Camden Arts Centre: Steel Sculpture by Eric Bainbridge

30^th October 2012

I dropped into Camden Arts Centre having received a note about their steel sculpture and thought it might be interesting.  At the desk I was given details about two exhibitions upstairs and knowing the way climbed up.  Laura guided me round the current exhibitions.  There is a curated show by Simon Martin titled UR Feeling (http://www.camdenartscentre.org/whats-on/view/exh-24) and another show of Eric Bainbridge’s work titled Steel Sculptures (http://www.camdenartscentre.org/whats-on/view/exh-23)

In the Martin show, I admired a drawing by Stephen Shore titled Twenty-first Street and Spruce Street, Philadelphia Pennsylvania, June 21, 1974.  I mentioned to Laura that many of the streets in the city are named after trees.  For some reason, I had been to Walnut Street in the past.  There is a piece of furniture art by Ettore Scotsass which could resemble a fitment popular in some houses in the 1960s in Scotland.  I wondered if this was Arte Povera.  There is a fascinating chair by Richard Artschwager (Chair 1965-2000) which is made up of mounted photographs of a chair and is itself mounted on a plinth. 

  Room view of Simon Martin exhibition

Richard Artschwager's Chair is at the back, on the left

Credit: Camden Arts Centre 

 

Richard Artschwager's Chair

Installation by Ettore Scotsass

 

Steel Sculptures by Eric Bainbridge

 

Much of the steel sculpture in this show has a textile addition be it a dish towel, sheets or a blanket.  I was not too sure of this, but found the steel shapes and clear lines very attractive.  There is a lot of filigree work and these pieces have been assembled from scrap rods, plates and girders.  Some show flaked paint or even rust and there are some colours recognisable, just.  Laura guided me round as some of the shapes change on viewing angle and are almost kinetic. 

I thought back to my teenage days when we would clamber on rooftops in Edinburgh, taking care to avoid stacks of TV aerials which proliferated on the rooftops.  Each household, as it acquired a new TV channel or set or even colour, seemed to have a different aerial and this reflected the apparent wealth or choice (BBC or ITV) available in the region.  The TV aerial has given way to the either cable or satellite and, like the weather-vane, is now a curiosity.

Bainbridge uses metal ‘found’ within an art college and these pieces have been welded, I think, and possibly assembled before the show (from the notes which were read to me, some of these pieces have been welded by David Aldridge, who used to work in Sunderland’s shipyards).

Laura read out the labels and we moved to the final piece which resembles a clothes line with sheets hanging from clothes pegs, which is what it is.  There is a gap at the right hand side and it is possible to duck under the wire and go back stage. 

 

Credit: Camden Arts Centre

 

 

The picture below shows a view of the room with several of Bainbridge's sculptures.

 

Room view of Eric Bainbridge exhibition

Credit: Camden Arts Centre

A sighted friend has been able to identify the following in this picture:

On the far right, in the front is a piece titled The Mind of the Artist (Exposed), 2011, steel on blanket

Behind the above, on the right is a piece called Booble/Bubble 2011, Steel, cotton

On the left, in the middle, is a piece with a fine spiral pattern which can only be seen when viewed front on.  It took me by surprise as Laura guided me to it.  This was probably the piece I liked the most as I walked round it.  It reminded me of a weather-vane, which one can only view from the right direction.

Various coloured steel sculpture by Eric Bainbridge

I told Linda, at the desk, how much I had enjoyed the visit and asked if any images were available.  They were and Linda kindly sent me some for the room views and which I have included in this post.  Photographs can be taken of the sculptures, though touching is not appropriate as there are edges and the pieces are rusty.  In many ways I thought of David Nash and his wooden sculptures hewn with a chain saw.  These are not cast metal such as bronze but steel, which is not long lasting but more durable than wood, possibly. 

Tip: Attractive file notes are available on the artists on show and there is a flat screen display with interviews placed on the left hand side of the entrance to the café.  Speaking of the café, I had a pot of tea and a slice of Victoria Sponge!  Free posters are also available on a roll your own basis with elastic bands supplied.

Many thanks to Laura and Linda for such a kind welcome. 

 

Details on how to get to Camden Arts Centre can be found on: http://profwhitestick.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/camden-arts-centre-finchley-road.html

 

Prof Whitestick has also done a post about 'found' wood which has been used by David Nash in forming sculpture: http://profwhitestick.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/kew-gardens-david-nash-sculpture.html

 

Camden Arts Centre: Finchley Road Stations

Camden Arts Centre is always worth a visit.  The staff are very friendly and approachable.  I had not been for a few months since my hip problems and at the desk I was filled in about some developments concerning accessibility.

Near the café there is a flat screen and audio system and as the Zoe Leonard photo and Observation Point was in its last days,it was interesting to listen to the artist.  The other exhibition featured the Artist in Residence, Rachel Champion from New York, with whom we later had a chance to chat.

Jackie and I went upstairs and into a newly constructed darker corridor to a room above Finchley Road.  After our eyes had adjusted it became apparent to Jackie that there was a Camera Obscura installation in the room and the other side of Finchley Road was screened on the opposite wall and ceiling upside down.

