Liminal Gallery Podcast

Liminal Gallery Podcast host, Louise Fitzjohn, speaks with contemporary artist Louise Frances Smith, to coincide with her solo exhibition ' ‘It gathered here’ in The Cupboard at Liminal Gallery in Margate. The exhibition presents a series of site specific sculptures, playing with scale, the organic, body-like forms appear to be engulfing the small space, growing, crawling and spreading around the walls - posing the question of what the repercussions of human intervention is on our fragile coastal ecosystems, hiding behind the door of The Cupboard. The sculptures in ‘It gathered here’ are created from seaweed collected by the artist from Margate beaches - specifically wireweed seaweed (Sargassum Muticum) which was thought to have been introduced to the coastline in the 1970s to bolster the failing ‘native’ oyster industry. The ‘invasive’ and ‘non-native’ species is now thriving due to climate change and can smother light and oxygen from species that live beneath the surface of the water. Smith has used this abundant wireweed seaweed to create a bioplastic, mixed with fabric and found plastic for an experimental material to create the works. The inspiration for the sculptural forms comes from epibiosis, which is the close interaction between two different organisms, the host organism providing an environment for the other which is attached to its living surface. The Cupboard is Liminal Gallery’s second exhibition space, tiny but sleek it is exclusively available to artists living and working in Thanet. Smith will use this space to showcase a new body of work, employing natural local resources to comment on the fragility of Kent’s coastlines and the anthropogenic impact it is enduring. Louise Frances Smith lives and works in Ramsgate, Kent. Her practice spans sculpture, installation and works on paper. Working with an array of materials including clay, seaweed and bioplastic, Smith creates highly textured surfaces to bring attention to the patterns and textures created by nature, magnifying micro details alongside man-made interventions. By collecting materials from her local coastline to use as materials in her work, Smith’s works are conceptually and physically linked to her local landscape where she takes her inspiration. Last year Smith was selected as a finalist for The Ingram Prize 2023, exhibiting at Pavilion Gallery, Cromwell Place. Early in 2023 she received an Arts Council England National Lottery Project Grant to create a new body of work which was exhibited at Collect Open 2023, Somerset House. Smith later exhibited this work at The Margate School. In 2022 Smith received DYCP Arts Council England funding which led to her first solo show at Joseph Wales Gallery ‘HOLDFAST, experiments in seaweed, chalk & clay’. Other recent group exhibitions include - ‘The Wild Collective’, collaborative exhibition between Thrown Contemporary & Metafleur at Omved Gardens, London; ‘Despatch’, Work Show Grow Mail Art Collaboration, New Forest Heritage Centre, and ‘ING Discerning Eye 2021’, Mall Galleries, London. Louise Frances Smith graduated from CityLit with a Ceramics Diploma in 2019 and from Kingston University with a BA (Hons) Fine Art degree in 2009. Visit the Online Viewing Room here: https://www.liminal-gallery.com/louise-frances-smith-it-gathered-here Contact us for all questions and enquiries: info@liminal-gallery.com Follow us on Instagram: @liminal_gallery With original music by Lorenzo Bonari. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Liminal Gallery Podcast host, Louise Fitzjohn, speaks with internationally renowned contemporary artist Laura Ford, to coincide with her solo exhibition ' ‘Little Lords’ in Liminal Gallery's Main Space in Margate. The exhibition showcases a collection of sculptural and wall-based works which explore the boundaries between desire and imposition, inviting viewers into the realm of play and imagination. Laura Ford's 'Little Lords' sculptures take centre stage, portraying three boy-like figures adorned in vibrant, parrot-inspired costumes. The figures exude a conspiratorial charisma, commanding attention with their playful yet enigmatic presence. While mimicking the stances of superheroes, their concealed identities add an air of tension, prompting viewers to ponder the question: who are they? Ford's multifarious practice combines playful craftsmanship with acute social commentary. ‘Little Lords’ provides an immersive experience, where visitors can engage with the sculptures' intricate details and delve into the artist's exploration of identity, fantasy, and the human condition. Ford's significant contributions to the art world are reflected in her inclusion in prestigious public collections, including Tate, The Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Government Art Collection. Laura Ford has represented Wales in the Venice Biennale and has exhibited in solo and group shows around the world. Visit the Online Viewing Room here: https://www.liminal-gallery.com/laura-ford-little-lords Contact us for all questions and enquiries: info@liminal-gallery.com Follow us on Instagram: @liminal_gallery Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Liminal Gallery Podcast host, Louise Fitzjohn, speaks with contemporary artist Maud Whatley to coincide with her first solo exhibition 'Haunches' in our Main Space at Liminal Gallery in Margate. The exhibition showcases Whatley's coloured pencil drawings which layer images sourced from art-historical paintings, online archives, personal photographs, and Google image results. Her work explores the politics of observation, the eroticism born from juxtaposing disparate ideas, and the alluring, unconventional nature of repetitive drawing techniques. In ‘Haunches’ Whatley looks at the intricate relationship between human perception and the dissection of animal bodies, drawing inspiration from historical events such as the untimely demise of champion racehorse Phar Lap in 1932. The pictures explore symbolic and literal acts