When I was younger, I attended a lot of student art review shows as a hobby. They mainly concerned form and human nature, with which I have at least a passing interest. So when a chance came my way to revisit my past life, off I trotted, phone and selfie stick in hand, to visit an exhibition called Self Conscious in Mile End Park put on by by a bunch of former UEL students who call themselves the Dennis Beckton Art Collective.
The venue itself – the Art Pavilion – is built into a grass bank by the side of the canal. Its roof slopes down to a path leading to Chris’ Wood, providing a tranquil and natural feel to the setting. The exhibition was free to enter.
The exhibits ranged from almost classical artworks to abstracts. At the figurative end a large portrait by Tallulah Bluebell caught my eye, of a rather androgynous looking figure that the artist herself assured me was a real person and male.
At the abstract end was a bizarre sculpture made out of what looked like fish skins. The piece was called ”Whichever Way You look At It” and as the artist Pia Zanelli explains in the video below, the skins are exactly that – fish skins – suspended in the air to remind us that there is no longer any such thing as sustainable fishing.
Another environmental work by Pia took the form of a piece of discarded crotchet work which she had cast in bronze. It had form and shape, but also signs of decay: a once loved piece of homecraft that had been abandoned until she turned it into art. A third piece called “Blah, Blah, Blah” was made from individually-crafted cardboard disks cut out to form a number of columns representing politicians talking without action, specifically on issues involving the environment.
Flo Harriet Wright contributed several paintings and collages, all following a domestic or family theme, but in a distorted way. In one she had painted a PET scan from an original photo of a hospital scan, and used it to document her father’s illness – which he has since recovered from. Another painting was of her son playing in the bathroom; and a collage she created from a piece of wallpaper that had mould growing through it inspired her with ideas about decay. She described it as, “work that is inspired by domestic materials and their relationship to the artist during Covid-19 lockdowns”.
Three works by Flo Harriet Wright
Louis Loveless exhibited several works including collages and – further below – a triptych. He described the work as, “exploring spiritual practices outside of religion, numinous dread, conspiracy theories, violence and reflecting art history.” For more details watch the video below.
Triptych by Louis Loveless
Erin Roche-Winson showcased work based around her boxing, domesticity and – by her own admission – ‘chaotic mind’. In the film below she explains how the work integrates a commentary on lockdown, covid, equality and domestic violence.
Altogether it was a rewarding afternoon, spent in the company of enthusiastic and engaging artists whose work made me think and feel differently on a number of levels. I recommend anyone who sees a local art show advertised to pay it a visit. You never know what you will discover in others, or in yourself.
