Exhibition - Four Dark Corners

A new exhibition of photography by Alistair Parker, titled "Four Dark Corners" has opened at The Village Walks Art SpOt, Poulton le Fylde. The entrance to the exhibition space is from the Teanlowe Centre carpark, between the Post Office and Ethel Austins or from Queensway. The exhibition is open Monday to Saturday 9.00 to 5.00 until 29th May 2010.

"Four Dark Corners" is an eclectic collection of fine art images with a distinctly vintage feel. Alistair's grainy, soft focus treatment gives an "old camera" look to the photographs. Each image is contained in the same battered old frame that Alistair picked up in a charity shop, adding to the vintage look.

Alistair says the images remind him of the photographs taken by his mother on her trusty battered Ensign twin lens reflex camera. This is a nostalgic look at some familiar and not so familiar local view points.

Photographs are available for sale. Details on www.digiphotology.com

Work In Progress

A new exhibition "Work in Progress" has opened at The Village Walks Art SpOt, Poulton le Fylde, entrance is from the Teanlow Centre carpark between the Post Office and Ethel Austins.

The work on show is taken from my third semester assignment. This is an exploratory/experimental assignment designed to encourage the establishment of a"fine art identity". My work was based on a theme started in my foundation degree, fundamentally associated with perception. I am exploring how far the information in an image can be reduced in the face of increased noise. I took as my motif the portrait of an elderly gent who I call Jack. I photographed him, with his permission, some time ago in the Cafe at Blackpool Zoo. He was recovering from a bad turn on the "Chara" from Burnley, I think it was. However, he has a very characterful face.


Large Tiled Poster (1500 x 2100 mm)

• This started as an A3 size piece of work. A photocopy of the image was varnished and subject to a "Crackelure" finish in black acrylic ink. This image was sliced and enlarged using a piece of freeware, PosteRazor printed as 25 x A3 slices mounted on 4mm MDF.

The idea was to subject the portrait to a range of experimental processes to create a dilapidated, weathered presentation in which the face would, to varying degrees merge with the background until unrecognisable. We had to approach the task initially using painting, drawing and a combination of both. Working in 3D and life size and finishing with a representative body of work incorporating all, some or none of the foregoing. Oh yes and we had to create an animation based on an aspect of this work.

On show at the Art SpOt exhibition are the 3 pieces from my body of work, shown here. The life size work, which was recently on show at the Grundy Art Gallery. A pencil drawn work in the style of Frank Auerbach A spray paint stencil over pieces of torn poster, harvested in Manchester. And a very experimental piece, a stencilled image carved out of painted plaster in the style of the young street artist VHILS (Alexander Farto) who I admire enormously.


Stencil on Plaster (600 x 840 mm)

• The stencil was created from a posterized image, traced onto a ground of plaster painted black. The plaster and paint were scratched back to create the effect, finished by spraying with dilute acrylic paint. The old frame was found in a charity shop and once contained a mirror.
  

This a stop frame animation made of the process of creating the stencil on painted plaster.




Torn Poster Stencil (approx 700 x 900 mm)

• Using a similar stencil to the previous work, the image was created with acrylic spray paint over a background of torn posters, harvested from a billboard in Manchester.

Blackool & Beyond - Village Walks Art SpOt

An abbreviated version of my recent Solaris Centre exhibition is now on display at The Village Walks Art SpOt, Poulton le Fylde. Entrance between the Post Office and Ethel Austins.

Inspiration for my work is derived from many sources. I am attracted by the images created by the passage of time and the layers of history that form as a result. Recording vestiges of memories fading into uncertainty.

Blackpool is a town trapped between its history and its future. I have been recording the changing face of Blackpool for many years. I find beauty and inspiration in the fading infrastructure and once glitzy façade. My current work endeavours to capture the feeling of deterioration, dilapidation and decay that lies just behind the flashy frontage. Images so familiar that often we fail to notice them any more.

This work could be seen as a metaphor for the way we view the older members of our community. Something decrepit and insignificant to be ignored, rather than a valuable resource to be respected and cherished.

A reminder of how easy it is to pass-by aspects of our everyday surroundings without even seeing them. This work is intended to provoke thought and ask questions.
The work employs an intriguing mix of photography, digital interpretation and experimental fine art process which results in a unique work of art.

