search for previous shows to view Carps previous work.The work on show here will be his latest endeavours).lImited edition prints and fantastic screen printed t-shirts also available.

Hope to see you there!
Alan Cheeseman
Chameleon Gallery
23-25 Sandwell Street
Walsall
WS1 3DR
01922 646724
www.chameleonarts.co.uk- directions available here!

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

New member...

I'd like to welcome a new member to the Collective, Mike Hill.

You can see his work at www.mike-hill.com.

Welcome aboard Mike!

Monday, July 17, 2006

New work... by Tim Thomson


Here's my most recent piece, painted onto glass and mounted on wood, titled "The Protector". The reasoning behind it is rather personal to broadcast worldwide on the web, and I like viewers to make their own minds up about my work - let you get what you want to get from the painting, rather than me telling you what it is and what to believe...

Just thought I would share it with you! My new piece I am working on deals with shadows and harlequins, and I shall post it here when it is finished - although as it will be part of a series, it will never truly finish...

Easels for sale...




As we are no longer able to transport easels to and from the Art Fairs I have decided to sell them at a cut-price.

I have four large folding Daler-Rowney easels, with carrying strap - they are able to take fairly big paintings.

Also several small display/desk easels, which take about maximum of a foot or so height, but are great for displaying work. (The picture is not exactly how they look - I couldn't be bothered getting em out of the shed to photograph! Near enough - if you have done the art fair you know what they are like).

I am selling them at half the price that you can buy them in the shops, so if you would like one/some then leave a comment here or email me at info@braincellcollective.com and I shall give you the cost. I can post them (at cost to you) or you can collect from Birmingham if you like. Any that don't go will be sold on Ebay, so get em while u can!

Sunday, July 16, 2006

Art Memes

If you come across any art memes like the one below, please let me know, or post one and I shall follow... There don't seem to be many art related ones out there...?!?

Saturday, July 15, 2006

Artist of the Year 2006...

The competition to find the BrainCell Artist of the Year is finally underway!

BrainCell Artists have been asked to submit up to ten pieces each, which will be exhibited on braincellcollective.com.

The exhibition will open on September 4th, and you will be able to vote for your favourite piece of work until November 30th. By voting, you will be entered into a FREE prize draw with the possibility of winning gift-vouchers for Everyman Art Supplies.

The winner will be contacted, and will be announced here, on December 1st.

Look out for more information nearer the time...!


"Ambiguous" by last year's winner Judith de Freitas).

BrainCell BlogCell: Another little meme to be going along with...

I just stumbled across almost the same meme being started here:If you could be any animal, what would you be and why? and my answer is:

I have 3 possible choices:
1) A house cat, able to do what I please, sleep & eat a lot & get pampered loads, while being able to go stupidly insane and simply get "aww how cute" instead of being taken away by nice men in nice white coats... (short lifespan and liable to end in canal in sack tho).

2) A monkey, just for the hell of it, although my brains would be a delicacy for some & that would be worrying.

3) A bird, being free to fly anywhere, although there are even more inherent dangers - from guns and/or bigger nastier birds... And the above cat!

So, in the right situation, a monkey (as long as it wasn't one with a big colourful ass)!


So here is my question back - evn tho there is already one on this blog...

If you could order anything in the world right away and have it in your possession right now, what would it be?

Friday, July 14, 2006

Another little meme to be going along with...

The idea is this - You answer the last question, and below it ask a fresh question - about anything - for the next person to answer, and so on... so here goes the first question:

What is your favourite descriptive word?

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Artist post: Victoria Tkalenko


If you are interested in some special design for your business - leaflets, posters, brochures, catalogues, greetings cards, etc, for a very reasonable price, please contact me.

I am a digital artist and photographer and I work with many computer programs...


