Turner Contemporary

Platform Graduate exhibition ends by Naomi Eaton-Baudains

turner — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 12:24:34 +0000

Sunday 18th marked the final day of my piece at Turner Contemporary and an opportunity to photograph the piece in solitude and in full.

I love the shadows of the roots against the gallery walls.

The piece in its entirety, including the plug. This is the last time anybody will see this piece as it was created specifically for Turner Contemporary and it’s coming down on Monday. Of course the materials may be used in another installation or recycled if not.

The view from outside with a glimpse into Turner Contemporary.

Visit Naomi’s website at naomieb.carbonmade.com

Platform Graduate exhibition by Naomi Eaton-Baudains

turner — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 11:48:21 +0000

This autumn, Turner Contemporary is showcasing the talent of emerging artists from East Kent in the Ground Floor and Clore Learning Studio spaces, as part of the new Platform programme which aims to support graduate professional development and nurture new talent.

Platform launches with the work of 6 artists who graduated this summer from the University of Kent, Canterbury Christ Church University and University for the Creative Arts: Jack Coulson, Karen Crosby, Naomi Eaton-Baudains, Alexandra Hanschell, Dominic Maffia, Sabina Tupan.

Here Naomi Eaton-Baudains writes about installing her work for the exhibition, open 10 Oct – 18 Nov 2012.

Installation day 1
The first day of installing the piece with the help of a crane and technicians. It’s so much more fluid than ladders or scaffolding. The piece is gradually growing into the space. I love the contrast of the bright roots compared to the dull sea and weather outside.

Roots splaying out towards the light. As though there is a connection to the outside world, the sea.

Working on the roots next to the window.

Details of some of the roots trailing across the walls. I will make more small roots splaying out of some of the high cables. Details of some of the roots trailing across the walls. I will make more small roots splaying out of some of the high cables.

Final day of installation
Last day of installing Connection to the Earth. I worked on some of the roots last night to give the longer lengths interest by breaking it up with having the wires split. This is how plants attach themselves to walls.

Working organically and letting the cable twist out it became clear that some roots wanted to have whole twists in them. This was something new for this piece and added a new dimension.

The piece was originally intended to run up the main wall only, but as the installation grew, and I was unable to go near the floor and onto the windows themselves, I wanted to let the piece organically grow onto the wall above the window. Also as I worked up the gallery wall, the process became more fluid and I became more confident with working within the space and just going with what felt and looked right.

Roots reaching towards the light and the environment outside.

Roots cascading over the edge of the wall. I wanted to communicate a plant’s desperate need to reach the environment outside.

The opening of Platform at Turner Contemporary
On Wednesday 10 October the Platform Graduate exhibition opened, with my piece Connection to the Earth.

Connection to the Earth with the sunset over the sea. I wasn’t prepared for how amazing the view is in the evening.

Reflection stretching out to sea.

With the better studio lighting at the gallery, Turner Contemporary has managed to achieve the dramatic shadow effects that I wanted but was unable to achieve for my degree show.

Talking to Amanda King from Modern Art Oxford.

The Platform Graduates. What an experience! I’m really looking forward to working with my fellow artists and Turner Contemporary in our workshops over the next few weeks.

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The Platform programme is a coalition of visual arts organisations in the South East: Turner Contemporary, Margate; Aspex, Portsmouth; MK Gallery, Milton Keynes and Modern Art Oxford, and has been initiated by Contemporary Visual Art Network South East.

Each organisation has selected graduates from within their immediate geographical reach for exhibition this autumn. A shortlist of artists from each of the four regional exhibitions will be put forward for the Platform Graduate Award, which includes a cash prize and a year of customised professional development. The winner will be announced in November.

Being part of the Graduate Platform exhibition by Naomi Eaton-Baudains

turner — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 11:03:11 +0000

Here Naomi Eaton-Baudains writes about creating work for the show…

Being invited by Turner Contemporary to show a piece of my work as part of their Platform Graduate Scheme was a complete surprise – an opportunity to show a work made specifically for the Clore Learning space.

