A taste of things to come. This area has a great tradition of bonfires, the first celebrating Hastings Day on 12th October. There is a second large bonfire parade in Hastings nearer 5th November with the beach opposite Pelham Crescent the site of the enormous bonfire and firework display. Finally Battle just seven miles north has its own bonfire celebration. The effigy at the Battle bonfire is made each year by the illustrator Mark Olroyd.

Mark Olroyd is an illustrator who lives and works in Battle just seven moles north of Hastings and he has been making the effigy for Battle Bonfire for over ten years. Mark is an illustrator working on incredibly meticulous paintings the rest of the year but he enjoys the chance to have his work take center stage in a pyrotechnic theatre. As many as 20,000 turn up for Battle Bonfire. Part of the fun is choosing the subject; this is always a very well kept secret and it takes about a week of very intense work at a secret location to make the effigy. A wooden framework is first made, followed by papier mache which is then painted.

Last year the republican politician Sarah Palin was the effigy. The choice led to Mark and the rest of the Bonfire Boys receiving death threats from right wing american groups. Interestingly the threats were accompanied by pictures of the effigy with the ? deleted from 'Too hot to handle?' thereby making more of an aggressive statement rather than a question for debate. The motto: always be careful with your punctuation;

Battle Bonfire takes place this year on Saturday 7th November. And you can see more of Mark's work on the Arena artist agency website.

The Stables Theatre not only presents plays but also has a small gallery. It's at the top of the High Street in the Old Town.  

This show, Off Grid, is certainly worth a visit. It's an exhibition of work by Henry Binns, Denise Franklin, Sarah Palmer and Lynda Franklin. It's from 1st October until 1st December, open Monday to Saturday 10.30am - 2pm and 6pm- 8pm.

Dave McKean and Jackie Attwood showing at Rye Art Gallery

This is a fantastic exhibition of the illustrator/artist Dave McKean's work with Jackie Attwood's box art. 

Dave McKean shows a collection of drawings which has such varied mark making and texture alongside such imaginative inventiveness and feel for narrative.  He also shows large mixed media pieces which incorporate photographs and thick paint. Jackie Attwood, as many of you know, is a technician at college. She completed an FdA Contemporary Crafts Practice some years ago and has since continued her practice creating beautiful and intriguing box art which evoke stories without ever quite pinning them down; they are subtle and intriguing. 

Both artists are so impressive in not only the distinctness of their work but also the sheer size of their output.

The show is on until 7th October. Open each day except Tuesdays and also open Sunday afternoon.

For further information   http://www.ryeartgallery.co.uk

MA Exhibition 2012 University of Brighton

This is a must for anyone serious about their work to go to. 

 

The exhibition MA2012 showcases diverse new work by students graduating from the MA courses in Sequential Design/ Illustration, and Arts and Design by Independent Project at the University of Brighton. The exhibition includes animation, 3-D work, illustrated books for children and adults, experimental writing, interactive design, comics, and performance.

The highly acclaimed Sequential course attracts new and established illustrators, designers and makers from all over the world, keen to explore the principles of sequence within their chosen field.

The Arts and Design by Independent Project course encourages experimentation and innovation within a specific field on a central project. Students come from a wide range of disciplines, giving the course its characteristic diversity; the areas of study and possible outcomes are hugely varied.

This year’s show includes stories told through a community’s textiles, a range of electrical appliances that have been turned inside out, and a visual/performance artist exploring the role of the alter ego by working in close collaboration with himself.

The show opens on 15th September and continues until 21st September.

Becky Mann

Becky Mann produced a children’s activity book as well as a range of other applications for her character. The book itself was written by Becky and tells the story of a young child's imaginary friend and has a market is 5+ years. In part, it was inspired by the extensive work which Becky has done this last year in a primary school. 

She spent a great deal of time developing an engaging character and storyline. Once the book was completed she produced an additional app for the ipad. This presented a collection of recipes for young children to follow.  In addition, Becky produced themed cushions demonstrating an emphasis on creating an environment for childrens' reading.. In a sense this all showed a degree of ambition about how an idea can be developed across a range of applications. It was all beautifully presented with a real attention to detail.

Andrew Youthed

Andrew wanted to use the forest  to convey an enticing magic alongside a contrasting fear. To do this he chose images which worked clearly and directly treating the whole with his characteristic fluid line and attention to detail.

Flora Camacho

The work shown here is a small selection of Flora Camacho's project entitled 'Twenty-One Things I've Learned '. It is autobiographical and focuses on pertinent moments in the journey of self-discovery, moments which mould your character.  Flora quotes directly from a range of people who directly impacted on her sense of self and her outlook at particular moments of her life.  Each piece signposted a particular moment of her journey. She achieves a tension between the images and the words; they enrich each other.