Amgueddfa ac Oriel Gelf Parc Howard, Llanelli
SA15 3LJ
Rhif ffôn: 01267 228696
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Parc Howard Museum & Art Gallery, Llanelii
SA15 3LJ
Tel: 01267 228696
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Josef Herman: cymhelliad i dynnu llun
Arddangosfa o luniau
Gorffennaf 12fed - Medi 7fed 2008
Josef Herman: a compulsion to draw
An exhibition of drawings
July 12th - September 7th 2008
Trefnwyd yr arddangosfa gan Sefydliad Celf Josef Herman, Ystradgynlais. Mae'r sefydliad yn gofalu am lawer o luniau'r artist, a oedd yn rhodd gan ei weddw, Nini Herman. Nod y sefydliad yw cael pobl i werthfawrogi bywyd a gwaith Josef Herman, a ddaeth i Dde Cymru yn ffoadur yn 1944.
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The exhibition has been organised by the Josef Herman Art Foundation, Ystradgynlais. The Foundation which has custodianship of many of the artist's drawings, which were donated by his widow, Nini Herman. The Foundation promotes an appreciation of the life and work of Josef Herman, who arrived in South Wales as a refugee in 1944.
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Lost Landscapes Exhibition,
Bruce Risdon
July 11th until September 15th.
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Naomi Leake with Jenny Klien
Private View 6.30 - 9pm Saturday 16th August
Exhibition Continues until 15th September
Gallery opening hours: Thursday - Sunday, 11am -5pm.
In one sense `Looking for love' is a documentary about the people of Swansea.
Using art as a pretext with which to engage people the artist Naomi Leake, goes speed dating in a wedding dress and kerb crawling dressed as a sheep in a notorious Welsh drinking street. The short films documenting Naomi's cultural interventions employ dream like story telling to create intimate portraits while addressing social concerns. Drawings of local people revealing their everyday occupations and preoccupations are presented alongside the narratives of Jenny Klien. The words in this exhibition touch something in us all and operate to shrink the distance between the fit surfer on a beach and the very obese at a boot sale.
By harnessing the symbolic and emotional potential of places, people and situations the collaboration between Naomi Leake, Jenny Klien and people of Swansea has universal as well as personal resonances. `Looking for love' is an exhibition poised on the boundary between fact and fiction.
There will be two short performances on the night of the private view.
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Beyond TV Festival Review
Those unlucky enough to miss it will be able to see highlights on their new internet TV channel Vision on TV in the New Year, while On The Push, the eco-surf series launched at the festival can be viewed in it's entirety on the Undercurrents website, while you can watch Episode 1 below.
The editor of this here website was also lucky enough to win The Co-op Award for New Directors at the festival for her first ever short film 'Dim Smoking, Girls' so she's pretty chuffed; and talking about herself in the third person which is just wrong, frankly.
The 8th annual Beyond TV Festival was a huge success offering the people of Swansea and beyond a chance to see an eclectic and engaging programme of inspiring short movies, radical documentaries, uplifting music videos and funky animations beyond the narrow view of mainstream television from local and international film makers, new and old.
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Things I Did When I Was A Young Man
Susie Wild talks to the artist Dan Rees about his Mission Gallery exhibition.
What is Gillian wearing?
Why did you choose Swansea as the venue for your debut solo show?
It was less of a choice more of a nice coincidence. Jane and Amanda at the Mission have been a great support since I did my foundation course in Swansea and we had been planning a show for quite a while. It does make sense to me to do the show in Swansea - it's an important place to me and I while I don't live there anymore I care about it and want to be involved in things that are going on there.
How did it feel to return?
I return to Swansea fairly often as my Grandmother lives there and I like to pay her regular visits, perhaps every two or three months. I suppose you can do something very often and never think about it, the one time when you consider things and understand the meaning and importance of people and places in your life is when your views can totally change.
The idea of a `Return Journey' I was trying to conjure in this show was partly a very romantic idea of my happy childhood memories and a sort of longing of a return to that state, and partly a tongue in cheek poke at the idea of Swansea holding romantic notions for anyone and the fun that can be had with sentimentalism in general.
Were you nervous about the opening?
More a little concerned, it was a probably my most ambitious show as far as working from abroad (Dan currently lives in Berlin) and arranging equipment and timing and so on.
The show is incredibly nostalgic. What is your earliest memory?
I hope I didn't over do it. I was trying to use nostalgia as a tool, I find its relation to humour very interesting. I am making conceptual art that came about in the late 60's, so I almost see the whole medium as being a bit nostalgic, for instance using an 8mm, a typewriter or black and white photos now is a decision for an artists whereas in the 70's it was just what was available.
The idea of nostalgia was a general idea of a return to memories and a place and a way of thinking. One of my main ideas for the show was that the playful nature of some conceptual art is akin to a type of childlike logic, and so the title `Things I Did When I Was A Young Man' came about.
Are you pleased with the exhibition?
I am really happy with how it all worked out. I was a bit worried as it involved a few works that were made especially for the show, and it's probably the biggest show I have done. I was pleased with the very colourful wall rubbings, which I think make quite a subtle exhibit - it feels like an important piece in my body of work.
Generally I am happy with the pieces that function in the simplest manner, the wall rubbings are a very simple site-specific work. It's a small idea but for me they are the most beautiful. The film - Swan's Way or Whale's Road - was meant to be the central piece, and it was of course made with the show in mind. (It shows the artist's recording of the coast of Swansea Bay, looking back at the city from a boat some two miles out to sea.) It was fun to make and it's important to me because it's a little different from most of the other work I have made.
