May Exhibitions
May always brings a glut of art to look at and enjoy particularly in Brighton where we have the Brighton Festival. This year the guest director David Shrigley has put on an interactive installation Life Model II at Fabrica Gallery. The installation features a larger than life mannequin in the middle of a typical life drawing set up. Visitors are encouraged to take part and draw the model, these efforts are show on the walls.
A big part of Brighton Festival is the Artists Open Houses. Artists open their or their friends homes to the public for the purpose of selling their wares. This gives people chance to bag a locally made bargain while having a good nose around other peoples houses in different parts of town. The reality is that a lot of houses are operating as a craft fair selling jewellery, home-wares, prints of assorted Brighton landmarks such as the Royal Pavilion and the pier, seagull models and other assorted products of varying quality accompanied by tea and cake in the garden. This is I think the result of the high cost of being part of the artist houses trail. But occasionally you find a house showing good quality paintings or sculpture. This is the case with the Collectors Selection, part of the Hove trail, which is showing a good selection of Sculpture. Including work by Eve Shepherd and Fiona Morley.
Phoenix artist studios open weekend was a great opportunity to see a wide variety of professional artist’s studios and the work they create. It was also great to catch up with Lucy Brown, Michelle Cobin and Eve Shepherd and see their latest work and be encouraged with my work.
Last but not least is the degree show at the University of Chichester. Students present an exhibition which is the culmination of three years study.
Karen Lintott 