Transitions Week Two Newlyn 2013

Transitions November,  Newlyn Gallery, week two. Nov 2013 until 16th

Upstairs Jonty Lees has placed attractively all the way round the beautiful gallery different pieces of wood, some coloured, different sizes and shapes. Visitors are invited to make a sculpture by placing their selections together and he will then take a photo, as the wood will be re-used for other compositions by other people.

He has a video of his small daughter doing this also.

Its tempting and not too taxing for people as there is no mess, and somehow he links this with work he has had at Trelliske on a residency beside Doctors who are seeking to tell us all that being outside in fresh air is good for us. There is a link for Jonty between their ways of looking at data and how variedly the visitors will assemble what they are given to play with.

Its like a much more sophisticated lego but with no joining bits and its very enjoyable.

Downstairs Janet McEwan and Ann Haycock have ‘We are not petrified’, a title I love, which refers to the dancers of Merry Maidens local stone circle fame. They have films of dance, wigs to make you feel different, a poet coming in also, a toy accordion I enjoy having a go on , and a pile of handbags the maidens have put aside while they dance.

There were two delightful 16mm projectors when I was there, so stoutly built and making a lovely sound, and Janet was projecting a loop onto and round a handheld stone which was an unusual idea. and the stone was scraping the emulson off the film.

So again it was very playful and fun and an Ithell Colquhoun [1906-88]

painting of a sort of sexual surrealist kind had been borrowed from Penlee.

Much discussion re technology, why people like film rather than digital, etc.

Two more weeks of Transitions, I hope lots of folk will drop in there.

Transitions, Newlyn Gallery, November 2013

Transitions November 2013 at newlyn Gallery

So what .. is going on at Newlyn?

Its all very folksy and spiritual, shamanic and flakey as a filo pastry-but is it as tasty?

Its the filling that attracts, Kate Waters very beautiful watercolour paintings of strange animals. Sue Bleakeley’s quirky materials, copper wire, black and red plastic, and downstairs corn dolly off shoots..

They’ll talk to you, but note to self to try to offer seating and refreshments if doing these things.

Most amazingly Sue brought in a friend and gave her some space, Alexandra Karrasch, who is drawing with an electric drill and carbon paper.

So, it comes down to if you happen to like it, like any art show.

The main thing I take from it is that we have art just as odd, worthwhile etc. here as anywhere and its a pity so little time is given to it and so much to the more famous, apparently, from elsewhere-their shows go on and on and on, and they themselves are absent, these transitions are over so quickly its difficult to catch them but the artists are here, a great treat to talk to them.

There is lovely Greek orthodox music and a table of books - Giotto, dreams etc.etc.

I feel at first total incomprehension, onions ?- flames, a black and red thing I like but Sue says its negative and the blue cocoons are about water.

I ask downstairs why do all this and get a surprise

answer that the artist likes working with corn stalks. Anne-Marie Culhane puts on performances, outside parliament for example, but with no leaflets or notices so you can’t tell what they mean. She is aware of politics re big companies controlling seed supply etc. but none of this gets into the work. the corn mask strikes me as menacing, but not seen like this by the artist, who says a bit wearily when i speak of face hiding burkha’s that people keep saying that.

Do they want us to comment? I’m not sure. but it makes a strange morning and the cafe is welcome with its fantastic ocean view.

3 more varied weeks to go.