PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release.
Amanda McIvor 'Re-wound'
Brock Street Gallery, Bath
September 21st until October 11th, 2008. Open Tues - Sun 10am - 6pm.
(Private View: 20th September)
Opening on Sunday September 21st, Brock Street Gallery in Bath is to host the debut solo exhibition of paintings and screen-prints entitled 'Re-wound' by London based artist Amanda McIvor.
Amanda studied at Farnham and Epsom Schools of Art, graduating in 1983. The following year in conjunction with her now husband Duncan, she established a dynamic, award winning graphic design consultancy.
Why 'Re-wound'? Amanda explains, "In my in interview for the graphic design course I was told by the interviewer that I was a fine artist and asked if I would prefer the fine art course. I teetered on the edge for a moment but I thought it sensible to study graphics as the employment prospects would be better. So my head won over my heart". She has often wondered what it would be like to rewind her life to that pivotal moment and follow the fine art route.
Amanda now realises the value of her design training and her work reveals a keen understanding of composition and sensitive use of colour. Twenty five years on she is liberating the ideas from numerous sketchbooks accumulated over time in the form of paintings and screen-prints. Following a life of creating thumbnail sketches she now relishes the freedom of working in a large format. Most of her canvases are over a metre and a half wide.
Printmaking is also a passion and having studied etching and making linocuts and collagraphs she is now concentrating on screen-printing. Considering her background, using this medium is a natural step. "With screen-printing you build an image layer by layer, much like designing using a computer, but much more fun" says Amanda. "There's something very satisfying about mixing the colours and anticipating the effect it will have on the image, especially the final colour which brings the whole piece together".
The subject matter of the work for this exhibition varies as it reflects the themes that have caught her imagination over the years. She has taken inspiration from mythology, in some cases as a starting point and then created her own ideas around the subject. An example of this treatment is shown clearly in her oil painting 'Helios Garden'. It depicts the God lightly brushing a sunflower with his hand as he passes by, surrounded by a garden of chilli peppers and flame-like trees. Amanda explains, "Art should be thought provoking and by telling half a story it gives the viewer an opportunity to fill in the gaps themselves".
Amanda McIvor 'Re-wound' runs from September 21st to October 11th.
- ENDS -
Enquiries:
Amanda McIvor
enquiries@amandamcivor.co.uk
Tel +44 (0)20 8943 1298
www.amandamcivor.co.uk
PR Dept
pr@brockstreetgalleryonline.com
Tel: +44 (0)1225 460996
www.brockstreetgallery.co.uk
About Brock Street Gallery, Bath
Brock Street Galley is a fabulous new art space, dedicated to exhibiting exciting and contemporary art from around the world, via a diverse and innovative exhibition programme. This is the place to find up and coming new talent as well as more established names.
Brock Street links two of Bath's most iconic sites, the Circus and The Royal Crescent. Located in a beautiful listed Georgian building in the middle of this most prestigious street, Brock Street Gallery is one of the best art spaces in Bath.
Boasting an impressive light and airy exhibition area; the gallery's prominent window displays and 12ft. high ceilings allow large works to be displayed with maximum impact. A dynamic new gallery with a fresh approach to art.
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