Cover versions

Steve Youdell

2008-05-21T03:04:00.000-07:00

TALK TALK cocaine, coke, charlie, chop, fun, confidence, excitement, importance, sorted, friendship, conversation, validation, attractive, proper, inflated, gradiose, excess, social, escape, fantasy, illusion, pretence, reliance, problematic, overbearing, needy, insomnia, confusion, greed, fear, dishonest, denial, desperation, isolation, dependant, alone, in trouble, regrets, tears, craving, secrets, torment, purgatory.

Addicted

THE PARTY'S OVER

Monique Jivram

2008-05-20T05:29:00.000-07:00

Monique Jivram graduated from Winchester School of Art in 2007 and has continued to practice as freelance illustrator and embroiderer. Her ancestral roots are Latin American and the influence of her time spent in Peru and Colombia can be seen in her use of colour and vibrancy.

Monique’s work mixes black line illustration with embroidery and appliqué, she is aware of the significant importance of concept, but is heavily involved in process, believing technique and skill, hold just as much weight in creating work as concept does.

The Salud Mexico title speaks of a lively country and iconic images, it inspires a sense of tradition and most importantly, it inspires colour.

Beverley Sterling

2008-05-19T04:48:00.000-07:00

The recycled LP album covers depicting two door signs: bolts, door handles and hooks are recycled on the base of the album cover to produce a ‘spiritual’ and ‘doctor’s door’ signs, using objects found in the home.

Each cover explores perceptions of heaven and hell and whether one should go in ‘OPEN’ or be allowed to enter ‘CLOSED’. Album covers’ titles; Dr Hook and Can’t Wait to Enter Heaven inspired these works to intentionally create a dual graphic message.
Beverley Sterling has over twenty years experience working in the Arts in the UK and Zimbabwe. She is a ceramist and graphic artist who lives and works in Nottingham. Her time in Zimbabwe gave her the opportunity to launch her own career as a ceramist, exhibiting, selling and working with traditional and contemporary potters, producing stoneware pottery and interactive graphical work.

Trak E Smith

2008-05-19T04:46:00.000-07:00

Originally native to East Anglia, Trak E Smith is an established artist and trader in art and antiques working in his adopted home town of Nottingham,
Trak is a mixed media artist. He utilises many various styles and methods of working, as well as, and including traditional painting, ink, illustration, photography and two- dimensional sculpture as well as more established forms of sculpture to create pure visual statements that strive to encapsulate some of the more complex human issues that confront us such as the persistence of identity, the transience of existential beauty and the absurdity of confrontational controversy. The pieces currently on display explore the concept of the photographic statements concerning art and the often quoted statement concerning “the capture of a single moment in time that may never be regained or repeated”.

Incorporated elements of the ecological movement, the pieces on display (part of the LP:ICON series) utilises outdated technology or discarded artefacts to produce two- dimensional sculptural art- form which accentuates the theme of how identity persists both aurally and visually in each of us whilst challenging us, the viewer with a range of visual clues.

Trak lists his influences as “too diverse to mention” but remains passionate in his defence of anti establishment artists, musicians and writers. Artists such as Felicien Rops inspire him.

Currently Trak is working on a series of fetish illustrations and photography featuring aspects of society’s darker obsessions with sexuality to deliberately challenge the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill- Part 5 Criminal Law- Section 64 (Possession of Extreme Pornographic images) and would be pleased to hear from anyone who has strong views concerning what has been described as the “possible erosion of private civil liberties”.

Alex Powell-Bowns

2008-05-19T04:44:00.000-07:00

Alex graduated from Loughborough University last year with a degree in Illustration and animation. Since graduating Alex has been preparing for her Masters degree in Illustration, which will commence this September at Camberwell College of Arts, London. She has also been involved in many exhibitions and competitions including ‘Young Creative Network’ and ‘Creative Review’. These lead to her pieces being presented at the London ‘Vinyl Gallery’ January 2008 and a personal, local exhibition with two contemporaries in February 2008 at the Arts Organisation, Nottingham. She is also due to exhibit new work at Sainsbury’s Arts Centre, Norwich later this summer. Alex is a versatile illustrator focusing on design, texture and communication. She likes to invite participation, often by provoking thought or a strong aesthetic. She has a mixed media approach, with interests in mark making and printing. Alex enjoys studying all aspects of visual culture, from film and fine art to textiles and illustration and utilises these influences in her work; she is keen to explore and expand her visual language even more and intends to study alternative communication researching new avenues of visual communication on her Masters course.