I mentioned to Jackie about the special upside down glasses one can wear and eventually the brain inverts the image the right way round (it does this to start with) Experiments had been done in the 1960s and I remember people on a BBC TV programme wearing these glasses for some time.  At some point the glasses were removed and some people had difficulty getting back to normal.  I started on Diana Ross-Upside Down and Jackie countered with Lionel Richie-Dancing on the Ceiling!


We then went to a large room with perhaps 10 photographs mounted with a black border on a white wall. I am afraid I did not get this. I commented that photographs of the sun were an area of special interest and mentioned the Transit of Venus. I felt rather as if I were in a snow blizzard and look lost in this photograph which Jackie took.

Lost for words

Zoe Leonard exhibition

Camden Arts Centre, London

23 June 2012

© Prof Whitestick

Not impressed, we moved to the 3^rd room which had piles of postcards of Niagara Falls arranged in what appeared in an obsessive manner.  I could make out 2 cards on a wall with Observation Point.  Was this a hint of a telescope for which you drop a quarter/coin and you get a stereoscope image?  Were the pile of postcards real or a ruse?  We were both underwhelmed and moved on.

Niagara Falls postcards

At this point, Jo from the Camden Arts Centre joined us and filled me in on an exhibition I had missed.  We also chatted about recent exhibitions at the centre.  Jackie and I had both visited the Claymation exhibition by Swedish artist and had not liked it.  Jackie thought the violence was contrived and I thought a dark side of Scandinavian post-feminism seemed to be popular with crime fiction (detective stories) Jo, however, had enjoyed this exhibition and having enjoyed our comments found me the file notes of the exhibition that I had missed – Launching Rockets Never Gets Old by Raphael Hefti.

Next, we entered a room where Rachel Champion was working as Artist in Residence.  This was a pleasant surprise.  The work is called Ornithopter Garden.  It had lots of colours and smells from the vegetation (mainly grasses) and an interesting corner piece which to my eyes looked like the Island of Staffa (Fingal's Cave) decorated with turf on the horizontal sections.

with Rachel Champion

Ornithopter Garden

Camden Arts Centre, London

23 June 2012

©Prof Whitestick

Asking for permission to take photographs, Jo said that we could take some of Zoe Leonard work and she would check with Rachel Champion for her consent. We all chatted about the installation and I asked about the rigidity of the corner installation.   Rachel described how she had climbed up the installation to fit in the top section.  It reminded me of the Boetti use of building trade pieces of pipes, tiles, lights which I described in my post Boetti and Kusama at Tate Modern.  However, Rachel had not seen that exhibition.

We also spoke with Jo about touching policy in some exhibitions.  Sometimes friends of mine have been ticked off by guards at exhibitions when they exaggeratingly point out items in the show.    Often the public are discouraged from making contact with some artworks though exceptions are made for visually impaired people.  Jo spoke about access to installations for some people.  I had enjoyed playing the drums and percussion at the Haroon Mirza exhibition ( http://profwhitestick.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/culture-on-london-overground.html) but Jo said that some had gone too far with their “interactions”.

To round off our visit, we had coffee and cake in the café.  I have always enjoyed visiting the centre whether for talks by artists, book launches or just to drop in for a coffee.  There are lifts, accessible toilets and a bookshop which has a wide selection of material.  The centre also runs courses, though I have not tried any of them so cannot vouch for their suitability.  A series of file notes on individual exhibitions are for sale at £1, which I usually buy and have read to me.


Train Connections to Underground and Overground

In this area there are two railway stations.  Finchley Road is on the Jubilee Line and Metropolitan Line and has convenient changes.  However, mind the gap, especially on the new Metropolitan Line carriages.  While some stations such as Euston Square have flush and step free access to the train from platform, others, like Finchley Road, which bend, can have a surprisingly wide gap.  You need to check the gap with a cane.

Once outside, turn left and staying on the left side of Finchley Road you may find a bus stop and take any double-decker red bus for 2 stops or walk. After the other station (Finchley Road and Frognal) cross a side road with a light-controlled crossing and then facing right there is another crossing across a very busy Finchley Road (there is an island in the middle). Camden Arts Centre is at the corner.

London Overground at Finchley Road & Frognal

23 June 2012

© Prof Whitestick

Finchley Road and Frognal is a London Overground station which is useful for the Arts Centre and also for getting to Hampstead Heath, as the tunnel starts here and finishes at the next station. Mobile phones conk out here and there is some peace and quiet.

Getting off at Finchley Road there are 3 sets of 11 steps up to the Finchley Road exit.  There is a touch pad for access with a pass or Oyster card. Make sure your companion touches the yellow pad or they may be overcharged at another ticket gate.  

Jackie and I used the London Overground to get to Hampstead Heath station for Keats House and we went back to West Hampstead and on our separate ways.  I am continuing useful hubs and stations for meeting points where one can meet friends half way and go on from there.  Finchley Road on the London Underground is useful as is West Hampstead.  Both have useful bus connections though as unmoveable as train stations are, bus stops are sadly subject to suspension, roadworks and diversions.

Buses for Camden Arts Centre: 13, 82 and 113.