This will be the first time my work has been shown in a post-graduate setting so I’m a little out of my comfort zone but ready for the challenge! This is also the first time that I have ‘blogged’ as well, so I thought that I’d use the opportunity to record the process of creating my first piece for Turner Contemporary, ‘Connection With The Earth’.

Two of my pieces in the Canterbury Christ Church University degree show: Our Connection to the Earth ( cable and sockets) and on the left, All Wired Up ( rock wool and El wire) June 2012.

Initial experimentation in the studio. I’m working on a much larger scale so looking at fixings that cannot be seen but are strong and make the piece look organic. I love going to builders merchants to find ways of solving my artistic problems.

Initial sketch for my installation at Turner Contemporary ( August 2012). This has developed over the past few weeks.

I love the freedom of Undergraduate life – getting hands-on in the studio – but I have realised that being part of a show requires a lot more discipline and organisation.

There is so much planning involved and there are dozens of decisions to be made in advance. Set-up starts on Monday 8 and to help things run smoothly for the Turner Contemporary team, I have devised a visual manual with an exact layout plan; it will be ‘cable by numbers’. It will be amazing to see my installation growing in front of me – I can’t wait!

www.naomieb.carbonmade.com/projects/4468168#1

My experience as part of Maria Nepomuceno’s Studio Group by volunteer artist Heidi Plant

turner — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 14:31:07 +0000

I first saw Maria Nepomuceno’s work a few years ago and connected with the craft and aesthetic nature of her pieces. Colours, shapes, texture and craft…all things I am interested in. When I saw she was coming to Turner Contemporary and was looking for people to form a studio group, I felt it was a rare opportunity to meet her and learn the techniques used to create her works.

Maria Nepomuceno, Tempo para Respirar (Breathing Time), installation view at Turner Contemporary, 2012. Photo Stephen White

The studio sessions were like being transported into another world. We had the rhythm of Brazilian music to help us sew!

It was fantastic to meet so many other people and ask them why they were here and what creative projects they were making at home.

Studio Group member sew coils of rope together for the new Sunley Gallery commission

Artist Maria Nepomuceno guides a Studio Group volunteer on creating the rope structures for her new artwork

It felt so calm in the studio sessions, we were all sharing and building this piece together and all taking time out of our everyday lives to talk and sew, which felt very special.

The Maria Nepomuceno Studio Group came to special workshops where they helped to create the new artwork

As an artist it has been incredible to watch Maria organise and grow the installation and feel like part of her tribe. Maria has returned to Brazil while we continue to add to the Tempo para Respirar (Breathing Time) piece.

Artist Maria Nepomuceno sitting amongst her new artwork Tempo para Respirar (Breathing Time)

It is interesting to watch how people interact with the installation and see it evolve outside of the studio group.

Maria Nepomuceno, Tempo para Respirar (Breathing Time), installation view at Turner Contemporary, 2012. Photo Stephen White

Artist and Studio Group participant Helder Clara helps to install Maria Nepomuceno's new artwork

Studio Group volunteers help to make the completed artwork

Adults and children helped too at our weekend workshops - they made clay beads for the installation

Studio Group participants help make the coiled rope structures

Adults and children alike have fun immersing themselves in the new artwork

Maria Nepomuceno, Tempo para Respirar (Breathing Time)
Until 17 March 2013
You can immerse yourself in Maria Nepomuceno’s new artwork for our Sunley Gallery Tuesday to Sunday 10am – 6pm.

This new work is Nepomuceno’s most ambitious to date and brings a landscape of colour, sound and texture into our beautiful Sunley Gallery, which overlooks Margate seafront. Tempo para Respirar (Breathing Time) expresses the energy and colour of Brazil, but goes beyond the earthly, with spiralling forms and carefully balanced objects drawing on opposing forces, like movement and stillness, unity and division, contraction and expansion.

Visitors are invited to be a part of the artwork, whether it be sitting amongst the work’s many colours and textures, or relaxing in the hammock which looks out to sea.

Special thanks to the Maria Nepomuceno Studio Group; Kent Adult Education, Broadstairs; Master Ropemakers, The Historic Dockyard, Chatham.

