Food, Glorious Food!

After the indulgences of Christmas and having polished off the last of yummy chocolates, cakes and puddings, we decided we needed to get out for some healthy fresh air. So last Sunday we had a trip to the Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle to see Damien Hirst's current exhibition.

The exhibited works were grouped into four sections: photogravure prints of skulls and butterflies, Spirograph style drawings, spot paintings (multi-coloured circles) and pictures of medicine packaging modified to represent food, rather than tablets, as the contents. It was the latter display that caught our attention the most.

The thirteen prints of food packaged as medicine, collectively known as "The Last Supper", are intended to question the relative importance of drugs and food and whether people in the modern world can survive without both of these. The prints were cleverly presented using drug company packaging with the ingredients changed to items of food and the brands replaced by variations on Hirst's name.

We laughed at the idea of food as medicine: imagine popping a small pink capsule of sausage or having steak and kidney pie fed intravenously! We also wondered about the Science Fiction connection and the rehydrated food used by astronauts on space flights. We decided that we preferred the tastier and healthier option of preparing and eating natural food - the colours, tastes and smells that bring so much pleasure to life.

As we wandered round the other galleries, we were reminded that food has been a popular subject in fine art over the centuries. An oil painting by Henri Fantin-Latour with fruits and flowers looked so tasty we wished we could eat them (the fruits that is, not the flowers). Damien Hirst has brought this tradition of food in art into the 21st Century with familiar commercial packaging and a pop art style to give us plenty of food for thought (sorry!).

By now we were getting hungry and headed downstairs to the cafe. We were relieved to find that there were no fish and chip pills or dumpling suppositories on the menu and enjoyed a nice cup of Yorkshire Tea instead.

The "Damien Hirst: Print Maker" exhibition runs until 27th February 2011. More details are on the Bowes Museum web site.

Vicky and Vince,
Love Your Art

Teesdale Open Studios

Open studio events are a convenient way to have a day out visiting artists, enjoying their art and exploring the local area. So last weekend, foregoing our Sunday lie-in, we headed off to Barnard Castle where members of Teesdale Artists' Network are throwing their studios open to art lovers.

Our first call was on John and Pam Pickering. Pam was showing some of her delightful felt pictures based on mythical themes and the natural world. She explained how she embroidered the felt panels both by hand and using a special sewing machine. When producing commissioned work, she likes to include images and symbols that have some connection and meaning to the client.

John showed us a wide range of his paintings, many depicting scenery and landmarks in and around Barnard Castle. His style is strongly influenced by his background in graphic design and screen printing. We particularly admired his paintings of Venice. John likes to visit Venice to find scenes to paint and has found these pictures are very popular with art viewers and buyers.

Next we headed for the Spice Island Restaurant. Not for lunch but to see pictures by Rennie Hamilton (see picture above). Her abstract landscapes and rock formations are influenced by climate change. Rennie told us that she is more an artist than an environmentalist but painting these pictures is her way of helping to raise awareness of ecological issues. We liked the bold style and colours of her paintings.

Our final visit was to Suzanne Tweddle's studio where she produces exquisite glass beads using lampworking techniques. Suzanne actually made a bead while we were there. It was fascinating to watch the demonstration as she melted a rod of coloured glass onto a stainless steel mandrel. She then added dots of different coloured glass. As the whole thing finally melted together and the glowing blob of glass began to cool down, a gorgeous colourful, patterned bead emerged. Suzanne uses the beads to create unique items of jewellery, hand made from start to finish.

We are fast becoming fans of open studios. The events are informal, there is no pressure to buy anything when you visit and the artists are pleased to discuss their work and answer questions. In some cases the artists or makers are happy to demonstrate their techniques to visitors. Although the wide choice of studios to visit can make it tricky to decide who to go and see, with a little bit of advanced planning you can have a great day out.

The Teesdale open studios continue all this week in and around Barnard Castle, ending on Sunday 31st October 2010. There are more details on the web site at www.teesdaleopenstudios.co.uk


Love Your Art,
Vicky and Vince