Last weekend I got to see the SMILE exhibition at the Harley Gallery in Welbeck, North Notts. The exhibition comprises work by 13 artists linked by the word SMILE. Simple, quirky, fun, delightful.
The pieces explore the Britsh love of humour and hark back to earlier times, long ago holidays and the humour of everyday life.
I took lots of pictures and thought I'd share some of my favourites with you in a bid to make you smile
Jo Lawrence's glove puppets
Lucy Casson - great use of found objects and wonderfully ill proportioned mini installations
Great use of an old chair leg and a jelly mould - I may never throw anything away again!
Janet Bolton - Embroidery and collage now inspiring her 3 dimensional pieces of work
Oop - having checked the catalogue the polar bear should be standing...
Julie Arkell - her work this time being of individuals or "family groups" ready to "smile" for the camera.
Love the little gallery and promptly used the inspiration to come home and frame up some of my bits and pieces in long forsaken frames which Ipick up at car boots - I knew they'd come in useful.
Abbott and Ellwood - some of you may already be familiar with their enamelled steel brooches often of figues, animals and birds. Using similar techniques tehy are now incorporating found objects into their larger pieces.
Finally one of my faves - "Lost Adults"
The exhibition closes on 5th June. Hope you enjoyed this little skip around.
Did you have a favourite?
Wend
PS In a bid to avoid revision Niobe has been playing about with my Blogger settings.
As the optician would say - better this way, or that way?
OOOOh you have brightened up my morning by sharing your lovely pictures, I love theses artists
ReplyDeleteHave a great sunny weekend
Hugs Lynn
What fun! They do say a change is as good as a rest so I'd say your blog is fine like this! Love the new header whatever you do with the rest of it.
ReplyDeleteI Loved that exhibition it totally lived up to its name! I was lucky enough to do the JA and JB courses this year at Hope and Elvis. Smile opened whilst JB was there so we all went over there together on the first day of the exhibition to have a look, I think we all encouraged each other as a few of us put our names against some pieces!
ReplyDeleteSally x
I saw this exo on Donna Flower's blog a couple of months back and it looked brilliant - really good to see it again with fresh photos and another viewpoint, had to smile at the fallen polar bear; it's a copy of a much smaller Brittain's lead polar bear (which I have one of) and mine is always falling over too, unless propped up! I like Lucy Casson's work a lot, probably my fav out of all of them; Julie Arkell is great but a bit too fey for me sometimes, I like Lucy's sense of humour.
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing exhibition! I would love to go to this and I am off to check it out hun xx
ReplyDeleteLove the 'borrowers' making use of that old chair. this exhibition does look sure to raise a smile.
ReplyDeleteThank you SO much for posting these images - what a delightful way to start my day. Any of these pieces could come live in my house gladly! Have a particular fondness for Abbott and Ellwood; seem like artists after my own heart. I agree that 'Lost Adults' has a special appeal - or maybe that's just reflective of how I feel this Friday morning!
ReplyDeleteLove your blog.
Wow! Sounds like a really interesting exhibition. Just looking around for an old chair leg and jelly mould, right now. Inspirational.
ReplyDeletelooks like an interesting exhibition x
ReplyDeleteLove the new look Niobe has given you here!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful exhibition, so full of FUN!
Wend,
ReplyDeleteThe new look is good. I like the type face a lot. I also want to see this exhibition! Drat, too far! I've seen Lucy Casson'r chair before and love her quirky take on things and use of old materials. I'd love to do a course with her but then I'd love to spend time with all these creative people. I hope some of it would rub off! Fab post. I envy you this visit. Lesley
if only niobe was studying 'how to make your blog look great' she'd have it in the bag! good luck to her in her exams.
ReplyDeletemy favourite is the wrecked chair with all sorts of thingys going on around and in it....
It was a lovely exhibition! Lucky you going to a Julie Arkell workshop. Can't wait to see the next exhibition at The Harley Gallery.
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