of dissecting, separating, and categorising; paralleling the way that Phar Lap's body parts were archived across various museums. Through evocative storytelling, Whatley connects these narratives to the way we compartmentalise and box up the aspects of ourselves and our experiences which we consider too gross, too animalistic, or too much. Experimenting with diverse references, including the Sumerian poem ‘Gilgamesh and the Bull of Heaven’ and the insights of philosopher Slavoj Žižek, Whatley presents ideas about the interplay between our curated public personas and the leaking truths that linger beneath the surface. Weaving themes of erotic potential, mythic allure and the interconnectedness of all things through her drawings, her works present a gentle case for revelling in the complex strangeness of the human experience. Visit the Online Viewing Room here: https://www.liminal-gallery.com/maud-whatley-haunches Contact us for all questions and enquiries: info@liminal-gallery.com Follow us on Instagram: @liminal_gallery With original music by Lorenzo Bonari. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Liminal Gallery Podcast host, Louise Fitzjohn, speaks with contemporary artist Mercedes Workman to coincide with 'Turner's Female Contemporaries' a solo exhibition in our second exhibition space, The Cupboard at Liminal Gallery in Margate. The exhibition brings to light the forgotten, yet remarkably talented women artists of the past. ‘Turner's Female Contemporaries’ presents a meticulously crafted and entirely tiled space, unveiling the faces of female artists who have long been overlooked by history, each of whom were creating their own work during J. M. W. Turner’s lifetime. Mercedes Workman's installation serves as a poignant reminder of the many talented women artists who have, for the most part, been denied the recognition they rightfully deserved. This exhibition shines a much-needed spotlight on their remarkable contributions to the art world and seeks to rectify the historical omission. The Cupboard is Liminal Gallery’s second exhibition space, tiny but sleek it is exclusively available to artists living and working in Thanet. Workman will transform it into a shrine-like space, with individual ceramic tiles, each handmade with the warp and weft reminding us of the artist's hand. The faces of these forgotten women artists expressed through vigorous brushwork and meticulous mark-making pouring life and energy into their portraits. Mercedes Workman’s work is a response to her overactive mind; she works both fast and determinedly. Reoccurring themes include relationships and interactions, perceptions, judgements, idiosyncrasies and cliches, particularly around womanhood, motherhood and identity. Her practice centres around her passion for ceramics combined with drawing from life and illustrative work expressed in vigorous brush work and mark making. ‘I hope to create something familiar and comforting, with an energy that’s easy to live with,’ says the artist. Workman recently had a solo exhibition ‘ABC of Me’ at TKE Studios, where she is also a Studio Holder, as well as 'Small is Beautiful' a recent group exhibition at Flowers Gallery in Cork Street, London. Mercedes Workman lives and works in Margate, Kent. Read the full press release here: https://www.liminal-gallery.com/turners-female-contemporaries Contact us for all questions and enquiries: info@liminal-gallery.com Follow us on Instagram: @liminal_gallery With original music by Lorenzo Bonari. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Liminal Gallery Podcast host, Louise Fitzjohn, speaks with contemporary artist Mercedes Workman to coincide with 'Turner's Female Contemporaries' a solo exhibition in our second exhibition space, The Cupboard at Liminal Gallery in Margate. The exhibition brings to light the forgotten, yet remarkably talented women artists of the past. ‘Turner's Female Contemporaries’ presents a meticulously crafted and entirely tiled space, unveiling the faces of female artists who have long been overlooked by history, each of whom were creating their own work during J. M. W. Turner’s lifetime. Mercedes Workman's installation serves as a poignant reminder of the many talented women artists who have, for the most part, been denied the recognition they rightfully deserved. This exhibition shines a much-needed spotlight on their remarkable contributions to the art world and seeks to rectify the historical omission. The Cupboard is Liminal Gallery’s second exhibition space, tiny but sleek it is exclusively available to artists living and working in Thanet. Workman will transform it into a shrine-like space, with individual ceramic tiles, each handmade with the warp and weft reminding us of the artist's hand. The faces of these forgotten women artists expressed through vigorous brushwork and meticulous mark-making pouring life and energy into their portraits. Mercedes Workman’s work is a response to her overactive mind; she works both fast and determinedly. Reoccurring themes include relationships and interactions, perceptions, judgements, idiosyncrasies and cliches, particularly around womanhood, motherhood and identity. Her practice centres around her passion for ceramics combined with drawing from life and illustrative work expressed in vigorous brush work and mark making. ‘I hope to create something familiar and comforting, with an energy that’s easy to live with,’ says the artist. Workman recently had a solo exhibition ‘ABC of Me’ at TKE Studios, where she is also a Studio Holder, as well as 'Small is Beautiful' a recent group exhibition at Flowers Gallery in Cork Street, London. Mercedes Workman lives and works in Margate, Kent. Read the full press release here: https://www.liminal-gallery.com/turners-female-contemporaries Contact us for all questions and enquiries: info@liminal-gallery.com Follow us on Instagram: @liminal_gallery With original music by Lorenzo Bonari. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Liminal Gallery Podcast host, Louise Fitzjohn, speaks with contemporary artist Eleanor McCaughey to coincide with 'Swallowing Mist to Lick Your Mouth' a solo exhibition in our Main Space at Liminal Gallery in Margate. ‘Swallowing Mist to Lick Your Mouth’ is the first UK solo show by Dublin based artist Eleanor McCaughey. This immersive solo exhibition delves into the complex terrain of female identity, presenting the artist's multifarious practice including installation, paintings, sculptures, and a sound collaboration with Irish sound artists Bosca Nua, offering an exploration into the history, politics, and societal constructs of the female body and identity. ​ McCaughey’s work has evolved into a multi-layered narrative that intertwines theological and humanistic notions. After personally navigating through challenging years of recovery from unsuccessful surgeries related to endometriosis and infertility, the artist’s work metamorphosed into a study of the historical and political landscape encircling the female form. “My work is physical, tactile, and handmade with importance on its shifting materiality. Both my painting and sculpture reveal traces of the body, performance, and healing activity through brush stroke, mark-making, and moulding. It is important to me that these qualities lend a semiotic dimension to the work, emitting a certain presence when the author isn't in the room.” ‘Swallowing Mist to Lick Your Mouth’ was created during a residency at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre in Monaghan, Ireland, and is a visceral and emotional response to the land. Eleanor McCaugheys practice is an evolution of multi-faceted installations, including painting, sculpture, video and sound. There is an important focus on material properties, capturing an earth-bound quality to the work. The work is developed with an interest in readings of religion and the function & structures of faith. Centering on the idea that faith offers the thought that one might be able to transcend the limitations of physical and how agents of faith act as a channel for petition. ​ McCaughey often works in collaboration with artists to help create soundscapes for video works and installations. The approach to collaboration and the making of physical environments, is an answer to the translation of restorative experience into sound, space & form. Born in Dublin, Ireland, McCaughey studied at TU, Dublin. Selected exhibitions include Woman in the machine, Visual Carlow, 2021, Super Market Art Fair, Stockholm, 2021, What remains of this place?, online exhibtion, 2020, Vignettes, Richard Heller Gallery, LA USA, 2019 and Tulca ,Sytonic State, Galway, 2018. Eleanor McCaughey is a recipient of the Irish Arts Council Bursary Award 2021, The Temple Bar Project Award 2021, The Fingal County Council Bursary 2019 and the Next Generation Award 2018. Her work is represented in the OPW, Arts Council Ireland art collection and private collections in Ireland, Europe, United States and Canada. Read the full press release here: www.liminal-gallery.com/swallowing-mist-to-lick-your-mouth Contact us for all questions and enquiries: info@liminal-gallery.com Follow us on Instagram: @liminal_gallery With original music by Lorenzo Bonari. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Liminal Gallery Podcast host, Louise Fitzjohn, speaks with contemporary artist Julia Ellen Lancaster to coincide with 'Deadly Bloom' a solo exhibition in our Main Space at Liminal Gallery in Margate. Julia Ellen Lancaster's work delves deep into the relationship between humans and the landscape and encourages us to embrace the beauty of difference. 'Deadly Bloom' showcases Lancaster's innovative approach to ceramics, where she experiments with different clay bodies and complex glazing techniques, and employs her signature practice of digging clay from her local area in Thanet. A celebrated ceramic artist known for her distinctive exploration of primitive and otherworldly organisms, Lancaster repurposes previous ceramic experiments, adding layers of complexity to her creations. This intuitive and playful process is fundamentally linked to exploration and making. Throughout her process, Lancaster frees her mind from constraints of harmony or correctness, allowing her to create without inhibition. This approach enables her to respond intuitively to the work as it evolves, taking unexpected turns and often resulting in a complete departure from the original concept. This evolution is not only an artistic journey but a reflection of the changes that occur in life, with each piece an expression of this human experience. One of the defining aspects of Lancaster's artistic practice is her allegiance to the Japanese concept of ‘mottainai’, the avoidance of waste. By incorporating salvaged detritus, fragments, and materials rejected from previous projects, she not only eliminates waste but also adds layers of history and embedded time to her creations. Her works, whether fired to extreme heat or left unfired, challenge us to find beauty in the different, the unrecognisable, and the impermanent. ‘Deadly Bloom’ includes a wall piece that acts as a ‘living sculpture’, whereby the colourant used will naturally change and fade over time. It mimics the deterioration induced by human intervention and the eventual demise of fading beauty, with death being the only certainty in life. Lancaster's sculptures serve as bridges between ancient geological materials and contemporary expression, offering viewers a unique perspective on the interconnectedness of humans and the environment. Read the full press release here: https://www.liminal-gallery.com/deadly-bloom Contact us for all questions and enquiries: info@liminal-gallery.com Follow us on Instagram: @liminal_gallery With original music by Lorenzo Bonari. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Liminal Gallery Podcast host, Louise Fitzjohn, speaks with contemporary artist Emma Richardson to coincide with 'The Pull of the Tides' a two person exhibition, also featuring Anna Blom, in our Main Space at Liminal Gallery in Margate. The exhibition delves into the depths of human emotion, nature's mysteries, the interplay between the conscious and unconscious realms and the passage of time. Emma Richardson's intricate paintings draw inspiration from the dichotomy of the ocean, which embodies both vitality and devastation. This mirrors the unconscious mind's uncharted depths, encompassing fears, desires, and impulses. Within these canvases, the interplay of tides, tempests, climatic transitions, historical imprints, and a transcendent essence converges to abstracted painterly mark-making. Through these new works, Richardson captures not only the ocean's all-encompassing resonance with humanity but also its contrasting, apathetic might. Anna Blom's paintings delve into co-existence and its emotional echoes. Blom's diaristic approach, characterised by layers of sketches, white noise, and writing, culminates in semi-abstract observational portraitures. Her technique involves immersing raw canvases in baths of watery pigments, allowing colours to flow like meandering rivers. These intricate layers mirror the multifaceted layers of human existence, as they interrogate overlooked states that form the backdrop of our daily lives. ‘The Pull of the Tides' entwines the visions of Anna Blom and Emma Richardson, offering an exploration of the intricacies of water's influence on human life, the psyche and our shared experiences. Read the full press release here: https://www.liminal-gallery.com/the-pull-of-the-tides Contact us for all questions and enquiries: info@liminal-gallery.com Follow us on Instagram: @liminal_gallery With original music by Lorenzo Bonari. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Liminal Gallery Podcast host, Louise Fitzjohn, speaks with contemporary artist Anna Blom to coincide with 'The Pull of the Tides' a two person exhibition with Emma Richardson in our Main Space at Liminal Gallery in Margate. The exhibition delves into the depths of human emotion, nature's mysteries, the interplay between the conscious and unconscious realms and the passage of time. Emma Richardson's intricate paintings draw inspiration from the dichotomy of the ocean, which embodies both vitality and devastation. This mirrors the unconscious mind's uncharted depths, encompassing fears, desires, and impulses. Within these canvases, the interplay of tides, tempests, climatic transitions, historical imprints, and a transcendent essence converges to abstracted painterly mark-making. Through these new works, Richardson captures not only the ocean's all-encompassing resonance with humanity but also its contrasting, apathetic might. Anna Blom's paintings delve into co-existence and its emotional echoes. Blom's diaristic approach, characterised by layers of sketches, white noise, and writing, culminates in semi-abstract observational portraitures. Her technique involves immersing raw canvases in baths of watery pigments, allowing colours to flow like meandering rivers. These intricate layers mirror the multifaceted layers of human existence, as they interrogate overlooked states that form the backdrop of our daily lives. ‘The Pull of the Tides' entwines the visions of Anna Blom and Emma Richardson, offering an exploration of the intricacies of water's influence on human life, the psyche and our shared experiences. Read the full press release here: https://www.liminal-gallery.com/the-pull-of-the-tides Contact us for all questions and enquiries: info@liminal-gallery.com Follow us on Instagram: @liminal_gallery With original music by Lorenzo Bonari. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Liminal Gallery Podcast host, Louise Fitzjohn, speaks with contemporary artist Thelma Speirs to coincide with her solo exhibition 'Night Walks ' in The Cupboard at Liminal Gallery in Margate. Located inside our Margate gallery, The Cupboard is a tiny but sleek space is open to artists living and working in Thanet. Aimed to help support the local creative community, we accept all proposals from all practices and it is free to apply. It is a unique and playful space for artists to experiment with new ideas, to build on their existing practice and a valuable opportunity for a solo exhibition to further their careers. The residency spans 3 months and is selected by Liminal Gallery Founder and Director, Louise Fitzjohn. It was created as a way to ensure we don't just take from our community, but that we give back and support local creatives. 'Night Walks' is a solo exhibition by Margate-based artist Thelma Speirs, which reveals a collection of evocative drawings and paintings, meticulously documented within the pages of a vintage French accounts book. Through Speirs' artistic lens, the urban and natural landscapes of London and Margate converge, giving way to a tapestry of ethereal nightscapes, enchanted woodlands, abandoned sports pitches, mythical creatures, and the enchanting winter skies, intertwining the realms of reality and imagination. Using a diverse array of mediums, such as acrylic paint, pencil drawing, felt-tip pens, and nail varnish, Speirs captures the elusive moments experienced during nocturnal excursions. Each brushstroke, every pencil mark, and vibrant hue on the paper breathes life into snapshots of a dreamlike narrative. Visitors have the unique opportunity to delve into the artist's intimate sketchbook-turned-diary. To further enhance the immersive experience, personalised archival gloves are provided, allowing viewers to delicately leaf through the pages for an intimate exploration. Read the full press release here: https://www.liminal-gallery.com/night-walks Contact us for all questions and enquiries: info@liminal-gallery.com Follow us on Instagram: @liminal_gallery With original music by Lorenzo Bonari. