That was the week that was.
Oof, having a sit down after a soaking. Bedraggled I was in the torrents and the bus left me cold, standing but clutching onto my massive canvases for the three-bus journey to their destination.
There’s a fabulous art and science project going on in the Cann Hall district of Leytonstone called [dis]tinct (I’m still working out the title…it’ll come). It’s all to do with migrations of peoples into the area and what they brought in and what they shared. Butler’s Bakery, a long-established community spot makes honey buns using locally sourced honey from honey-bees, of course. My focus is on the pie and mash coming up in the month and tales of the Sargasso Sea, (spelling).
I have in exhibition at Butler’s some paintings, some big paintings to adorn the white blank walls. I am the first exhibiting artist there in a world where every latte-boiling establishment rents out wall space for local artists to get loved and famous. Community art is a great thing especially as it gives opportunities for spectators to see art when they might not be asked to get into the massive impersonal galleries.
My displayed paintings are from my series “Headscarves 1950s” from my research project of the same name. There is much colour and rhythmic patterns because I reference the 1950 scarf designs. It was important that I link into the
[dis]tinct E11
experience and so I took time to cover my pink “Nude in a Headscarf” by dressing her in an opaque light shift full of bees. It works. Vera Lawrence (no relation) of Clapton also got a makeover and I took great pleasure in patterning the heads around her. The other picture is “Fish and Headscarves” , a painting honouring post WW2 rationed housewives and the once common fishmonger. Lots of fishy shapes but no bees.
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