IN THE FLESH Exhibition
IN THE FLESH celebrates everything positive about viewing art in real life, about experiencing it in the flesh.
Dock Street Studios approached me during lockdown to ask if I'd be interested in curating their re-opening exhibition, to coincide with Scotland's easing of lockdown restrictions in May 2021. I'd previously worked with Dock Street Studios with Little Originals (2019), which was a really successful exhibition with lots of buzz, sales and a high quality of art on show. They wanted something colourful, dynamic and fun. Something to celebrate their re-opening.
I spent a couple of weeks considering the sort of exhibition I'd like to be involved with - an exhibition that would be worthy of taking on the huge workload that comes with curating. I came up with the concept for IN THE FLESH and invited 4 artists who had immediately came to mind. They all said yes. Each artist was selected for the original and exciting ways they work with texture, pattern, boldness, strong lines, colour, edges and expression. They are: Lewis Deeney, Bethan Radcliffe, Katheryne Morrison and David P Scott, along with myself.
Bethan Radcliffe installed her incredible steel-based sculptures on the Monday morning, then I spent the next few days hanging the walls in response. Everything was maximised. Colours were grouped together for maximum impact. I considered different angles, viewpoints and ways of moving within the space. I thought about the way shapes related to eachother and tried to platform the little conversations that emerged between different artists and their work. It was an absolutely exhilirating experience after nearly 18 months of lockdown.
The exhibition was open for 6 weeks. The physical exhibition was open 7 days a week at Dock Street Studios in Dundee with small touches, such as music and essential oils to arouse the senses. There was also an online exhibition, plus a series of interviews with the artists (available via Spotify).