NewsRAFFLE TICKETS AND MIDGES |
| Posted by Administrator (admin) on Aug 15 2008 at 2:27 PM |
Artist Imi Maufe’s quirky arts interventions to the social calendar of remote rural valley in Northumberland and reciprocal contributions from local people have shaped the work in her end of residency exhibition ‘Raffle Tickets and Midges’.
On Thursday 2nd October 6 -8 pm Northern Print will host a special viewing and Artists talk of Imi's new work, everyone is welcome although booking is essential as places are limited. The exhibition of the work produced in Tarset will be on display Friday 3rd and Saturday 4th October 2008 in the Gallery.
During Imi Maufe’s twelve-month residency the artist has embraced the life of the Tarset community as well as the Tarset landscape completely and each piece of work in this exhibition captures and reflects an element of the artist’s year in Tarset not in a representational way, but from the inside.
Both landscape details and community events have inspired Imi Maufe. Over the year Imi has attempted to grasp and interpret the geography of the place and made many quirky arts interventions and willing contributions to the local social calendar. A number of these interventions have invited responses. All these experiences and reciprocal contributions have helped shape the body of work in this exhibition.
“It is about how creative practices can sneak into the most ordinary events and extraordinary events; my work is not about high art but about work that is accessible, work that can get involved in people’s everyday lives in many different ways. It is the people that make things happen and although you will find no people represented in the work that is fundamentally what the show is about.” Imi Maufe, 2008
One way in which Imi has collated a year’s worth of experiences is by building collections. Imi Maufe has created collections of all manner of things - people’s stories and favourite walks, postcards, objects, colours, trees, place names.
Imi has developed a number of series of works from these collections; each series of artworks takes a wide variety of forms; drawings, maps, photographs, prints and objects. Each series highlights in an affectionate, inspiring or amusing way an aspect of Tarset life or landscape that might otherwise go un-noticed or undervalued.
Each project has its story and for each one Imi Maufe has created an artist’s book. Whilst all the pieces that have resulted are varied in content and form they each demonstrate Imi’s mastery of print-making, strong visual graphic style, and sense of humour.
The main part of ‘Raffle Tickets and Midges’ is housed in a specially built cabinet and, after its showing at Highgreen, Imi will tour this cabinet by bicycle to other venues in the region before she completes the residency and leaves Tarset.
Background
Visual Arts in Rural Communities aims that its programme of twelve-month residencies will afford artists a unique opportunity to develop his or her practice by working and living in a remote rural community and, at the same time, promote interest, awareness and understanding of visual arts in a rural community through engagement with an artist.
Imi Maufe is the ninth artist to hold one of Visual Arts in Rural Communities twelve-month residencies at Highgreen.
For more information about the artists, the residency programme, projects initiated by VARC and about it’s Fund to Support Local Projects please see www.varc.org.uk
For more information about Imi Maufe and her previous work please see www.axisweb.org/artist/imimaufe
Images
1. ‘Hunt the Midge’ is just one of many pieces of work Imi has completed during her residency that feature in the artist’s final exhibition ‘Raffle Tickets and Midges’.
2. The Great Pie Challenge artist’s book. This resulted from Imi’s graphic design for the community event and forms part of the collection of books housed in the cabinet.
For more images, information or interview with the artist contact:
Imi Maufe, artist, Tel 01434 240562
Janet Ross, Liaison Manager, VARC, Tel 0191 266 6857