28th November-2nd December 2018
This Instead of That
Alexandra Baraitser / Trevor Burgess
Julie Fountain / Olha Pryymak
Lewisham Arthouse, 140 Lewisham Way,
London SE14 6PD
28th November – 2nd December 2018 open 12 – 6pm
Private view Wednesday 28th November 6 – 9pm
This Instead of That is a show about artistic exchange – what happens to both representation and reality when artists get together to re-evaluate their ideas and influences through dialogue with one another. It looks at the processes and practices of artistic exchange, and focuses on the interchanges that are established when similar passions collide and how these are expressed in the tactile, haptic process of making physical artworks.
The mutual sharing of ideas about a portfolio of work that is not your own, is deeply rooted in fine art practice. Essentially this quid pro quo movement of critical exchange has been around for centuries. For example, Matisse immersed himself in the work of others, quoting imagery from his friends and contemporaries, even going into debt to buy work from those painters he admired, thereby sustaining an ongoing dialogue with their work. Discussion about the work of colleagues and contemporaries remains a central strand in fine art training, and is often sustained beyond the confines of art school through informal networks, collaborations, social art practices, shared studios, and other innovative modes of exchange.
For the creation of this exhibition, the artists involved paired up, presenting each other with ideas or questions about the other’s work, the response to which was then commissioned for the exhibition.
It is easy, in a world so dominated by the visual, to customize new ideas to fit what we already know. However, like Matisse, the contemporary artist will make a conversion of an idea that has the transformative effect of changing its core meaning. The artists here have shown how embracing new ideas from other artists about their own work can divert work in a new direction, transforming artistic development and allowing for extended collective discussion and understanding.
Curated by Alexandra Baraitser. For more information contact alex@alexandrab.org.uk
Film links:
See a This Instead of That film documenting Olha Pryymak and Julie Fountain’s collaboration here.
Watch Julie Fountain’s films including In Between here.
Artists:
Alexandra Baraitser www.alexandrab.org.uk Instagram: @abaraitser
Trevor Burgess www.trevorburgess.co.uk Instagram: @trevorburgesspaintings
Olha Pryymak http://opryymak.com/ Instagram: @olha_pryymak
Julie Fountain http://julie-fountain.squarespace.com/ Instagram @jf101_art