My e-mail address: victoria.tkalenko@virgin.net
my website: http://victoriatk47.co.uk/index.html

Monday, July 10, 2006

Dragonboat Art fair

Thanks to everyone who took part in the Dragonboat Day Art Fair in Brindleyplace, and to everyone who bought work from our hard-working artists!!!

Thanks to Brindleyplace as well for letting us be there - we couldn't do it without you!

From the feedback I have had so far, a good day was had by all with plenty of sales - one of the best fairs so far for many of the artists.

Looking forward to ArtsFest this year - should be a goodun!

Art meme - alteration...


I have realised, after Roi's post, that it ain't so easy to post back images, unless you add the url (like Roi did), so unless you can do this and post it on your own Blog while linking it to and from here, you can email your finished piece to info@braincellcollective.com and I shall post it here!

Jason has done this - his message was:
"okay heres my effort, havent overworked it too much or lost the essence of the photo.

look at the weariness and disgust in the binman's face! as he casually lobs another blackbagged human head into the back of the truck. it gets him down. if it was a green bag he woulda left it.
I call this....Human Filth"

Cheers Jason - very amusing!
So now you have three to choose from to change/add to - have fun!

Saturday, July 08, 2006

Art meme - try this one...


Having trawled other blogs, not really finding what I was looking for meme-wise, I thought I would start one here... I did find one that offered a sketch by the author for each post written, thereby spreading art (the 'poster' would then offer the same on their blog etc etc etc).
I have randomly selected a photo and taken a small portion of it, and have called it 'Refusal' (I know - sorry!).

What I would like you to do is the following:
1) Save this photo - or the latest post of it - to your 'pooter.
2) Open it up in any image program such as Photoshop.
3) CHANGE IT! - do whatever you like to it - add stuff, mess with colours, textures etc - and be as subtle or as extreme as you like!
4) Post it on your own blog, with the same instructions, and PLEASE post it back here for people to view and/or change again.

Simple as that! have fun - can't wait to see the results...

Friday, July 07, 2006

Blog Meridian: Art meme

Blog Meridian: Art meme

Here's another resonance experiment...

This is interesting - if you have speakers turn them down as it's hard on the ears and you'll probably break something!
Wonder if you could somehow do this on a vertical plain, like a moving painting...?

Check this out...

Absolutely beautiful - great film too!


Tuesday, July 04, 2006

Matt Robinson show at The MAC...

There is a great show on at the Midlands Arts Centre at the moment in the public space by one of the BrainCell Artists, Matt Robinson - worth a look if you can get down there (by Cannon Hill Park, Edgbaston, Birmingham). If you can't make it, you can see his work on his site - www.jinpow.co.uk - he's one of my favourite contemporary artists around...

Monday, July 03, 2006

Artist's Website of the Month...

Each month I shall choose one of the BrainCell members websites and post the link here for you to have a look...

This month I have chosen Ken Hurd's site - www.kenhurd.com - please take a look!


If you would like your site featured here, please email the link to me at info@braincellcollective.com & I shall take a peek...!
Cheers,
Tim

Other events this year

Don't forget, that we will also be at ArtsFest, and there will also be the BrainCell Artist of the Year competition as well... So keep ya peelers peeled!

Next BrainCell Event...

For those of you who don't know, members of the collective will be holding an Art Fair in Brindleyplace on July 8th, as part of the Dragonboat Day. There will be everything for sale, from jewellery and textiles to paintings and ceramics - hopefully see you there!
 
Here is some more info about the day...
 
BRINDLEYPLACE SHOWS IT'S ALL HEART THIS SUMMER
Enjoy a fun day out in Birmingham and help save lives on Sat 8 July.
 
