Thursday 25 May 2017

Hello everyone,
If you are in Venice at the weekend pop into the book launch for Empire II - an immersive artist led film hub project devised by Vanya Balogh for the 57th Venice Biennale. 

The book launch is this Saturday May 27th, at Castello 1610/A, Riva Dei Sette Martiri from 6-8pm BST.
Age of Anxiety is a 260 page full colour bespoke publication, designed, produced and printed by Victor Hotz Studio in Switzerland - www.studiovictorhotz.com
 
The book features selected work by 115 participating artists - observations on Anxiety and Empire.
There will be an event panel talk at 7pm, to explore and discuss the influence of capital, social media and technology on the Venice Biennale and contemporary art. Attending guest speakers are Negin Vaziri, Mark Woods, Andrea Morucchio and Vanya Balogh.
Entry is free and drinks and refreshments will be served. More info at www.empire2.infowww.empire2.info
Here's a pic of Sooz Belnavis and me at the opening in May, taken by Ashley Scott Fitzgerald:






If you're not in Italy, come and meet this cheeky octopus in Sydenham:


 where I will be running an art stall at TNG's James Ross Hunter Youth Support & Youth First Event from midday at TNG youth centre, 111 Wells Park Road, London SE26 6AD.
There will be cards, prints, watercolours, T shirts, posters and paintings by myself and artists Dick Graham, Caroline Gregory, Tracey Howard, Amber Sibley, Frog Morris and Polixenia Anastasiou. 

Come and grab a bargain and have fun playing Splat The Rat and eating cakes!

JRHYS Community fundraising event "2017" in memory of James Ross JamesRoss Hunter

FREE buffet, raffle, auction, face painting, art, DJ, rock climbing, table tennis tournament and live performances.
Free entry for all!


DONATIONS will go towards JRHYS Community Projects at "TNG Youth and Community Centre".


Starting in June places are available on my new 5 week courses at Thomas Calton Centre on Choumert Road in Peckham, SE15 4NX.

Choose from:

Learn the Art of Facepainting on Monday mornings 10am - 1pm

 
Still Life Art Practical on Tuesday mornings 10am - 1pm
 or
Exploring Creativity on Fridays 10am - 2.30pm.
 Prices start from £80 for 5 weeks.

For more information visit www.southwark.gov.uk/adultlearning
Don't delay! Book a place today!

Also in June you will find me at Union Chapel. 

Drop in on Wednesday June 14th, from 11am - 1pm and take part in my Shrine to the Seasons mini residency project: https://store.unionchapel.org.uk/events/2017-06-14-open-wednesday-union-chapelhttps://store.unionchapel.org.uk/events/2017-06-14-open-wednesday-union-chapel
Or come and make a paper fan or bow tie with me at the Union Chapel Summer Fete, this year with a Victorian theme -  on Sunday June 25th, from midday.

That's all for now, best wishes and I hope to see you soon!
- Joanna

Saturday 6 May 2017

Dear everyone,

Please find below details of the show Empire II The Age of Anxiety, curated by Vanya Balogh, for the 57th Venice Biennale. 


My short film "Singing Ghost" will be playing on the show reel.

The 1990s. My art: installations. Furniture, found objects, taxidermy.

Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher rolled out Care in the Community. Hospitals and institutions closed. An auction of furniture and equipment. A hospital screen. The poignancy of its chintz rose pattern. The patina on the fabric, rich with emotional resonance. Sanderson Chelsea. 1950s style retro. English beauty, wonder, fascination. Floral motifs, history. Domestic architecture. I started drawing. Painting again. An experiment. Describing and capturing process. I paint. A description of flowers to uplift and revive the spirit in times of adversity.

In November 2016 I put the last of the remaining original flower drawings from the first “Screen Flowers” series outside in the elements, to document the process of decay, filming and photographing snatches of the drawing encased in ice and snow. Bringing these fragments together, my film is a representation of live art interaction Singing Ghost - an exploration of our collective anxiety regarding mortality, an examination of the context and meaning of song lyrics, and an interpretation of mythology surrounding hauntings.

The opening party - vernissage - takes place next week on Wednesday the 12th of May, and the show continues throughout the Biennale with artist talks and an evolving portal. There is a book launch scheduled for May 27th, and there will be Cinema of the Mind in the afternoon on May 14th.





I will be attending the opening party next week, so I hope to see you there!


Follow this link for an article in Artylist magazine:

http://www.artlyst.com/features/uk-ireland-showing-2017-venice-biennale/


​And here we are on the map:

Finally, here are some pictures taken by Ansell Cizic, of some of the paintings from my last exhibition, Floral Anthology, at Westminster Reference Library. While working on these paintings I realised that I was born to paint! And so expect more paintings from me soon..






With love and best wishes - Joanna

Thursday 4 May 2017

Hello everyone!

The free drop in art session for my Shrine to the Seasons project at Union Chapel open Wednesdays will be taking place tomorrow - May 3rd 2017, this month, instead of the following week as listed.

Please come along and make some art to be developed over the coming year for exhibition and display at the chapel.


We will be looking at the different meanings of May Day, traditions of the rites of spring, and exploring decoupage and wildlife collage.
 
Do drop in tomorrow between 11am and 1pm. The art takes place in the main church, at Compton Terrace, Islington, London N1 2UN. Nearest station Highbury and Islington.


If you can't make it tomorrow then do come along another time, or book a one to one or group art session with me at one of the all dayers.
All sessions are free and materials are provided.

Here are some pictures of my new oil paintings from my recent exhibition Floral Anthology, at Westminster Reference Library, flowers by Carol Campbell:

 Thanks to Alice Saga for this lovely photographic detail of "Burnt Norton".

 And I am very pleased and excited to be taking part in the Venice Biennale this year, as part of Vanya Balogh's Empire II. More details to follow soon!
With love and best wishes - Joanna