More art at www.alistairparkerart.com

Exhibition - Kiln House Gallery

Wreck #15

I have an exhibition of photography "Rot and Rust" at the Kiln House Gallery, Thornton Cleveleys, FY5 4JZ, from 7th November to 1st January.

The Kiln House Gallery is a unique gallery space, connected to Thornton's Marsh Mill Windmill.

Open Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays.

Opening times:
Winter 11am-3pm
Summer 10.30am-4.30pm

The exhibition has been curated by Sue Godsiff. Sue is a second year student on the Fine Art and Professional Practice BA (Hons) degree course at Blackpool Art School.

"I have been photographing the numerous wrecks and rotting hulks that littered the banks of the River Wyre Estuary for over 4 years, remnants of a once thriving fishing industry. During this time, many of these historic remnants have been vandalised or plundered for their scrap content and some have disappeared forever. By recording these remains of the past I hope to at least preserve a memory of them.

If you have any knowledge of the history of any of these remains please post a comment."

You can see this and other work at www.alistairparkerart.com

Exhibition - Blackpool and Beyond

Solaris Centre, New South Promenade, Blackpool, FY4 1BB
8.30 - 5.00 weekdays, 10.00 - 5.00 weekends
2nd to 27th November, Entrance Free

Blackpool is a town trapped between its history and its future, decay and regeneration. Familiar memories, fading signs, torn posters, peeling paint, cracked walls and crumbling façades. Happy memories fading into uncertainty.

The work is intended to provoke thought and ask questions about our history. A reminder of how easy it is to pass-by aspects of our everyday surroundings without even seeing them. The work could be seen as a metaphor for the way we view the older members of our community. Something decrepit and insignificant to be ignored and taken for granted. Rather than something valuable, to be respected, cherished and enjoyed.

I have been recording the changing face of Blackpool for many years. I find beauty and inspiration in the fading infrastructure and glitzy façade. My current work endeavours to capture the feeling of deterioration, dilapidation and decay that lays just behind the flashy frontage.

The work employs an intriguing mix of photography, digital interpretation and experimental fine art process.

You can view my work here www.alistairparkerart.com

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Exhibition - Accidental Art

Accidental Art - Layers of History: An unusual exhibition of mixed media pieces. Inspired by fading signs, torn posters and decaying buildings found in the local area. The work is mainly large format and uses recycled materials such as corrugated cardboard from cartons, newspaper, household paints. The project was triggered by my interest in the ephemeral impermanence of Street Art and draws a parallel with our inclination to ignore the elderly and their contribution to our life and history.

For many years I have photographed fading signs, torn posters, cracked walls and peeling paint. These images have now been incorporated into my artwork. I am fascinated by the layers of history represented by the urban landscape. The changing architecture, peeling paint, typography, fading and peeling layers of paint, torn posters all serving to portraying the passage of time, reflecting a history of which many of us know little.

Ever since man made his marks on the walls of a cave he has left evidence of history all around us. The work in this exhibition is based on the remaking of mans marks on the urban landscape. Using an experimental printing process which echoes the feeling of deterioration, dilapidation and decay. Likewise use of recycled corrugated packing cases as the ground for artwork adds further to the feeling of impermanence.

The work is intended to provoke thought and ask questions about our history, reminding us how easy it is to pass by aspects of our everyday surroundings without even seeing them. The work could be seen as a metaphor for the way many of us view the older members of our community. Something decrepit and insignificant to be ignored and taken for granted. When we should be considering them as a valuable members of the community and a reflection of our history.

The exhibition will be at the Village Walks, Art SpOt, off Teanlowe Centre Car Park, Poulton-le-Fylde, from 22nd September to 31st October, Monday to Saturday 9.00 am to 5.00 pm, entrance free.

If you are interested in exhibiting at Art SpOts send a CV and proposal to Alistair Parker.

Van Project

As part of the Professional Practice module for the second year of my BA Fine Art course I will be using this van to promote the Art SpOt at Village Walks Poulton and hopefully my "Art in Empty Shops" project.

The van is shown decorated with a piece of street art by B.Toy one of my favourite street artists. This will shortly be replaced with my own work.