Tonights peer group

Tonight I have the privilege of being invited to take part in a peer group at the woodmill studios in Bermondsey.  For anyone who saw the TV programme ‘Goldsmiths: But Is It Art’ featuring my good friend Emma Hunt. Its a big  artist studio complex housing some of the graduates from Goldsmiths and every couple of weeks they all get together to talk about a couple of artists work.  Tonight it is my turn!

So I am frantically running around trying to get my prints sorted out, my ideas straight, and various nibbles and dips prepared ready for this evenings critique.  I have been working on a project for a few weeks now which I am presenting, and am trying to get it together in time for Rhubarb Rhubarb at the end of July.  Although I suspect it won’t be finished, tonight is all about trying to fill in the holes that I feel are very much present in the work at the moment so I will hopefully be better prepared for Rhubarb.

Below is a little taster…..

Royal Academy Summer Exhibition Varnishing Day

Have just returned from the RA Summer exhibition Varnishing Day.  I am very pleased with my position on the wall.  The gallery itself is darker than the rest as it has some video installations in it as well.  I am halfway up the wall straight ahead as you walk into the gallery, and incredibly lucky to be next to Julian Opie and Ed Burtynsky and very close to a beautiful piece of video by Bill Viola (so really chuffed).  As usual the RA had great canapes, have had 3 glasses of champagne, 3 mini chicken caesar salads, strawberries and cream, cheese and biscuits, 1 mushroom salad, 1 Thai fish salad, 1 bresaola canape, 2 tuna and mango skewers.  I saw Grayson Perry and some of the presenters of the Culture Show and I think I spotted David Hockney, but not sure.  I made 2 new friends, Anne Charnock and Nick Dykes who I am sharing the wall with (lovely to meet you both).  I would also like to compliment the artist Helen Pynor (also next to me on the wall) whose work I really love and am planning to find out more about. MILK 4 Wattle. It is staying with me.

The Exhibition will be televised at 7.00pm Thursday 17 June on BBC TWO.  Buyers day will be happening some time soon so fingers crossed I will sell again this year.

Also a note to anyone who’s interested, the picture on sale is available in 2 sizes.  The editions are on my website, but due to the way the RA annotate the works, it’s not possible to put this in the catalogue.  So if your interested in a smaller version, email me directly.

www.nicolawalsh.com

Nicky

Plastic

For ages now I have been burningly interested in plastics, as a modern material.  In the state before it becomes something.  It is pure, raw and void of history, function and references (ongoing themes in my work).  The problem with dealing with these kinds of issue is always how do you photography something that effectively isn’t there.  Here are the first successes of a possible project that I would love some feedback on.  The work is beautiful, but massively flawed.  I havn’t quite figured out what is missing and think I may need to come back to this at a later date.  I feel like I may be regurgitating Geometric Abstraction Paintings (Moholy-Nagy, Van Doesburg, the Bauhaus) from the turn of the century.  I like the idea of creating a visual language that is universal in its simplicity and purity.  Also drawing on other ongoing influences such as the architectural renderings and sculpture.

Have a look below and see what you think….

Starting on a high

After a few months of procrastination I have finally decided to start my blog.  I am going to treat it like a creative diary, where I can share my pictures, thought processes, successes and failures with anyone who is interested.  I will be posting influential and inspirational work, as well as giving you an insight into my projects as they develop, change and evolve.

First post, (which I am incredibly chuffed about), is I am able to announce that I have succeeded in getting into the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition for the second year in a row.  The successful picture is Envelopes (as above) which is a personal favourite of mine from the body of work ‘In Search of Boredom’.  The larger of the editions is the one available from the RA, it is also available in a smaller edition as is everything else from my new website which has just been launched…

www.nickywalsh.co.uk

www.nicolawalsh.com

Please pass it on

Nicky