Spellbound.

Crimpolenes Poster 2009

Saturday at the gallery was somewhat overshadowed by the prospective excitement of the evening ahead, it was good however, to sell a couple of pieces to some appreciative customers.  Time duly served, a dash was made for the sticks, a swift bacon sandwich was consumed before a brief show of face was made at a garden party, Guinness & Cava seemed like a good idea, but proved to be a more than peculiar combination.

By 8 p.m, the Chadwick tour bus arrived and haste was made to get a good seat in 'The Lion', the Golden Pippin flowed, The Crimpolenes were, as ever, faultless.  Good friends arrived & joined in the fun, requests & encores were made & all too soon it was homeward bound.  An extended Whiskey nightcap was indulged in despite disappointment at the lack of Siouxsie & the Banshees on the old iPod.

The Buy Art Fair approaches at a distinct rate of knots, I've made the decision to show some of my black & white silver gelatines - partly I think as a little antidote to all the digital malarky I seem to indulge in these days.  I just need to root through some nice big negatives & decide on a theme.  I also need to design my 2010 calendar & think about Christmas at the gallery - perhaps even a re-paint if I have the time.

Better get on....

In an Instant.

Just a quickie, a little heads up for the forthcoming program of exhibitions at Touchstones Rochdale.  I thought it was only right after they graciously accepted two of my pieces to be included in the forthcoming 'Instant' exhibition.  A celebration of Polaroid instant film photography in all its wonderful permutations, an eclectic mix of this now virtually non-existent and often underrated medium, so well worth a visit if that's what floats your boat.

The opening is on a Saturday, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to escape my commitments at the studio, but I'm going to try my best to get on down. It promises to be an interesting show.

In other news, I won an award in the 'Capture Manchester' competition, which as we go to press, I'm on the verge of handing back, but more on that in the next installment....

Cripes!

  

Roadhouse Blues.

Les Paul Standard

© edward chadwick 2009

Foregoing the opportunities presented by two exhibition openings last Thursday in favour of an evenings work, the tone was set by Friday for a little light relief.  Things began sedately, work commitments fulfilled and enjoying an apres-work ale another opening dropped like the proverbial bombshell!  The rumour was invitation only, however a couple of quick phone calls to some old chums dispelled any concerns and haste was made in the direction of Oxford Road.  A brisk trot was embarked upon, briefly interrupted to quench the thirst in the Peveril at the halfway point.  Arriving at the Whitworth just after 6, more pals were met and sparkly stuff quaffed, an audience with Nicholas Serrota added to the excitement and a brief glance at the rather darkly impressive show was made.

The conversation flowed, a small telling off was received and artistic nonsense was spouted, by 9 though it was time for excuses to be made as 3 made their way back across town to the Marble to sample some rather excellent ale.  Ensconced at a table in the tiled paradise with a fine pint of 'Lagonda' a sudden realisation was made that no food had passed our lips for quite some time, crisps didn't go very far and after a tad more sampling it was time to head for home.  Back at a reasonable hour for once, even taking into account a frankly ridiculous excursion up a particularly icy hill!

Saturday was a quiet time in the studio, a perfect foil to the evening planned ahead.  Arriving home, arrangements were made and it was 'Chadwicks on tour', hurtling towards a local hostelry down bumpy back roads in the Jeep.  Our pal of certain notoriety Mr Liam Spencer and his compatriots were providing the entertainment under the guise of 'The Crimpolenes'.  The White Lion offered some very good pints of 'Golden Pippin' and a table with a fine view was soon procured, the company was good, 'The Crimpolenes' absolutely first class and the opportunity for some impromptu pogo action for one member of our little party certainly put a huge smile on my face.

Finally after an encore or two it was homeward bound once more, the boys wanted Shiraz but the girls wanted bed so it was time to acquiesce for once.

"Keep your eyes on the road and your hands upon the wheel"

First February Flutter.

Iconic Interior Ireland 1996

polariod dry transfer

© edward chadwick 2009

Well, sat on the heater, looking out of the studio window at the snow flurries I feel like I ought to have posted up something wintery.  However, not one to be predictable, apart from admittedly my penchant for hot coffee at 11ish every morning, I've put up a little preview of one of my pieces recently submitted for the forthcoming 'Instant' exhibition at Touchstones Rochdale.

The piece was shot in a derelict house on the west coast of Ireland more than a decade ago.  I created a series of images, intimate details of crumbling rural domesticity juxtaposed with the iconic presence of religious reliqury and imagery.  The images began an exploration into iconography that has continued throughout certain elements of my work ever since.

Anyway, enough of this dreary pontificating, can tell I've been busying myself writing Artists statements.  What's been going on in the real world?  A eye-opening Burns night at the local, haggis, the highland fling and northern soul rounded the evening to a fine 4:30 am finish.  The week however was troubled by a slight chill in the air which turned out to be thankfully quite unfounded, frost thawed by Friday and a fine evening was enjoyed with some choice chums.  Real ales, bawdy conversation and oddly a Chinese meal at 2:30 am made for a success, not a mixture of elements that usually spring readily to mind I have to confess but there we are.

