Wells Art Contemporary 2013 winner Solo Exhibition, 45 Park Lane

I was so very busy with the practicalities of finishing paintings and the opening night, that I neglected to post about this: my first solo exhibition in London! 

There is still time to see it though...

45 Park Lane and The Dorchester Collection present:

A Solo Exhibition of neon lights in oil paint by Dominic Bradnum, winner of the Wells Art Contemporary 2013 First Prize.

Dominic Bradnum - Wells Art Contemporary 2013 winner, solo exhibition

Wednesday 7^th May – Saturday 31^st May 2014
45 Park Lane, Dorchester Collection, Mayfair, London W1K 1PN

Wells Art Contemporary 2013

Yes, I know it is Tuesday, and I know I don't very often grace this corner of the internet these days, but there is news: One of my neon paintings has been selected for the Wells Art Contemporary 2013 exhibition.


Wells Art Contemporary 2013
11th – 19th October (open 10am-5pm)
Wells Museum,
8 Cathedral Green,
Wells, Somerset
BA5 2UE

Dominic Bradnum - Cry For Help 2

I've not been idle by the way. You can read of my current non-painting exploits here: www.dominicbradnum.co.uk

Saatchi Online Abstract Showdown

I have entered one of my neon ‘Drip’ paintings in the Saatchi Online Abstract Showdown competition

If you are able to take a moment to click on the link and vote, that would be hugely appreciated. And please do pass on to anyone else who you think may be interested too. Thanks!

Round 1 Voting started 12 noon yesterday (15th March) and runs until Tuesday 27th March
VOTE HERE >>> www.saatchionline.com/showdown/vote/showdown/10/artist/29963

Exhibition: SPASKI - live + gallery opening

I have a painting in an exhibition this Saturday 17th March, 7-10pm at
The Grey Area, 31 Queens Rd, Brighton, BN1 3XA
[ENTRANCE VIA DOOR ON NORTH ROAD BETWEEN THE MONEY SHOP AND THE BARBER]

Entry is free and there will be performance from resident artist SPASKI + art and more

more info >>> HERE!

extra-curricular painting

Whilst I've not been able to clock-in for Wednesday Painting over the last few weeks, I have found time to set up a temporary studio at home for a spot of remedial painting.  Good job too, as I had to get this finished for our friends Paul and Sarah's wedding on the 3rd December.

here's a quick snap of the finished piece

(I'll post more photos when I have some time)



If you would like to commission a neon commemorative date painting for a wedding, birthday, anniversary or special day, please email iheartneon[at]gmail.com to discuss your requirements.

Exhibition NO. 1: PAINT

As mentioned previously, I have a painting in this forthcoming exhibition in Manchester

 

No. 1: Paint exhibition, 8 - 25 September 2011, BLANKSPACE, Manchester

Public Preview & live mural painting: Thursday 8 September, 6-9pm
Exhibition continues Friday 9 - Sunday 25 September 2011
BLANKSPACE, 43 Hulme Street, Manchester, M15 6AW
Free Entry to all Events

OPENING TIMES:
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday 1-7pm
Tuesday 1-9pm
Saturday & Sunday 11am-4pm

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS:
Bartosz Beda | Dominic Bradnum | Jack Brindley | Cara Campbell | Neill Clements | Lisa Denyer | Jane Evans | Liz Gaunt | Alastair Gordon | Lesley Guy | Caroline Hall | Andrew Hardy | Melissa Henderson | Katarzyna Jablonska | Catherine Knight | Ladoza | Susan Laughton | Scott McCracken | Luci Metcalfe | Emily Musgrave | Georgina Parkins | Maggie Royle | Georgina Vinsun | Rebecca Wild

EXHIBITION SYNOPSIS:
"If I could say it in words there would be no reason to paint". Edward Hopper

No.1: Paint is the first in an exciting series of medium-specific exhibitions to be held at BLANKSPACE. Celebrating the unique nature of paint, this exhibition will showcase work from 24 varied and distinctive emerging artists from throughout the UK.

Encompassing a wide variety of styles and forms, from impressionistic to abstract, sculpture to installation, the core subject of this diverse collection is: paint.

The selected artists individually push the fundamental boundaries of paint, investigating the numerous angles available within the selected art form.

"No.1: Paint is about artists exploring the medium of paint in different and innovative ways, with their ideas and concepts being communicated through purely visual means. The work we have selected encompasses everything from more traditional painting to sculptural pieces and installation work - all coming together to create a unique and exciting show."

Jamie Hyde, Curator

An ensemble of colour, texture, concept and vision, this exhibition showcases some of the most gifted talent from around the UK. No.1 Paint will captivate, stimulate and inspire the audience in the dynamic yet intimate environment of BLANKSPACE.

week off

I did no painting last week.  Instead I spent Tuesday travelling up to Manchester to deliver Wish You Were Here to the BlankSpace Gallery for a forthcoming exhibition titled 'No. 1: Paint'.  We spent a whole 10 minutes in Manchester, deciding to make tracks when a gang of yoofs came by with their hoods up putting on their woolly gloves as if they were off to have a snowball fight.  There were riots in Manchester and Salford that night. There were no reported snowball fights.