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Liminal Gallery Podcast host, Louise Fitzjohn, speaks with contemporary artist Henrietta Armstrong to coincide with her solo exhibition 'Sanctum Futurum: Relics and Forbidden Desires' in our main space at Liminal Gallery in Margate. The exhibition opened on Friday 11th August and continues until 26th August 2023. A journey into a shrine-like space where old gods are left behind and new ones emerge. 'Sanctum Futurum: Relics and Forbidden Desires' questions the historical authenticity and often gruesome nature of sacred objects, including reliquaries which traditionally house fragments of human remains and curios believed to be from saints or even Jesus himself. Often acquired through questionable means, history proves it is a lucrative trade. Armstrong takes these ideas and using plaster, wax and a touch of satire, rebuilds her own pseudo relics for a contemporary world. 'Sanctum Futurum' is a poignant reflection on the complexities of human desire. The works in the exhibition interweave themes of witchcraft, charms and apotropaic practices whilst exuding a queer sensuality. While the gallery itself has been transformed into a sanctuary-like space, 'Sanctum Futurum' forges a realm of new gods and ideologies. We are delighted that this exhibition forms a part of Margate Pride Art Map, the trail spans across galleries and venues in Margate and Cliftonville. Read the full press release here: https://www.liminal-gallery.com/sanctum-futurum Contact us for all questions and enquiries: info@liminal-gallery.com Follow us on Instagram: @liminal_gallery With original music by Lorenzo Bonari. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Liminal Gallery Podcast host, Louise Fitzjohn, speaks with contemporary artist Catherine Chinatree to coincide with her solo exhibition 'Again Again' in our main space at Liminal Gallery in Margate. The exhibition opened on Saturday 22nd July and continues until 5th August 2023. Featuring bespoke work created for Liminal’s unique space alongside Christie’s saturated wall-based minimalist sculptures, the exhibition invites viewers to question notions of infallibility, self-identity, and the intersection of art and spirituality while showcasing the artist's ability to ignite meaningful conversations. Created during her transformative Artist Residency in Motherhood amidst Sintra's picturesque landscapes in Portugal, the new artworks in 'Again Again' are powerful reflections Chinatree's experience. Immersed in the vibrant tapestry of local life and culture for three months, Chinatree embarked on the artistic journey alongside her young son. The resulting works on paper capture the essence of her surroundings, resonating with the repetitive rhythms of artistic creation and everyday life. This series intricately weaves together themes of motherhood and the significance of everyday rituals, delving into the realms of social surrealism. Symbolising personal journeys and the echoes of historical narratives, including colonial histories, the artworks portray the ebb and flow of movement. Water, a recurring motif in Chinatree's work, carries its inherent symbolism of fluidity and transformation, interwoven with the ethereal strands of Romanticism. 'Again Again' stands as a testament to Chinatree's immersive research methodology, blending elements of the fairytales, myths, and folklore that are deeply rooted in Sintra's rich historical tapestry. This series of works invite viewers on a visual voyage through the realms of personal and cultural exploration. Read the full press release here: https://www.liminal-gallery.com/again-again Contact us for all questions and enquiries: info@liminal-gallery.com Follow us on Instagram: @liminal_gallery With original music by Lorenzo Bonari. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Liminal Gallery Podcast host, Louise Fitzjohn, speaks with contemporary artist Cedric Christie to coincide with his solo exhibition 'Infallible' in our main space at Liminal Gallery in Margate. The exhibition opened on Saturday 3rd June and continues until 29th June 2023. Featuring bespoke work created for Liminal’s unique space alongside Christie’s saturated wall-based minimalist sculptures, the exhibition invites viewers to question notions of infallibility, self-identity, and the intersection of art and spirituality while showcasing the artist's ability to ignite meaningful conversations. ‘Infallible’ delves into the concept of unquestionable authority, asking viewers to reflect on their own perceptions and beliefs, to contemplate the idea of surrendering oneself to an unquestionable power. It encourages an exploration of the question, "Who do you think you are?" and to confront your own place within the world. By blending the realms of art and spirituality, Christie comments on the interplay between human fallibility, the divine, and the role of art in this ongoing struggle. Internationally renowned artist Cedric Christie has exhibited across the globe and his works are held in prominent collections, notably he is currently exhibiting at The Biennale Architettura in Venice, Italy and has previously shown work at Documenta, Germany, Flowers Gallery, London and is represented by Rocket Gallery, London. Read the full press release here: https://www.liminal-gallery.com/infallible Contact us for all questions and enquiries: info@liminal-gallery.com Follow us on Instagram: @liminal_gallery With original music by Lorenzo Bonari. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Liminal Gallery Podcast host, Louise Fitzjohn, speaks with contemporary artist Andrew Torr and Director of the AOP Gallery Gemma Peppé to coincide with Torr's solo exhibition 'Nocturnes' in our main space at Liminal Gallery in Margate. The exhibition is co-curated by Liminal Gallery and The AOP Gallery and opened on 6th May 2023. It isn’t too far-fetched to say that Torr has invented his own version of landscape painting with his Nocturnes. Each painting has a thin bright line that runs along the horizon and below the trees. The line contains a hive of city life, car lights brightly lit houses and is placed within a setting that owes more to an old master than an urban location in London’s zone 2. Torr says; “there are no figures or recognisable buildings in the paintings but the pictures are packed with activity”. This series of urban landscapes began in 2015, seen from afar and across the parks and commons. The setting is archetypally modern while the application of the medium and the format itself are reassuringly traditional, with the beautifully thin application of oil paint delicately applied in stark contrast to the concrete city landscape. They are love letters to the city which the artist has spent most of his life, seen from a new angle which celebrates the possibilities it has to offer. Born in Yorkshire in 1965, Andrew Torr moved to London in 1983 to study painting under Bernard Cohen at Wimbledon School of Art. He has lived and worked in the capital since completing his degree in 1987 initially from a studio in the East End and latterly in Wandsworth. Much of his work has been an attempt to render and explore the city, especially the open spaces of the parks and commons at night or the bridges crossing the Thames. The city at night has been a particularly rich inspiration and recurrent motif for Torr; the muted, unreal light that is reflected off the clouds above the commons – yellows, reds, eerie whites – the strange melancholy of those spaces and their unnatural underwater quality have provided a great formal exercise in using paint for Torr. How do you re-present that vastness on a flat canvas? The Thames paintings complement the nocturnes, typically by pushing the horizon high up the canvas. In this way, the water becomes the star rather than the sky. In 1992, Torr took a forced sabbatical after suffering a serious accident which severed the all the tendons and nerves of his right hand. This may well have finished his career but surgeons were able to reattach the connective tissue and, through therapy and determination, he regained enough dexterity to return to painting. Part of this therapy was to learn how to use a computer mouse with his left hand and led to a second career as a graphic artist. He became Creative Director at The London Marathon in 1998 and worked there for 20 years. Torr is currently represented by Oliver Contemporary gallery in London. Read the full press release here: https://www.liminal-gallery.com/nocturnes Contact us for all questions and enquiries: info@liminal-gallery.com Follow us on Instagram: @liminal_gallery With original music by Lorenzo Bonari Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Liminal Gallery Podcast host, Louise Fitzjohn, speaks with contemporary artist Jemima Sara, who is the first artist to exhibit in our new exhibition space 'The Cupboard' with a solo exhibition titled 'The Toilet' which opened on 11th March in our Margate-based Gallery. Jemima Sara is a multidisciplinary artist who incorporates the fluidity of everyday life, mental health and freedom of expression into her practice. Her formal training in Puppetry at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (graduating in 2018) followed by a MFA in Drawing at Camberwell (graduating in 2021) has enriched her drawing practice, allowing her to merge diaristic texts with the figurative. Her practice has evolved to investigate drawing as a form of expression and communication. Driving meaning from the ‘nitty-gritty’ and the day-to-day, her work reflects the tumultuous experience of the mundane existence to ignite conversation as a form of self-therapy or so-called catharsis. A form of personal outpouring, her illustrative journals are suggestive of wider experiences within both private and public spheres. Scraps of humour provide some relief from the discomfort or awkwardness they may impose. Jemima’s work aims to transform how we perceive our environment. Jemima’s recent exhibitions include ‘Catalogue’ (November 2022-January 2023, Galería F&deO, Madrid), The Crossover Project (September 2022, Edward Bulmer / The London Design Festival, London), ‘DON’T FLUSH IT DOWN’ installation (July-August 2022, The Royal Exchange, London) and 'I'VE LOST MY FAITH IN THIS CRAP' (May 2022) and 'My mind is a toilet' (October 2021, CRATE Gallery). Liminal Gallery are delighted to announce the launch of their second exhibition space ‘The Cupboard’; an open call space for artists living and working in Thanet, to further support local creatives. The residency spans three months and is selected by the Founder and Director of Liminal, Louise Fitzjohn. We are thrilled to be working with our first artist JEMIMASARA with her installation ‘The Toilet’. A NOTE FROM THE ARTIST, JEMIMASARA: “'The Toilet’ is a miniature installation which explores the main themes in my work. Perhaps women’s art belongs in the toilet…at least it would get more viewing time. ‘The Toilet’ encapsulates a place of safety, contemplation, expression, privacy and the invasion of privacy, puppetry and day to day life. ‘The Toilet’ scene is laid bare like a dollhouse inviting the audience to traverse and play with the traditional boundaries of privacy, personal autonomy and manipulation. As if we are under the control of the invisible hands and the pressures of society. I have wanted to create something that utilises the toilet, which is a universal experience and touchstone of the mundane. Whilst also highlighting the current narrative of the public toilet - being vulnerable, inaccessible and unsafe spaces too. This miniature installation investigates the main themes within my practice: feminism, text, accessibility, slogans, freedom of expression, everyday life and boundaries.” Read the full press release here: https://www.liminal-gallery.com/the-toilet Contact us: info@liminal-gallery.com Follow us on Instagram: @liminal_gallery With original music by Lorenzo Bonari Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Liminal Gallery Podcast host, Louise Fitzjohn, speaks with contemporary artist Flora Bradwell, who has artwork in our current group exhibition 'Try a little...Tenderness' which