Christopher Marrows

2008-05-19T04:40:00.002-07:00

I studied at Lincoln University of Art and Design College of Art specialising in ceramics, which I practised for several years, exhibiting and selling work in galleries and shops across the country. In recent years I have returned to painting as a means of expression; using acrylic paint on recycled panels of wood or canvas
I regularly exhibit paintings and small pieces of sculpture with the Sneinton Artists’ Group at Greens Windmill in Sneinton and participate in the annual ‘Open Studios’ event every July, where I am available to discuss my working methods inspirations and influences (which are many and various including the Ordnance Survey and Bob Dylan). I have also exhibited paintings at the Art Organisation and participated in the ‘Way out Fest’ at Rufford Country Park.The inspiration for this piece of work was not only the cover but also the vinyl disc itself drawing the pick up arm ever closer to the hole in the centre of the record; so the eponymous parade is drawn into the interior of the cover.

Jane Marrows

2008-05-19T04:40:00.001-07:00

The bright pink cabriolet on this Aretha Franklin record sleeve motivated me to produce my artwork. As here, strong colours inspire my textiles work, which includes felted and stitched textile wall pieces and accessories. This piece includes free machine stitch using viscose and metallic threads. Whilst my university education is literature based by textile qualifications take the form of successful completion of City and Guilds Textiles part 1 and 2 with Distinction.
I regularly exhibit work and undertake freelance textile teaching in the East Midlands. I co-ordinate Sneinton Artists, in Nottingham, and sell my work through various crafts outlets and events, including Hub Centre for Contemporary Crafts in Lincolnshire.
Previous exhibitions have included
Biennial Exhibitions with ‘The Living Threads Group’ Derbyshire
‘Art Felt’ Trent and Erewash Museum 2003
Solo Exhibition at Greens Windmill Sneinton 2001.

Amy Evans

2008-05-19T04:39:00.001-07:00

I would describe my work as very graphic, with layout, colour, and shape as key elements to the pieces I produce. Abstract Expressionists from the Fifties and Pop- artists from the Sixties form the heaviest influences, although I do look to more contemporary designers as well. Quit often, I try to experience something like a new place, a new artist, a new musician etc, and then react to that. Other times, I respond well to text and work with the format, font, the hidden meaning.

My choice of media can vary from brief to brief, but I do tend to favour mixed media, collage and printmaking. I go through a process of various thumbnails, testing colours and then exploring the various mixed media in a sketchbook to see what works and fits the best brief.

Michael Douglas and Sarah Hinton

2008-05-19T04:38:00.002-07:00

Michael Douglas and Sarah Hinton are both undergraduate students studying Theatre Design and Textile Design at Nottingham Trent University and have been working together since moving to Nottingham in 2005.

Our interest in art and design lay within a broad range of disciplines including craft, architecture and sculpture. The diversity of our courses has enabled us to explore our individual practices and push our collaborative work in a number of new directions. The thought of being able to create different types of work enthuses us greatly- we are often inspired by anything ranging from literature, to a walk through the city, or even purely by the qualities of a particular material. Material manipulation and the experimenting with ways of creating form and structure are key components in our work. We are interested particularly in the role of craft within contemporary design.

When thinking about a record and the geometric shapes it is made up of, the actual LP; a simple circle, and its case; a simple square, we were inspired to create a series of pieces where objects are normally very flat are transformed into interesting and delicate 3D forms. Our decision to use black and white as a base for designs was to play on the simplicity of the form of a record and its simple shapes. The boldness of the contrasting colours encourages a graphic like quality, which works well with the simple shapes and lines within both our designs and that of the record. Each design was first drawn out onto graph paper. The album covers were carefully eased apart and the measurements transferred to the back of the image. Each design was cut by hand using a scalpel before the two sides were reattached.

Corrine Lee-Cooke

2008-05-19T04:38:00.001-07:00

You are all I aspire to be
My work is largely influenced by my experiences as a medium and my connection to spirituality. The individual elements are like little stories all bound together, referencing thoughts, feelings and messages. Sometimes everything flow’s together but other times the elements prefer to keep to themselves. Everything is how it should be and nothing is coincidence. Each piece of work undertakes an organic process whereby it comes together slowly and unexpectedly. I like to use antique paper and material within my work as I feel they already have a story of their own.

