Curating
I was the Curator of OBS Gallery in Tonbridge, Kent. The Gallery brought contemporary art to the heart of Tonbridge School and provided a space for reflection and enquiry. It was open to the public on the weekends and to booked groups during the week. The exhibitions were often thematic and have included both emerging artists and established names. A selection of the exhibitions are below.
BEAST: Exploring the Human/Animal Divide
Spring 2020
Large scale drawings of a gorilla using sign language to communicate, a 5ft sculpture of an elephant boy standing awkwardly in pyjamas and a round oil painting of a minotaur’s eye in exquisite detail, come together in Beast to remind us that our relationship with animals is both complex and conflicted.
4B: Exploring Contemporary Drawing
Autumn 2018
4B explores drawing through the practices of 4 contemporary artists. It features the work of Jeanette Barnes, Christy Burdock and Meghana Bisineer, alongside the Autobiographical Series of prints and 11 drypoints by Louise Bourgeois on loan from Hayward Touring.
Flow
Spring 2018
Flow explores the ways in which the physical materials that artists choose and use to create work influence and direct the Final outcome. The exhibition includes sculpture, painting, photography, film, ceramics and installation in which matter oozes, pours, tears, sags, cracks or hangs in the balance, vitally influencing form and scale. Tension is created between the intention of the artist and the potential of accident. Artists included Emily Glass, Alexis Harding, Harriet Hill, Jonathan Keep, Clare Price & Solveig Settemsdal
Recollection
Spring 2017
Recollection explores the power of the object in a digital age, and the myriad meanings that objects can hold for the people who collect them. It brings together 16 private collections, some being seen by the public for the very first time. Drawing upon the tradition of the ‘cabinet of curiosity’ the Gallery becomes a twenty first century wonder room that includes collections from students, staff, parents, and the wider community. Classic vintage projectors, early twentieth century Tonbridge School memorabilia, toys, masks and random notes found in the street, sit alongside ceramics, prints and sculptures made by contemporary artists. Blurring the boundaries between art and life, Recollection presents both a collection of objects and a collection of the stories that accompany them.
"Who's Afraid of Red, Yellow and Blue?"
Autumn 2016
This exhibition explored colour through the paintings of 3 contemporary artists; Virginia Bodman, Julian Brown and Gill Ord. They use colour to draw us into their work and seduce us, but also confound our expectations with unusual or dissonant contrasts. By using colour strategically they help us to become actively involved in the process of thinking about and looking at painting, enabling us to unpick and discover our likes, dislikes, prejudices and associations.
The Bright Field
Autumn 2015
The Bright Field explored contemporary responses to landscape through the practice of 5 artists. Their work was linked by its relationship to the Romantic concept of the sublime which had been re-imagined in a 21st century context. Artists included Ackroyd & Harvey, Anthony Whishaw RA, Gina Glover, Toby Duncan, Jessica Rayner, Alex Duncan and Kay Walsh.
In the Flesh
Spring 2014
In the Flesh was a snapshot of the way artists have used and continue to use the body as a starting point to explore themes and ideas; the frailty and joy of existence, the need to make sense of our lives through religion and ritual, the relationship between body and mind, and the sensual pleasure the body can give us. The exhibition included work by Craigie Aitchison, Tracey Emin, Antony Gormley, Sidney Nolan, Henry Moore, Chris Ofili and Cornelia Parker.
East by South East
Autumn 2014
East by South East featured work by some of the most compelling and innovative artists from China, Tibet and Japan, such as Ai Wei Wei, Zhang Huan, Zhang Xiaogang, Yayoi Kusama, Takashi Murakami and Gonkar Gyatso.
Using sculpture, painting, photography and print, the exhibition explores themes that include the reinterpretation of traditions, diaspora communities and the influence of the political and cultural context.