BOLD Art Blog: August 2008

Upcoming Exhibition - Campbell & Redden

Different but very complementary to one another!..... “Big fish, bold fish, hunger fish, goldfish”… Strange Fish

Redden is a passionate young artist who has made quite a name for himself in Barcelona, as he

has been an artist in residence there for the last year. Mark, no stranger to travel has worked in the art work to show, educate and give a voice to the poor as an artist. He is not afraid to get down and dirty, after his love of the arts his second love is one for boats and building the much loved currach. He has worked with the underprivileged in places like Bolivia, Korea, and Morocco as well Tasmania. Redden has a great love of the environment and “waste not want not” attitude often one will see with Marks canvas that they have been stitched by hand to waste not a piece of canvas. This give a great feel with the tick brush strokes to put life back into the raw canvas. An Art Degree student of the Crawford gallery in Cork and the only Contempory Irish artist to have received awards in boat building.

Campbell uses lots of different mediums in his art from cappuccino with charcoal to oil on canvas, he is inspired by the circus and its many different dimensions. He always questions life and the consumer rat race; his works will make you smile and brings out the naive child in us all. It also is thought provoking; it is ever changing with its bold colours. Campbell’s work is very recognizable because he has a very independent style. As a child Tom ambition was to be a pilot, but as he wears glasses, that was not to be. Now an artist by nature his passion is art in all its colour and glory. Campbell’s work is different and very interesting.

“The paintings are abstract but with a strong animal presence. They are hot upbeat and pulsing energy”….......... Sunday Post

“Redden work is new and boldly passionate like the man.!!!!”…………….Bold art gallery

Artist of the Month - Chara Nagle

Classically trained artist, NCAD graduate, Chara Nagle has been acclaimed as one of Ireland's greatest new talents. She was born to paint. Her style is Modern Romantic, bold and dramatic. Her witty, glamorous larger than life approach, mixed with her highly perceptive skills and her observation of people are portrayed in a unique and passionate way across all of her work. Think of artists Caravaggio (c1596-c1599) and Delacroix (c15 - c15) fused with Agent Provocateur!

Coming full circle Chara has accumulated her life experiences to commit and dedicate her time to her lifelong passion of painting. An unprecedented demand has evolved for Chara's paintings since her sell out exhibition Moments last year. Chara is currently working towards her next exhibition, Moments II.

Modern life is an important subject matter for Chara. The essence of Chara's work reflect a deep understanding of a moment in time. She wishes to create an art which represents the time we live in. Her belief in the importance of the individual and individual experience is central to Chara's art. Whether it is the photographer in On Location earnestly holding onto her hat in the wind or the lovable rogue who has just opened a bottle of champagne, Chara has spotted it and painted it.

There is consistently an element of intrigue and humour in her work. Her paintings capture the moment but do not give it all away. This is for the viewer to figure out: decide, question, wonder... The fact that Chara's style is so life like, mixed with a vibrant use of colour and the conviction to paint textures so convincingly seem to almost cast a spell of wonder and question on the viewer.

New Arrival - Elena Mikhailova

Elena Mikhailova, a Russian born artist, has developed a distinctive style over the years. The viewer is enticed by the mood created with the combination of a blue green palette and vertical movements of the brush reminiscing of sentimental rainy days. Some may criticize that her paintings are cold and damp but she includes an extreme contrast of the light against the dark, an influence by the Dutch Masters such as Rembrandt, which allows her paintings to escape the mood of dark and drizzly.

At A Gallop

Thick oil paint on canvas depicts her diverse subject matter of romantic street scenes, spirited horses, and portraits with startling character. “Thick as butter” is often quoted to Jack B. Yeats paintings and you can see the flavor of this in Elena’s bold use of paint that creates a thick texture and looseness that allows the viewer to roam about freely without the restraint of ridged lines. This thickness creates a depth in her paintings that forces a viewer to search through them rather than just sweeping past.

Investments

The art market is booming! That's why every month we will introduce you to some of our artists who are good to invest in. Famous or not, collectors don't just honour the dead. Living artists are also doing well in the art rush. So whether you choose the art or it chooses you either way, allow your heart, mind and spirit to lead you, as it will be hanging on your wall for a very long time.

It's not so easy to buy and sell art works. It is also harder to value a work of art objectively. You can't go and analyse the balance sheet or test the product. Then there's fashion: art goes in and out of fashion just like clothes. Be adventurous to invest in a living artist, one who will be here to help you to discover unknown treasures that await just beyond the edge where the art lives.