When did you first realise that you wanted to be an artist?
4.14pm, Thursday 7th March, 1993.
What is it that attracts you to conceptual art?
Where to start here? There is so much in conceptual art that I am attracted to and that probably boils down to the freedom it involves. You can change from working on a film to a book and then a painting, its nice not to know where the next project will lead.
Who/what/where inspires you?
My family, my friends and sometimes good artists.
Here's a biggie: why create art?
I can only speak for myself here of course. It keeps me interested and engaged with life.
Does the arts world need to be brought back down-to-earth?
The art world is a funny thing, some of the nicest people and some of the worst people I know are involved in it and I suppose that's what makes it interesting. It's a matter of taste, I think, but things tend to loose all meaning for me when they are overstated, I like to find out by myself that people are good artists rather than by them telling me so. It seems very important not to take yourself too seriously; art is hardly the most important thing in the world.
Your work is pretty humorous, what makes you laugh?
You think so, thank you. The last thing that made me really smile was in the Mission gallery, it's a David Shrigley postcard of someone milking a cow; I won't spoil it, go and take a look.
How do you like living and working in Berlin?
Berlin is a great place; it's really easy for artists there because it's so cheap. I can't understand why everyone isn't going there. I've been there nearly three years now so it feels like home, I'll probably end up there but I certainly want to live in a few other places, Paris then New York next I think.
Tell me about the `Home For Lost Ideas' book…
It's a project I started with a friend in Berlin early in 2006, we had the idea to invite artists to tell us about an idea or a piece of work they decided wasn't good enough to be made. From there it developed pretty quickly into a book project with no real concept but rather the sentiment of the title and the individual artist's reaction to it. There are about 100 artists, some very famous and others not known at all, it's pretty democratic. We are still trying to put the book together and it should be out early 2008.
What are you working on at the moment?
I am trying to find a flat in Frankfurt where I am about to move to do a spot of studying. There is a great art school there and I will be working with Simon Starling, I am really looking forward to meeting the rest of the students and having a change from Berlin. No specific art projects as I have just finished a few shows, things are always floating about in my head though.
Cup of tea with Gavin Turk
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Galleries and Exhibition Spaces
Attic Gallery: Wales' longest established private gallery. It was founded in 1962 to highlight the work of contemporary artists working in Wales. Located in the historic Old Maritime Quarter of Swansea, it shows the work of some of the principality's most important artists including Josef Herman, Kyffin Williams, Jack Jones, and Glenys Cour. The gallery also seeks out, encourages and promotes new and emerging artists such as Warren Williams.
Location: 14 Cambrian Place, Old Maritime Quarter, Swansea SA1 1RG.
Open: Tuesday - Friday 10am - 5pm, Saturday 10am - 4.30pm, free.
Tel: 01792 653387
The Brunswick: A proper pub and a favourite amongst locals and art students alike, this boozer doubles as a changing exhibition space curated by local artist Bruce Risdon and is also the most likely post-art opening drinking destination unless you've been to Mission and then it's The Queens.
Location: 3 Duke St, Swansea, West Glamorgan, SA1 4HS
Open: Normal pub hours.
Tel: 01792 465676
Ceri Richards Gallery, Taliesin Arts Centre: Based on campus at the University of Wales Swansea, this popular Fringe venue presents a wide variety of live performances, cinema screenings and exhibitions.
Location: Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PZ.
Open: Monday to Friday: 10am - 6pm, Saturday: 12 to 3pm & 3.30 - 6pm, Performance evenings: 6 - 8pm, free.
Tel: 01792 296883
Corridor Gallery, Dylan Thomas Centre: The Dylan Thomas Centre Corridor Gallery space has a different exhibition each month, organised as part of the Ty Llen Literature Programme.
Location: The Dylan Thomas Centre, Somerset Place, Swansea SA1 1RR.
Open: Daily 10am to 4.30pm, free.
Tel: 01792 463980
Elysium Gallery: A dynamic and contemporary artist-run venue for the visual arts. They provide a platform and vital stepping stone for artists, allowing them the opportunity and experience of showcasing their work in a city centre space. A unique, exciting and forward thinking gallery.
Location: Elysium Contemporary Art Space, 41 High Street, Swansea SA1 1LT.
Open: Launches in November 2007.
Tel: 01792 641313
Groups and Organisations
Creative Industries Research and Innovation Centre (CIRIC): CIRIC is funded by The Welsh European Funding Office (WEFO), Swansea Institute and private sector finance to re-invigorate the creative industries sector within Wales. For too long creative practitioners have been forced to leave Wales to gain access to the necessary resources that are needed to further their
Framework: An artist collective based in Swansea. On the first Tuesday of every month they host the event `Framework Social' at St.James Social Club, Uplands, Swansea. It is a space for artists, arts related practitioners and people from the community to meet and socialise where they show a consistently high standard of experimental live art, performance work, spoken word, video work, installation, drawing and work by multi-disciplinary artists from Swansea, Cardiff and other parts of the UK.
Swansea Art Society: Established in 1886 this is one of the oldest Art Societies in the world. At present the membership stands at around 230, including amateur and professional artists - with an age range encompassing teenagers and young 90 year olds. Full membership of the Society currently costs £12 p.a. The Society has a very busy programme of scheduled meetings and events, including:
Portraiture Sessions (Wednesday Afternoons)
Painting Sessions (Friday Afternoons)
Twice yearly exhibitions, held locally.
Winter evening painting demonstrations by invited artists.
Summer sketching activities around the local area.
A regular Newsletter sent to all members.
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