Zoe Leonard exhibition

Camden Arts Centre, London

23 June 2012

©Prof Whitestick

Culture on the London Overground

The London Overground has proved to be very useful in getting about in and around London.  Recently I was approached by one of the staff offering some assistance.  I had been wondering for a while about changing lines at Highbury and Islington so asked if Canonbury might be simpler.  London Overground radioed ahead and I was met at Canonbury and shown the lifts and footbridge.  From my point of “view” it is easier to change to the East London Line section at Canonbury.  You may have to be non-sighted and a bit of a transport nerd to appreciate this!  I am beginning to make sense of Whitechapel and have done the switch to Southern at West Croydon; you stay on the platform and listen.

There are close on 100 cultural sites and sights to visit and enjoy around the London Overground.* (http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/media/newscentre/metro/20720.aspx)

Recently I have been to Richmond Theatre.  The theatre is on Richmond Green and is a short walk from the railway station which is well served by the District Line, Overground and SWT.  There is a side exit which avoids the steps otherwise the station approach is near a zebra crossing and if you cross the road and turn left any lane on the right hand side will take you to Richmond Green. 

Richmond Theatre (http://www.atgtickets.com/Richmond) has been lovingly restored and has a mixed rep (reputation and repertoire).  With matinees twice a week on Wednesday and Saturday it is well worth checking out.   The theatre has front stall seats which come with a warning “May have to look up”.  These seats are not the most sought after, though I found them suitable.  There is legroom and I enjoyed the proximity to the stage as my peripheral vision could make enough, though I had to use sunglasses with the glare of the lighting. 

Recently I went to see Keeler by Gill Adams.  This is a play about Christine Keeler and the role of Keeler was played by Alice Coulthard.  The part of Stephen Ward was played by Paul Nicholas, who also produced and directed the play.  I can just about remember the Profumo affair which erupted in 1963 and involved the usual kiss and tell stories, corruption and politics.  Knowing the back story there was no problem following the plot.  Stephen Ward was not a likeable character and few of the other roles are portrayed as such.  Keeler is hardly the “tart with a heart”  Some of the scene changes are captioned but the dialogue can differentiate between Cliveden, Dolphin Square and a coffee bar off the Edgware Road.

Another play I saw on 8^th October was Tartuffe by Moliere.  This production was performed by English Touring Theatre (ETT) and is based on an adaptation by Roger McGough from Liverpool. This production is performed in rhyming couplets and just approaches an unacceptable level of ham and pastiche and withdraws.  It is very well performed and though some of the jokes are “truly awful” there is enough of the Mel Brooks and dare I say “Carry on” comedy to carry the plot forward.  On hearing one of the actors playing the maid Dorine, I whispered “That sounds like Kirsty from The Archers”.  I was suitably silenced but on the way back home on the London Overground the programme was duly checked and I was vindicated.  Annabelle Dowler played Dorine and very well too.   I can’t put a face to some politicians and actors and not having a television makes one clueless with some of the soap stars.  The rest of the cast were very good including: Joseph Alessi, Eithne Browne, Simon Coates, Rebecca Lacey and Colin Tierney in the part of Tartuffe.  A very enjoyable production. 

Camden Arts Centre (www.camdenartscentre.org) is near Finchley Road and Frognal Station and is not far from Finchley Road Underground station.  Bus stops for 13, 113 and 82 are near.  I recently went to a talk on the exhibition of the work of Mathilde Rosier.  This was moderated by the writer Deborah Levy.  One of the works I liked was ‘Regard, don’t le jaune 2011’.  Rosier has an admiration of birds especially owls and much of her work involves triangles.  I can usually pick up geometrical shapes and though I can paint blur I can’t  see it. One of the installations involved a masked ball event.  On wearing a mask many people act in a disinhibited way. This may be familiar to some blind and partially sighted people who can’t pick up some non verbal communication!

On Thursday 6^th October I went to the opening of two exhibitions at Camden Arts Centre.  Haroon Mirza has an installation “I Saw Square Triangle Sine” In case you are sighted this is NOT a typo. I did not mean sign. (Those using a screenreader will know)   Haroon Mirza was introduced by Lisa Le Feuvre who is Head of Sculpture Studies at the Henry Moore Institute.  Haroon Mirza works with sound a lot and we were encouraged to add to the noise or was it sound of the installation. I would encourage any person with sight loss to try this out.  We have to triangulate with close attention to sound and noise.  I was able to chip in with a remark about noise attenuation which impressed the less geometrical in the crowd for a nanosecond.  I found Mirza’s work accessible which is more than I can say for ‘A World of Glass’ by Nathalie Djurberg with music by Hans Berg.  It must have been the sight of the whitestick as I could sense “concern” as I approached the “glass ware” arrayed on tables.  This part of the installation reminded me of the sculptures in the Wieliczka Salt Mine near Krakow in Poland which I visited in 1975.  There are animated films running in the background and though the sighted may enjoy this installation it somehow left me cold even though the work was explained.  

* (The website for sites/sights along the London Overground route is:

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/projectsandschemes/16224.aspx

However, be warned: the website is very visual, requiring you to click on icons.)