Loving the way the gallery looks this morning. Really coming together…
First people arrive…
and the floor is proving popular today…
another family pop in..
and the massive charcoal is out again…
Smiles all round…
and another cute dog…
Another enjoyable day.
Putting final touches to the gallery before it opens for public viewing tomorrow…
Decided to bring a little friend along with me today…
Jasper.
And soon people start arriving….
..and more…
The big charcoal is popular…
and the gallery is filling up…
lovely comments from people taking part…
and more people turn up…
SUCH a good day today.
Loads of people going on the walk and coming back inspired to pick up some charcoal and draw.
Just great 🙂
A slow start so I decided to make a small sculpture with some materials I had brought with me…
… some wire and some red wool…
…I imagined the walk and started twisting the wire right and left as I followed the route in my mind.
I then decided to stretch the wire into a 3d shape as opposed to a line, and link the start and finish with some red wool
This was the result..
I was pretty pleased with this. It will make it into the final exhibition alongside my shoes, continuous line drawing and all the visitor’s pictures.
Still quiet, so I decide to construct something else. More collected materials…
..and another structure…
I’m not so sure about this one, but I like the masking tape outline of the walk on the floor.
Still no visitors today so I decide to crack open the gigantic charcoal stick I bought yesterday..
Yep, it is MASSIVE!
Decide to do the walk again for inspiration.
When I walk through Market Tower and look up I particularly like the perspective of the lantern and the glass roof. So I draw a simple sketch and take it back to the gallery (and the charcoal…)
Had great fun doing this!
Going to tape some cardboard together into large ‘canvasses’ so people can have a go at using this.
First victims…
Got rather lucky this morning. A dad and his 2 daughters were waiting for their pottery class to start next door when I overheard a conversation…
Dad on phone: “We’re here but there doesn’t seem to be anyone around….. oh…. okay….. hmmmm… I’m sure my wife booked it…. ok… bye…”
Dad to daughters: “Now come on, it’s not that bad. Worse things have happened…..”
Me, calling out: “Excuse me….
To cut a short story even shorter, they agreed to do my walk and set off into the rain….
…back they came and set to work (alongside my mum who had just turned up for moral support – and to do the walk!)
Their drawings were the first ones to go up (below), and then more visitors turned up…
and more visitors…
who took an interesting approach and decided to drag a piece of cloth along the walk, collecting mud and all sorts along the way.
A few more people and I am very happy with how it is progressing 🙂
Rather quiet as the afternoon wore on so I popped out for some food. SO wet!! Absolutely chucking it down with rain. Shoes and socks soaked.
So, I decide to make some shoes… like you do!
And they were actually very comfy. I wore them all afternoon, than decided to include them as a mini sculpture.
All in all a very good day 🙂
Well, day 1 at Martyrs’ Gallery, an empty space…
Wondering what I have got myself in to!
Unloaded the car and set off on the walk…
Came back to the gallery and drew my map (above), then set off on the walk again to do my first drawing…
…a continuous line whilst walking.
Pottered around a bit. Made myself at home. Unloaded my stuff…
.. including these 2 books which were part of my initial inspiration.
Went home.
Between the 12th and 18th February Jacky will be creating a participatory installation at Martyrs’ Gallery, Lewes
Inspired by Raymond Queneau’s 1947 work Exercises in style the installation will explore different experiences, memories and perspectives from 99 people of the same walk through Lewes.
Viewers will be able to watch the artwork developing and are invited to take part by going on the walk and drawing or writing their walking experiences on prepared cardboard canvases. These will be incorporated in the installation for show at the weekend.
Jacky is interested in how different people remember, interpret and react to similar places and situations. Her installation will be a visual representation of some of these differences (and similarities).
Opening times: Tues 13 – Thurs 15 Feb, 10am – 12.30pm All welcome to watch the artwork being created and take part by going on the walk and producing your own ‘map’ Sat 17 & Sun 18 Feb, 12 – 4pm Viewing days
Strange times is a participatory piece of work made as a reaction to Brexit in October 2016.
It has a graffiti scrawl with the ambiguous phrase This is not my Britain sprayed onto a large board. Installed in the Corridor Gallery, South Coast College, Hastings, students were invited to comment and react to the piece and did so with a variety of opinions, questions and indifference.
Last year I took part in the Lewes Artwave festival for the first time and opened my studio for three weekends. I exhibited some of my paintings alongside two of my good friends Eve Chalcraft and Marie Pearson
We had just under 350 visitors in total and sold 34 pictures and ceramics.
Yesterday, Everything comes from the Egg, Stephen Turners exhibition at the Jerwood Gallery – totally inspiring!
Today, pruning the fruit trees and topping up the bug hotels (well, more like bug hostels really!!)…
Jacky Misson 