Skip to main content

Delphian Gallery - Open Call Exhibition 2019

Delphian Gallery have worked in collaboration with the print space in London, located on the Kingsland road to put together a show collating work that spans photography to drawing to painting. This year's open call saw over 10,000 submissions where artists are encouraged to engage through instagram to share their work through a hashtag. This year saw the wonderful Florence Hutching's (last years solo show winner from the open call in 2018) as a judge alongside others associated with the gallery and show. The other day I went to see the show, and have put together some of my favourite pieces. 

First up we have Nettle Grellier whose large scale paintings explore figures, animals and more in domestic and other settings. I've followed her work for a few months and really engage with how she is confident in her application of line to the surface. Her work may be large scale but she has a real ability to keep each piece intimate and poetic through the composition of figures and colour palette. One of my favourite aspects of her piece 'Daybed' that I love, is the faces of the two characters in the main section of the painting. The simple line is strong and playful. 


Daybed - by Nettle Grellier

The work of Billy caught my attention because of how it sat against other work in the show. There were a few pieces that echoed a similar mark making code but his stuck out because of the dominant red and application to create form. 


Billy Bagilhole - "Blwch Llwch / Ash Tray"

I was drawn to Elliot's piece because it is something I am exploring in my own practice at the moment. The bold strokes act as a focus for the piece which captures a domestic setting and the objects that inhabit it. The artist has been clever at being selective with how certain shapes are blocked out and marks and brush strokes still present. I appreciate work like this because of its confidence.


Elliot Nehra - "The Morning After"

I was drawn to the piece polaroid because of the tonal value and fragmentation of the figure. It made the piece poignant and evocative. There is a sense of movement because of how the figures remain almost faceless. This piece was one of the most intimate ones and it almost looks like a monotype. Work that leaves the viewer questioning how it is made is always beautiful because it adds to another layer of intrigue. 

Michalitsa Kozakopoulou - "Polaroid"




Max Freund - "Flower Bed"

Finally we have Max's work and I chose this piece because of the repetition and sense of organising chaos within certain shapes. I am always drawn to repetitive marks because it provides a sense of rhythm in the work. 


See the show @ Delphian Gallery until the 9th of April 2019





Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Phyllida Barlow at the Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh

I've spent the last week in Edinburgh where I visited some great exhibitions. I went to to my favourite gallery in Edinburgh, The Fruitmarket Gallery. The first exhibition I saw here was by the Artist Gabriel Orozco. His work has had a huge impact on my own practice, his use of shape and colour really intrigued me. Upon first seeing the display of Barlow's work I was struck at how the gallery had made amazing use of the space. Her work is dominating and powerful.                                  'Set' at the Edinburgh Fruitmarket Gallery 2015                                                         Her use of materials was very clever and the combination of plastic, paper and wood etc. showed a great contrast making each individual element stand out. I was en...

Artist Talks: Phoebe Atkey

Phoebe Atkey is a talented artist whose work I first saw on Instagram. Her commitment and enthusiasm for the arts is very inspiring. Her detailed drawings and attention to detail is what makes her stand out. Phoebe currently has over 25,000 followers in Instagram where she often uploads work. I interviewed Phoebe to gain more of an insight to her interests and how she creates such beautiful works using a variety of media. How often do you draw?  I try to draw everyday, even if it is just 15 minutes. What artists influence you?  I have always been interested in children’s book illustrations especially those of Quentin Blake and Ernest Shepherd. These two artists inspired me to draw from a very young age. As I have got older, I have also become interested in the works of Saul Bass, Herbert Leupin and Paul Rand. Do you see yourself going to Art School?  I would like to try getting into the industry without going to uni. However, I am lucky to live near an ex...

Artist Talks: Simon Lewis

When I was working at the Mall Galleries there was also work on display in the Threadneedle Space as part of the Haworth Prize. The work in this part of the gallery was 12 shortlisted works from people under the age of 30 who work up in the northern part of the country. The work on display was all very different but one that appealed to me was by the illustrator and printmaker Simon Lewis. His work ‘The Headrow’, a vibrant screenprint that captured the busy environment of a street. I was struck by this piece in particular because of the process and a way part of the print has been drawn. There was a lot of detail in the architecture and people and this created a really interesting narrative. His work has inspired me to push my line drawings further by including a more variety of mark-making to create more interest in what I am drawing and adding more texture to the work.  Find more about the Haworth Prize at: http://www.mallgalleries.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/haworth-prize...