Transition Gallery Group Show ' Blanc Noir '

Sunday, 16 September 2007 18:21

London - Blanc Noir features a mixed group of artists who map this process in a counter-intuitive and highly personal way by both overturning and celebrating stereotypes from Ragdoll jewellery to the Afro to Rock Against Racism. On exhibition at Transition Gallery 13 Oct – 18 Nov 2007.

Artists Stephen Davids

Stephen’s drawing, painting and assemblages are in part autobiographical and reflect his complex identity and self. He has had no formal art training and this outsiderness shows in his willingness to mix genres such as cartoons, doodles and controlled graphic line to produce work which confounds categorisation. He currently runs his own gallery, f-art, which is situated off Brick Lane and has shown his work at numerous art fairs both in the UK and internationally.

Sarah Doyle

Doyle completed an MA in communications at Central St Martins in 2003. Her artwork concentrates on popular culture, in particular pop music and its associated images. She is fascinated by the emulation involved in the search for an identity of one's own and the inherent security of finding an idol to latch onto. Previous projects have involved working with a Hip Hop group, nail art and Creole jewellery. She has had recent solo shows at Space Station 63 and The Surgery in South London

Colin Jarvie

Has worked as the Director of Photography, Fabrica; Italy 
and as Senior Lecturer, in Photography at 
LCC, University of the Arts London and has exhibited his own work regularly for over ten years. For Blanc Noir he is creating a visual map of Hackney faces, utilizing instant photography to builds up a complex picture of Blanc Noir style in the borough.

Lydia Maria Julien

Has exhibited regularly in solo and group shows for over ten years and has recently completed a MA in Fine Art at Central St Martins, London. Her art practice is largely autobiographical. Silhouettes and shadows feature strongly and she uses raw chemicals to print all black & white images herself. These operate within the historical tradition of photography, and can reveal the past, present and future all at the same time.

Cathy Lomax

Lomax’s work centres on ideas around fame and mythology and its juxtaposition with the everyday, secrets and personal identity. The work takes the form of groups of paintings, which may be combined with found objects and collage to form fragmented narratives. For Blanc Noir she is studying the many cultural occurrences of the Afro. Cathy studied at Central St Martins and edits two magazines Garageland and Arty, recent shows include ‘Girls World’ Grey Area Brighton and ‘Vignettes’ Rosy Wilde, London.

Gary O’Connor

O'Connor's culturally significant work involves writing, sound and objects in a combination of fact and fiction. For Blanc Noir he will be using the 70s Rock Against Racism concert in east London’s Victoria Park as a starting point. Gary O'Connor studied at Norwich School of Art and Design and Guildhall University, London. Recent exhibitions include ‘E8: The Heart of Hackney', Transition Gallery, London and ‘Q', Curator Space, London. In 2005 he had a solo show, ‘Above and Below' at Norwich Cathedral and in 2006 he won the 2006-7 Escalator literature program award.

Background to Blanc Noir

Hackney in the East End of London is on the front line of an effusive multi-racial mix. It is here that you will find a fusion of cultural energy that is stemmed in a strong black identity born from its well-established black population. As far back as the 1700s the East End has had a tradition of black and white living in harmony, bound together by poverty and outsiderness. This still holds true in today’s East End and Hackney in particular, where you find both black and white school kids cherry picking phrases and points of style from black originating music, fashion and patois.

Transition Gallery is a not for profit contemporary art organisation run by practicing artists. Much of the art shown is by artists at the beginning of their careers and our aim to bring new art to new audiences is very much focused on bringing their new ideas to the widest possible audience. This involves organising talks, screenings and workshops, and publishing accompanying books and essays. Because the gallery directors are art practitioners they are aware of both present day contemporary art trends and artists’ practical, day-to-day concerns. This ‘making and showing’ of work from an artist’s perspective is central to Transition’s ethos and means that the gallery is able to link up with many of the most exciting artists as they emerge onto the art scene.

Transition Gallery Unit 25a Regent Studios, 8 Andrews Road, London E8 4QN www.transitiongallery.co.uk This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it 07941 208566 / 020 7254 4202