opened on 4th February in our Margate-based Gallery. A compulsion towards the carnivalesque and a vibrant trashy aesthetic are key to Flora Bradwell's playful practice. Encompassing painting, sculpture, video and performance Flora's work revels in the generously grotesque. Compositions of frescoes, cult manifestoes and nursery rhymes are squeezed through a fantastical filter to create dimly recognisable imagined worlds. Camp and theatrics are employed to demonstrate the ridiculousness of patriarchal systems and gossip fuels visual flights of fancy as the props of daily life are put on a pedestal. ​ Bradwell completed her BA in Painting at City & Guilds of London Art School in 2009 and her MFA at The Slade School of Fine Art in 2021. While at the Slade Bradwell received the The Felix Slade Award, The Jeanne Szego Prize and Sarabande Emerging Artist Bursary. Bradwell is a recipient of the Gilbert Bayes Award 2023 and artist in Residence at Van Gogh Huis in April 2023. Bradwell's work has been exhibited, screened and performed internationally including at the Whitechapel Gallery, Nunnery Gallery, Saatchi Gallery, The Royal Academy of Arts in London, at Future DMND, LA, Zaratan, Lisbon and at the European Media Arts Festival, Osnabruck. Bradwell has completed residencies at Elephant Lab, London(2022), Cyprus College of Art, Paphos, SIM, Reykjavik (2021) and Colart, London (2019). Bradwell also curates art events, exhibitions and happenings across the UK and is Co-Director of Bad Art. Tender moments, tender flesh, tender touch, tender thoughts, tender heart, tender mind; try a little tenderness. A tender moment is encapsulated in an act of thoughtfulness; a cup of tea at the end of the day, a gift of flowers, a display of love. Tenderness is to give up one's time, attention, precious moments devoted to another. Tenderness is also pain, a moment of fragility, of weakness. It evokes skin which expands, shrinks, multiplies, and shivers to the touch. Skin which is a dying organism, for surely that is what we all are. A tender morsel of meat, deliciously melts in the mouth. Exploring these themes in contrasting ways ‘Try a little Tenderness’ brings together the works of Ingrid Berthon-Moine, Flora Bradwell and Damien Flood whose practice is unified in the attempt to capture these fleeting moments. Read the full press release here: https://www.liminal-gallery.com/try-a-little-tenderness Contact us: info@liminal-gallery.com Follow us on Instagram: @liminal_gallery With original music by Lorenzo Bonari. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Liminal Gallery Podcast host, Louise Fitzjohn, speaks with contemporary artist Ingrid Berthon-Moine, who has artwork in our current group exhibition 'Try a little...Tenderness' which opened on 4th February in our Margate-based Gallery. Ingrid Berthon-Moine is a French multi-disciplinary artist based in London. Her work examines the construction of gender identity and its behavioural consequences in our society. In 2020, she created the online project ‘I Lack it, I Like it’ where she interviews womxn, who work in various fields of the artistic and creative industries, on their notion of lack. Berthon-Moine has exhibited in various group shows at venues including Love, Celebration and the Road Ahead, TJ Boulting, London, Open Mic by Abbas Zahedi, Frieze Art Fair, London, ‘Mãe’ at 55SP, Sao Paolo, Brazil (2022), ‘Drawing Biennial’ at Drawing Room (2021), Faire Corps, Galerie Paris-B, Paris, France, ‘Blame The Algorithm’ Stadtmuseum München, Germany (2019), ‘Playground’ Världskultur Museerna, Sweden (2018), Espace Temoin, ‘You Tear Us’ Kelder Projects, solo show, London (2018). She was short listed for the Mark Tanner Award 2021, The Ingram Prize 2021 and won a Barbican Art Trust residency in 2019. Tender moments, tender flesh, tender touch, tender thoughts, tender heart, tender mind; try a little tenderness. A tender moment is encapsulated in an act of thoughtfulness; a cup of tea at the end of the day, a gift of flowers, a display of love. Tenderness is to give up one's time, attention, precious moments devoted to another. Tenderness is also pain, a moment of fragility, of weakness. It evokes skin which expands, shrinks, multiplies, and shivers to the touch. Skin which is a dying organism, for surely that is what we all are. A tender morsel of meat, deliciously melts in the mouth. Exploring these themes in contrasting ways ‘Try a little Tenderness’ brings together the works of Ingrid Berthon-Moine, Flora Bradwell and Damien Flood whose practice is unified in the attempt to capture these fleeting moments. Read the full press release here: https://www.liminal-gallery.com/try-a-little-tenderness Contact us: info@liminal-gallery.com Follow us on Instagram: @liminal_gallery With original music by Lorenzo Bonari. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Liminal Gallery Podcast host, Louise Fitzjohn, speaks with contemporary artist Damien Flood, who has artwork in our upcoming group exhibition 'Try a little...Tenderness' which opens on 4th February in our Margate-based Gallery. Damien Flood b. 1979, is an Irish artist based in Dublin. His work is grounded in early writings on philosophy, theology, alchemy, and the natural sciences and explores the mutability of 'reality' and language. Flood has exhibited extensively both nationally and internationally including Dubai, New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Berlin, Cologne, Knokke, Modena. Solo shows include: DIG, Green on Red Gallery, Dublin, 2022 and Shape of Things, Diane Rosenstein Gallery, LA, 2019. He has been selected for the John Moores Contemporary Painting Prize in 2008 and 2010. In 2014 he was the recipient of the Elizabeth Fitzpatrick Travel Bursary administered by the Royal Hibernian Academy and in 2015 was awarded the DLR Lexicon 2016 Commission. In 2017 Flood was awarded the Eigse Hotron Award. Damien Flood is represented by Green On Red Gallery, Ireland and Stephane Simoens, Belgium. Tender moments, tender