This week so far promises some inclement weather, an exhibition in the offing and dabbling in the dubious world of used car sales???

Life is never dull.

Financial Affairs.

Hog

© edward chadwick 2009

I've had a bit of blogging block lately, that and too little time.

Meetings discussing the future of craft have been taking precedent over mostly all else, leaving a smidgen of time to concentrate on my own projects and virtually nil for any carousing.  Finally by Thursday the fog of financial finicalness was beginning to clear, a trip to a small local village was hastily arranged to watch some pals indulge their passion for vaguely experimental electro folk.  The venue was intimate, the ale good and the company was surprising, especially for me, a friend of a friend turned out to be a real blast from my heady days as a student, when I still had far too much hair.  I always find it a bit weird when people crop up in your life after long absences, strange coincidences leave me slightly spooked.  It's the same when new pals also remind you of old ones too, perturbing...

The following morning, a chat with a pal over coffee revealed more opportunities for some evening fun and frolics, a trip to a trio of exhibition openings was in the offing.  By 5 impetuousness found me in the Bulls Head enjoying a couple of pints of a rather appropriately named 'January Sale' ale, which slipped down very smoothly indeed.  Thirst quenched I rolled to my first cultural port of call at International 3 to peruse some dark drawings and meet up with some pals. The conversation turned to real ale and rock which was enjoyable.

Next on the itinerary was Cube where a delectable young lady was waiting to join me in the evenings fun, the world of craft was put to rights over a scant glance at some architectural models and a particularly average glass of Chateau Irwell embankment.  The evening was progressing at a swift clip so some forward planning was in order.  A table was swiftly booked before the pace was slowed with a scamper down the steps into the rather cosy Temple Bar.  After hitting the jukebox for a couple of choice numbers, tracks were made to Cornerhouse where the highlight was a pig in the gallery - yes a real one!

The final port of call before the gallop back to the sticks was a revisit to the scene of some of the pre - Christmas crafty capers where a rather excellent night cap in the form of an 'Old Fashioned' was delivered after a good quarter of an hour of preparation.  It wasn't the only thing being stirred either...

Known to Cross Lines.

hv_02_08:01:09

© edward chadwick 2009

Just a little preview of my forthcoming exhibit, virtually finished after a heady bout of creativity, just a few loose ends to tie up.

The week so far has had its ups and downs, a particular low point was having a piece stolen from the gallery on Wednesday, a pursuit though the Northern Quarter followed, albeit slightly compromised by the axe and saw along for the ride! Unfortunately no miscreants were apprehended, so we'll just have to write that one off, however, if you're offered a black & white photograph of Manchester town hall in the boozer the likelihood is that it's rather hot!

Art theft! Pah! Completely interrupted my flow on my 'horror vacui' project.  However, progress resumed today and completion was consumated with a celebratory ale with a fine pal in one of my favourite watering holes.

Justly deserved.

Instant Gratification

This winged it's way into my inbox this morning!

Like proverbial buses, I now have two exhibitions to prepare for.  Quite excited about both, 'Horror Vacui' is going to be quite a departure from my usual form.  My submission for Instant however will be more centred around some old sketchbooks full of Polaroid lifts & transfers.  If I feel really frisky I may even drag my 5x4 kicking and screaming out of its comfortable retirement and root out those old boxes of Polaroid I have in the attic somewhere gathering dust amongst all the photographic reliqury from the last century.

Exciting times...

Horror Vacui.

Fear of the Void

Manchester 2008

© edward chadwick 2009

Well here we are, the week's installment of creativity and misdemeanor.

For the most part it's been work, work, work.  Things have been pretty busy at the gallery, which I suppose is a given for the time of year.  With the current economic scenario things could always be better, but then again they could be worse too, so best not to dwell.

Socially it's been relatively quiet, until last night that is, what started out as a few drinks with some choice chaps descended into debauchery by 9 p.m!  Hungry boys meant I was left to my own devices in my favourite Jazz club, later, the promise of some good company saw us hopping in a cab to the south side of the City.

A few fine wines, hot spirits and some high jinx provided a healthy dose of hilarity, dampened only by the hours accelerating by too fast to concentrate on, before long it was 4 a.m, the saintly advice given by a good pal earlier was rather tarnished. Finally, way was made to a spare room for some welcome respite from the evening's storm.

Today dawned wet and windy, a bus heaved and rattled it's way back into town, peering out of the steamy windows, surrounded by the foist of damp students was the cue for a return to reality, hot chocolate and a fine dose of Sex on Fire brought things onto an even keel.

Creatively the week has been positively bursting at the seams, new work has been made for the gallery and for some of my other more personal projects.  An invitation has been extended to feature in a small sub exhibition running alongside the forthcoming Horror Vacui exhibition at the Manchester Craft and Design Centre so after much contemplation of ideas for a conceptual piece - a final path has been chosen - to be embarked upon with renewed vim & vigour over the Christmas break...

Watch this space...