Find out more about the commission here.

Craft Club, by lead volunteer Claire Russell

turner — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 18:00:23 +0000

The third Craft Club at Turner Contemporary in Margate was held on the last day in March. Many crafters who had come to the first two sessions returned to take part in knitting, finger knitting, weaving and crochet. They were joined by lots of new people of all ages and levels of experience.

Two large pegloom weavings have been left out in the galleries for people to join in with. They had grown a lot since I last saw them a month ago. The pictures show these weavings and some weavings completed by young weavers on the day.

Next Craft Club is on Saturday 28 April 1-4pm. In May, Craft Club will coincide with the opening of the Tracey Emin exhibition. We will soon be making plans for Craft Club activities inspired by the exhibition.

February Craft Club, by club volunteers

turner — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 17:27:57 +0000

The second session of Craft Club was a thoroughly enjoyable day, with over 50 people joining our vounteers to learn how to knit, crochet, pegloom weave and more. From beginners to advanced enthusiasts, there was a fantastic atmosphere and the sun shone all afternoon.

Here’s what our volunteers said about the day:

It was another great day at Craft club in February. We had a lot of new and returning visitors, many of whom had brought their own projects with them or stayed for a long period in order to create. The highlight for me was seeing the progress on the three peglooms which had been left out in the galleries for the previous month for people to weave Turner’s elements in yarn. It was great to see how creative they had been! It was also lovely to see how much enjoyment the weavers of all ages had. It is so good to be part of the team of volunteers and participants.

Claire, Lead Volunteer

Lead volunteer Claire guides a group on how to pegloom weave, using Turner inspired coloured yarn

The best bit of Saturday’s crafting for me was enthusing a reluctant young chap who had been dragged in by his sisters and mother, who once he got started and mastered the finger knitting sat with me all afternoon, got through two balls of wool and left with a numb bottom! He finished with several metres of ‘rope’ which he took home. He even thought he might come back next month and try out the knitting needles.

Kate, Volunteer

A young crafter is pleased with her handmade weave necklace

It was a beautiful sunny day and the gallery’s Foyle Rooms made the perfect backdrop for some serious crafting, and with over 50 people attending the club, that definitely happened! It was great to see such a range of ages and abilities – from very young children learning to finger knit to advanced knitters teaching beginners, a crochet circle of women, people dropping in and quickly adding to the pegloom weaves to people joining us for the entire afternoon. I was delighted to help a young boy learn to crochet and make a chain, and to see a young girl beaming from ear to ear because she’d made her very own finger knitted necklace. Craft Club offers a friendly atmosphere to enjoy craft, meet new people, learn new skills and enjoy being creative through making. Can’t wait to welcome even more crafters to the club in March.

Bryony, Turner Contemporary

Volunteer and Turner Contemporary Marketing Officer Bryony teaches a youngster how to crochet

Ladies enjoy weaving the pegloom

Experienced crafter show others how to knit

Craft Club by Claire Russell, lead volunteer

turner — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 12:45:31 +0000

It was great to be a part of the first Craft Club at Turner Contemporary. This took place on the opening day of the exhibition Turner and the Elements. I got involved after attending training at Turner Contemporary for Craft Club
volunteers in October.

One crocheter teaches a beginner

Six volunteers and staff at the gallery ran the first Craft Club. We had been exchanging emails and planning the Craft Club for a while and we were all really looking forward to it. We met together a couple of weeks before the first session to confirm plans.

Our volunteer teaches a begiiner crochet

We set up stations for knitting, crochet, weaving and finger knitting. The Clore Learning Studio is a great setting for crafts, it is so spacious and light. Over 80 people took part in crafts. Some were experienced and some were beginners. I had six peg looms in constant use by adults and children from two-and-a-half years upwards. Two looms were left out for people to add to when they visit the gallery. I’m really looking forward to seeing what people have woven on them!

We are all looking forward to the next session on 25 February from 1 – 4pm, it’s free and rveryone is welcome!

