Steven Lowery & Eddie Farrell, Billy Bollox Book Club,
Video Still, 2006
Shaun Doyle & Mally Mallinson, Chirpy-Chirpy, Kill-Kill (detail),
Mixed Media, 2006
Jane Anderson, Ever Been Dumped?,
A1 Poster/ Drawing, 2006
sugar-coated
Jane Anderson, Peter Atha, Shaun Doyle & Mally Mallinson, David Ellis, Steven Lowery,
Charlie Murphy, Andy Parker, Paul Tarragó, Jennet Thomas and Steven Wise.
15 July - 27 August 2006
To sugar-coat an idea is the ability to transform the unappealing or the uncomfortable into something acceptable; to deceive, albeit in a benign manner. The idea or object in receipt of this sugar-coating is exclusively some form of dark or disturbing subject matter, perhaps best described as a metaphorical ‘bitter pill’, which is ‘sweetened’ by a mediator – such as an artist – to make it fit for public consumption.
This sweetening, or sugar-coating, is often accomplished with humour, particularly as humour is the most obvious natural antithesis of what we find to be dark and disturbing.
sugar-coated is the title of this exhibition of new works by eleven young and emerging artists from the UK and the US. The exhibition explores the ‘sweetening’ effect in relation to a dark or disturbing idea, and how contemporary artists deliver and package their ideas in often humorous and playful contexts. The work of these eleven artists is varied in its subject matter, encompassing rejection; the maltreatment of nature; existentialist angst, and subversive acts – subject matter that could be described as the metaphorical equivalent of the ‘bitter pill’.
Performance: The Billy Bollox Book Club Saturday 15 July, 2.30pm
A short but enlightening performance in ArtSway’s main gallery space with Billy Bollox Book Club luminaries Eddie Farrell and sugar-coated artist Steven Lowery. FREE
ARTSWAY XTRA EVENT: Gallery Talk: Saturday 22 July, 2pm
An opportunity to hear from artist Charlie Murphy as she talks about recent developments in her career, and her participation in sugar-coated. FREE
Gallery Talk: Saturday 5 August, 2pm
Join sugar-coated artists Shaun Doyle and Mally Mallinson as they discuss their work and the themes associated with the exhibition, with ArtSway’s Exhibitions and Education Officer Peter Bonnell. FREE
Kids Workshop: BOOKING ESSENTIAL Monday 24 July, 10.30am – 3.30pm.
Winning Rosettes and Splendid Sashes!
A wonderful workshop for children designing and making your own special Rosettes and Sashes, with sugar-coated artist Charlie Murphy. COST: £20 per child.
Press Release:
An Adobe PDF of the sugar-coated press release is available for download here: sugarcoated.pdf
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