Jennifer Marie Bryan

2008-05-19T04:37:00.000-07:00

I wouldn’t technically call myself an artist. Sometimes I dabble in textiles, sometimes I experiment with paint, and I like to use the computer on occasion too. My work is quite character based. Usually featuring some sort of monster with six arms, four eyes and weird tribal markings. So you could say I’m more a mad-scientist. I’m inspired by faces in the carpet, mythology, odd shaped vegetables, nature, alien cultures and humans. Shape and pattern are important to me, and I enjoy customising forgotten or disused objects, so that they can be admired and loved again. Humour is a key element in my work, and my favourite canvass is the blank unattended post-it-note.
I have yet to finish university, but this hasn’t stopped me from selling and exhibiting my work around the world. My most recent exhibition took place at Open Space gallery in New York, where I took part in the ‘Tote Bag’ project. (http://openspace.bscientific.irg/) The project was funded by Hudson River Sloop Clearwater and was commissioned to encourage the use of reusable carrier bags.
I am also working in my spare time for Nottingham artist Jon Burgerman, who is a great influence, teacher, tradesman and friend. He introduced me to a whole new world of mural painting, toy making and animation. But he also introduced me to the kettle, bubble wrap and many, many postage stamps. Thank you Jon
For the Cover Versions exhibition I simply bought a record from the nearest charity shop, listened to the music, then reacted to it through the medium of paint and marker pens. The record I selected was Beethoven’s 1st and 2nd symphony, so I created something quite energetic, loud and powerful. Yes it’s pink, but it’s a power pink! The two characters I drew feature in my work often, and I felt they would be most suited to this project due to their outlandish personalities.

Anna Brown

2008-05-19T04:34:00.001-07:00

I am a final year illustration student at Loughborough University, and will be graduating this summer (with a degree show at LUSAD running from 14th-20th June). Upon graduation I plan to begin work as a freelance illustrator.

My work uses a range of media including collage, drawing, print and digital, and I am influenced by many contemporary illustrators. In particular I am currently inspired by those using mixed media to produce striking, shape-based imagery, such as Sara Fanelli, Kate Sutton and Rob Ryan.

After listening to the track ‘Just’, I decided to create an illustration that would reflect the nature of the music, and the acoustic style of Jamie Scott’s songs. Through using colour, shape and pattern I have attempted to represent the contrast between the song’s upbeat melody and its wistful lyrics.

Lois Cordelia Bulow-Osborne

2008-05-19T04:32:00.001-07:00

In the true spirit of “cover versions”, dub music originally evolved out of reggae, when the latter was cut into fragments and re-forged in rhythmic patterns. Similarly, I have created these “cover versions” of some favourite reggae and dub albums by carving out silhouette-style cut –out forms , using a scalpel , to suggest echoing layers of superimposed imagery.

The Bob Marley Natty Dread cover version explores the Rastafarian symbolism of dreadlocks as gnarled (i.e. “knotty” or ‘natty’) roots, linking us back to the fiery energies of mother earth, represented here by the shimmering red undertone. The dreadlocks may also be interpreted as the mane of the Lion of Judah, another powerful biblical symbol of courage and defiance.

Dub side of the moon is a dub version of Pink Floyds Dark Side of the Moon. The lithe, four-armed dancing figure represents the Indian god Shiva, who is much associated with the moon. He is also the Lord of the cosmic Dance and hence of the Great Gig in the Sky. Here, his dark shadowy form almost eclipses his pale counterpart beneath: Everything under the sun is in tune, but the sun is eclipsed by the moon.

Max Romeo’s Selassie 1 Forever is an expression of faith in the divinity of humankind. The symmetrical silhouette hinges on the axis of the “I”, mythical symbol of unity. This cover version incorporates the image of the sacred ark of the covenant, guarded by two angelic beings, emerging from two dimensions into three.

Chris Abbott

2008-05-16T08:30:00.000-07:00

This work was inspired by the record ‘Carnival for marriage’ which I found while looking for a sleeve for this exhibition. It instantly struck a chord about my own marriage and subsequent breakdown. I was struck by the shattering of the whole carnival into broken dreams as I struggled to keep the relationship together while at the same time watching everything disintegrate. The red wire represents the internal bleeding while at the same time maintaining a smiling facade and hiding the pain, the sleeve is old and grubby, a reflection of how I felt at the time.
I was a late starter at most things. I got a B.A. (Hons) Degree and a Social Work qualification at the age of 53 and did not start painting until I was aged 60. The last 3 years I have had some excellent tuition from a number of local artists. Notably Rosemary Wells, Matthew Swain and Linda Baistow through the ‘Workers Educational Association’
Art has given me a fantastic lease of life and a new way of expressing thoughts, feeling, emotion and ideas that are both challenging and important to me, perhaps my way of seeing things is not so strange after all.
In the last 12 months I have had work accepted at a number of exhibitions including:
Leicester Open Art Exhibition
Doncaster Open Art Exhibition
‘Patchings Farm’ Summer exhibition
E.A.C. Art Awards, The Mall Gallery London.
I have also sold a number of paintings, much to my surprise. I work in watercolours, acrylic, pencil, pastels and mixed media.
Artists that have influenced my development are Kurt Jackson, William Selby and Patrick Caulfield, but everyday I discover new artists and new styles that really inspire me to view things in a different light. It is this continuing discovery that makes painting, art and my life so exciting and challenging.