flesh, tender touch, tender thoughts, tender heart, tender mind; try a little tenderness. A tender moment is encapsulated in an act of thoughtfulness; a cup of tea at the end of the day, a gift of flowers, a display of love. Tenderness is to give up one's time, attention, precious moments devoted to another. Tenderness is also pain, a moment of fragility, of weakness. It evokes skin which expands, shrinks, multiplies, and shivers to the touch. Skin which is a dying organism, for surely that is what we all are. A tender morsel of meat, deliciously melts in the mouth. Exploring these themes in contrasting ways ‘Try a little Tenderness’ brings together the works of Ingrid Berthon-Moine, Flora Bradwell and Damien Flood whose practice is unified in the attempt to capture these fleeting moments. Read the full press release here: https://www.liminal-gallery.com/try-a-little-tenderness Contact us: info@liminal-gallery.com Follow us on Instagram: @liminal_gallery With original music by Lorenzo Bonari. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Liminal Gallery Podcast host, Louise Fitzjohn, speaks with contemporary artist Alexis Soul-Gray, who has a solo exhibition 'Dancing in the Dark' in our Margate-based Gallery. Alexis Soul-Gray (b.1980), lives and works in Devon and is currently studying MA Painting at The Royal College of Art. She is an alumni of The Royal Drawing School having completed the Postgraduate Drawing Year between 2006-7. Her undergraduate degree is in Drawing from Camberwell College of Art, graduating in 2003 after completing a foundation course at Central Saint Martins College of Art. Soul-Gray has held lecturing positions in universities, worked as an independent curator and is a 2021 & 2022 recipient of The Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant for Painting. She has recently been artist in residence at Exeter Phoenix Gallery and Artist House Kadenowka, Poland. In 2022 she had her first solo show in a publicly funded gallery and her first international solo exhibition in Stockholm, Sweden. ‘Dancing in the Dark’ features a new haunting body of paintings by the Devon-based artist, focused on a children's party, devoid of parents, the children take on the burden of life amongst celebration, in all its beauty and sorrow. The figures Soul-Gray creates dissolve into dreamlike abstraction, overrun with vivid colour and this instability of surface blurs distinctions between figure, feeling, fantasy and reality. Dancing between representation and emotive intuitive mark making, the artist invests her work with a transcendental, almost ethereal quality by allowing the forms within her paintings to float, morph and collapse in on themselves, exploring the evolving exchange between the bodies we occupy, the world we inhabit and the individual experiences we live. Soul-Gray’s experimental and highly energetic compositions refute normative modes of existence, challenging constructed notions of balance and harmony. Using the body to dance in defiance as well as an anchor to express psychological states, the work in the exhibition captures the sensation of fragmented memories and unconscious fears slowly emerging from the psyche. Her paintings touch on history, memory and the passing of time, particularly surrounding loss and grief. While works on vintage knitting patterns and vintage ephemera are covered with oil paint acting as a protective shield, sheltering or covering up forms - a metaphor for the recesses of the imagination where vulnerability and fear are shrouded. Read the full press release here: https://www.liminal-gallery.com/alexis-soul-gray-solo-exhibition Or visit the viewing room here: https://www.liminal-gallery.com/alexis-soul-gray-dancing-in-the-dark Contact us: info@liminal-gallery.com Follow us on Instagram: @liminal_gallery With original music by Lorenzo Bonari. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Liminal Gallery Podcast host, Louise Fitzjohn, speaks with artist Lindsey Jean McLean, who has a solo exhibition 'Oversized Swords, Chains and Gloves' in our Margate-based Gallery. Lindsey Jean McLean studied her BA in painting at Glasgow School of Art (2009-2013), she is a Drawing Year graduate from The Royal Drawing School (2013-2014) and a recent post-graduate in painting from The Slade School of Fine Art (2019-2021). Selected exhibitions include Solo Show at Galerie Wolfsen (2022, Aaborg, Denmark), Power of Femininity at Kutlesa Gallery (2022, Goldau, Switzerland) Veiled Bodies at Liliya Gallery (2021, London, UK) and London Grads Now at The Saatchi Gallery (2021, London, UK). Fleshy naked bodies juxtaposed against cool malleable textures, ask to what end will the pursuit of pleasure take; with the sting of passion or the emptiness of a glove? ‘Oversized Swords, Chains and Gloves’ features a new body of work and is a window into the recurring themes that provoke and inform Lindsey Jean McLean’s practice. Common to each work is a preoccupation with how intimate relationships — those with others and yourself — shape the perception of our interior and physical landscapes. It is a world of humble ferocity, filled as much with desperation and romance, as it is with tenderness, melancholy and solitude. Together these paintings provide a glimpse into the vicissitudes of self acceptance, falling in love, its ecstasy and absence. McLeans canvases are woven with stories that evoke the rawness of the world we live in now - interrogating the fragility of the human condition and the carceral structures that inhibit our world, tirelessly searching for new and alternative ways of loving and self exploration. ​ Read the full press release here: https://www.liminal-gallery.com/oversized-swords-chains-and-gloves Or visit the viewing room here: https://www.liminal-gallery.com/lindsey-jean-mclean-oversized-swords-chains-and-gloves Contact us: info@liminal-gallery.com Follow us on Instagram: @liminal_gallery With original music by Lorenzo Bonari. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.