Father and son have a go on the pegloom wave, using wool inspired by the colours of Turner's pallette

Participants learn how to finger knit

Claire helps participants create their own pegloom weave

To see more pictures from our first Craft Club session, take a look at our Flickr page.

Craft Club is a project inspired by Crafts Council England.

Blank Canvas visit British Museum and Wellcome Collection, by lead artist Lucy Steggals

turner — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:12:56 +0000

On Valentine’s Day, Blank Canvas set off for the big smoke to visit Grayson Perry’s exhibition The Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman and see the Mexican Miracle Paintings at the Wellcome Collection.

Many of the members of Blank Canvas were impressed with the language Grayson Perry used to articulate his work. They felt it was friendly, accessible and fun.

Some of the younger members of the group found Henry Wellcome’s collection a bit grotesque, especially the mummy.

Anne and I talked about how although religious art per se was not something we were ordinarily drawn to. There was a feeling of hopefulness in the mexicain paintings.

Blank Canvas on their gallery site visit

Melody was fascinated by the votives and the way that all the same trinkets rather than being disposed of were sewn to clothes or made into larger pictures.

Blank Canvas on their gallery site visit

The votives inspired talk of a visit to the Pitt Rivers museum in Oxford not only to see the collection, but the way it is housed.

Blank Canvas by Lucy Steggals, lead artist

turner — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:08:14 +0000

Tish Tunstall came to visit Blank Canvas this week to share her skills and show the group the delights of bookbinding. The room was quieter than it has ever been which is a sure sign of a great success! So many members of the group brought in examples of how they have been pushing the boundaries of what can be done with a simple book. Over the next few weeks we are going to explore animating some of these wonderful book works through film and photography…

Blank Canvas bookbinding workshop

Turner and the Elements by Sarah Martin, Head of Exhibitions

turner — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:46:26 +0000

At Turner Contemporary, we are keen to establish dialogues between JMW Turner and the work of contemporary artists. Opening a week after Hamish Fulton: Walk is our first major Turner exhibition, Turner and the Elements. Installed in the North, South and Irene Willett Galleries, the exhibition features over 80 watercolours and oil paintings to explore the idea of JMW Turner as a painter of the four elements.

Landscape is central to the work of both Hamish Fulton and JMW Turner: Turner was constantly walking and sketching, recording the changes he observed in the landscape. Hamish Fulton’s work always results from a direct physical experience of and engagement with landscape, both urban and rural. Both artists have taken inspiration from the landscape in Kent, and Turner made over 100 paintings of Margate and the Kent coast, a number of which will be in this exhibition.

One of the ideas at the centre of Turner and the Elements, which has been curated by Ines Richter-Musso and Ortrud Westheider, is that of Turner as an artist who was acutely aware of the traditions of landscape painting, but who renewed and reinvigorated this tradition, in part through the way he absorbed new discoveries in the natural sciences into his art. This is an idea we began to explore in our opening exhibition Revealed.

Here, it is exemplified through Turner’s depictions of the elements, not as divine natural forces, which was the tradition in painting until the 18th century, but for their own sake: he was fascinated by the interactions between the elements, creating unusual, frequently dramatic combinations of air, earth, fire and water. The exhibition is divided into 5 sections, one for each of the 4 elements with the fifth section, titled ‘fusion’, looking at how, in his later oils in particular, Turner often combined all the elemental forces together.

We’re incredibly excited to bring this exhibition to Margate, in the very location where Turner created some of the works on display. It has previously been shown in Hamburg (at Bucerius Kunstforum) and Krakow (at the National Museum), but we are lucky to have a number of extra works in the exhibition in Margate that were not included in the previous venues. The majority of the loans are coming from Tate and it’s a are opportunity to be able to show such a fantastic group of Turner’s later watercolours from the Tate Collection, many of which are rarely exhibited due to their fragility.

For me it is these works in particular, especially his beautiful, almost abstract watercolours known as ‘colour beginnings’, that we really see Turner experimenting with the medium to produce beautiful studies on colour and the changing effects of light.

Turner and the Elements opens on 28 January until 13 May 2012.