On Thursday Verity and I attended the WBS logo awards ceremony at the Design Council in London. We enjoyed a slap-up meal and ample wine, met some interesting people, and I came home with a 2nd prize for my re-rendering of their logo in blue neon after Barnett Newman.

Here is a portrait of the artist with the artwerk, after the awards and the ample wine and the slap-up meal and the interesting people.

WBS Logo Competition

I've spent the past few weeks beavering away at that logo competition canvas.  In the final stages I switched to oil paint.  The acrylic was drying too quickly to allow for any blending, even with a slow drying medium.

I awoke early on the day the courier was booked to collect the canvas, and was compelled to put in one last hour getting the background to my satisfaction. Then away it went...

The project brief was to re-imagine the new Warwick Business School logo in the style of one of a list of artists.  I chose Barnett Newman, re-rendering the logo in blue neon, with the letter 'b' extending to form the infamous 'Zip'.

article about 'Notes To Self...' in OnOffice magazine

There is an article on my post-it notes piece Notes To Self: Stolen Time, March 2000-August 2006 in the May 2011 issue of OnOffice magazine.  You can read it online: go to www.onofficemagazine.com and click on the MAY 11 thumbnail to view.

press for Work/Work exhibiton + Notes To Self

Here are a couple of press-clippings about the Work/Work exhibition, and my artwork Notes To Self: Stolen Time, March 2000-August 2006.

There was a preview about the exhibition in the 3-9 March issue of Le Cool London.

I also found a mention of Notes To Self at helpgov.wordpress.com in their 101 uses for a post-it note section:

"No. 3 – Filling those long empty hours at work

It was only searching ideas for 101 uses… that I became aware there’s a whole sub-culture of Post-it art.

Some of it wouldn’t fit at all into 101 uses…. Lots of cars covered in the things, models (human variety) ditto, a portrait of Jimi Hendrix made out of Post-it notes. And so on.

But suddenly one of the Twitterati alerted me to Work/Work – a group research exhibition investigating how artists balance their creative work with paid jobs. The exhibition ran from 3 – 11 March 2011 at the Lo & Behold Gallery in London.

Dominic Bradnum’s Notes To Self was prominent in the exhibition

an archival artwork made up of approximately 1,966 individual post-it note “artworks” created over a 6 year period, whilst in full-time employment

Now that’s interesting – 1,966 notes drawn while in full-time employment over six years. By my reckoning of the normal number of working days a year that must be an average of more than one a day.

Were they drawn in work time? With the employers’ precious stationery supplies? It would be indiscreet to ask but a photo on the Work/Work web site suggests some at least were produced between 9 and 5. I especially like some of his raw material for the bigger work. Note the Post-it reading “AAAAAAAH! ANNUAL REVIEW”. Never did three words tell a story more effectively. Seems like he wasn’t looking forward to his annual appraisal. We can all sympathise with that one."

Notes To Self: Stolen Time, March 2000 - August 2006

Notes To Self is an archival artwork made up of approximately 1,966 individual post-it note "artworks" created over a 6 year period, whilst in full-time employment.  

The piece was first shown in Work/Work - a group research exhibition investigating how artists balance their creative work with paid jobs.  The exhibition ran from the 3rd to the 11th of March 2011 at the Lo & Behold Gallery, Swanfield St, London, E2 7DS.

Installation of 1,966 post-it notes

I've spent the past 2 days at the gallery installing my piece Notes To Self: Stolen Time, March 2000 - August 2006. The piece is made up of approximately 1,966 post-it note “artworks” created during full-time employment over a 6-year period.

The installation process took about 19 hours in all, and is documented on the work/work exhibition blog, today I feel like one great big ACHE.

Half of me feels like a proud father.  The other half feels like I've created a monster...

Thank you to those who helped with installation, you know who you are.

Exhibition press for I THINK OF YOU AND I SMILE

I just found this little preview for 'I Think Of You And I Smile', from the Brighton Latest magazine.

Neon Painting: I Think Of You And I Smile

I Think Of You And I Smile

2010

oil and mixed media on canvas

165cm x 118cm

A large scale canvas completed in July 2010, this was short-listed for the FringeMK painting prize, for which I submitted the following statement:

A poorly lit back-alley; a bleak and dour town. A stuttering, fluorescent glow draws you in: “I think of you and I smile”. Serene and pure white neon shimmers against a filthy, water-stained wall. A heartfelt and private reflection rendered in stark, clinical form; the plainly personal made unabashedly public.

The painting debuted at my first solo show, also titled 'I Think Of You And I Smile', at Blanch House, Brighton, Aug-Sep 2010.

And finally, two photos of the painting in-situ at the 'I Think Of You And I Smile' exhibition.