A Dragonboat race, live jazz, fire eaters, stilt walkers, a Chinese Lion dancer, face painting and bouncy castles, are just a few of the exciting things on offer to visitors to Brindleyplace on Saturday 8 July.
One of the most popular attractions of the day is the charity Dragonboat Challenge which takes place on the canal between 10am and 5pm. This year, the race sponsorship, but from a fantastic raffle with some amazing prizes
So far, 15 teams have registered for the challenge in the hope of winning the coveted Dragonboat trophy. Teams include challengers from the NEC, Bucknall Austin, Faithful & Gould and winners for the last two years, Exclusive Support. This year's event hopes to raise over £10,000 for the BHF.
Whilst cheering on the Dragonboat teams, why not buy yourself a £1 raffle ticket to win lots of fabulous prizes, including family tickets to Cadburys World, £50+ meal vouchers for Bank, Pitcher & Piano and All Bar One, a one night stay at the City Inn, theatre tickets, an Umberto Giannini cut and blow dry and much, much more.
 
Brindleyplace's extravaganza coincides with the annual Starbucks International Jazz Festival, which attracts thousands of jazz lovers to over 200 performances in 70 venues around the city. Olivia Harris, Head of Marketing and Communications, commented: "Come on down to Brindleyplace on Saturday 8 July - not only will some of the world's finest jazz musicians be featuring across the different squares but on the canal, businesses will be competing in the water in one of the most exciting social events of the year, the Dragonboat Race, raising money for the nation's heart charity – the British Heart Foundation."
Claire Simmons, BHF Regional Director, said: "Coronary heart disease kills almost nine times more people than breast cancer and three times more than lung cancer – it's the UK's biggest killer. Nationwide, someone has a heart attack every two minutes and only half survive. That's why your contribution is so important.
"Have fun and help us save the lives of people living with heart disease in Birmingham by heading down to Brindleyplace on Saturday 8 July to cheer on the Dragonboat teams and take part in the raffle."
Tim Doyle, Chairman of Exclusive Support in Meriden, said: "With heart disease being the UK's biggest killer, we take part in the Dragonboat Challenge to keep our own hearts healthy, raise money for charity and enjoy a good day out. We put our success down to working well together as a team – fingers crossing for first place again this year!"
For further information on the International Jazz Festival or the Dragonboat Race, or to enter a team, please contact Olivia Harris on 0121 643 6866 or e-mail Olivia@brindleyplace.com
Statistics show that you more likely to die from heart and circulatory disease than any other serious illness, including cancer. That is why the charity needs to spend £95 on lifesaving heart research every minute of the day because every two minutes someone has a heart attack and only half survive.

Sunday, July 02, 2006

News...

Here is the first bit of news from one of the BrainCell artists...!
Drop-in Life Sessions at the Friends Institute
220 Moseley Road, Highgate, Birmingham B12 0DG
Untutored Life Drawing/Painting Sessions ideal for the Artist or Student wishing to keep in practice.
6.30 to 9.30 pm every Tuesday
(except for Bank Holidays and some Tuesdays following a Bank Holiday Monday)
We are a friendly informal drawing group. Although the group is untutored there is the opportunity to interact with other members, who include practising Artists and Art Lecturers.
SPECIAL RATE FOR STUDENTS
£ 4.OO
The Friends Life Group stays open during holiday periods when schools and colleges are closed.
£6.00 per session full rate
£5.00 other concessions
We are a non-profit organisation who charge on a sessional basis, hoping to average the £58 per week required to cover our costs. If you can't afford the full fee and qualify for a concession be sure to claim it.
On-site parking is available.
No. 50 bus stops outside, and the No 8 stops just round the corner.
We have a supply of drawing boards and easels but you will have to bring your own drawing materials, paper etc.
For further information contact Franklyn: 07930 106 013 or Richard: 0121 455 9454 or 07905 559 167

Saturday, July 01, 2006

New Blog!!!

Hi,
I'm new to blogs - this is the first time I've done one, so bare with me while I slowly get it looking good...

It will be a good way for members of braincellcollective.com - old and new - to talk about stuff, as well as all sorts of other art related things from non-members - we shall see!

Anyway, welcome to the new BrainCell BlogCell!!!