Out and About, Round Leeds

Had an eventful weekend in Leeds. Got out and about to nearly every exhibition at the moment and attained some perspective on the different types of audiences out there and what the collective atmosphere is between them. It was strange to see how different it was from say, the Henry Moore Gallery to the Royal Armouries. I found use and inspiration in both of these two exemplary institutes, though one could sense a change in the decorum and general morals imposed silently in both.

You would not get excited kids running irratically around the HM for example, nor would you similarly find many High Art execs roaming the halls of the RA.

 I also discovered some great instances of sculpture and public works to draw insight from for my own practice. For instance (pictured) the statue outside the Central Gallery of the Angel, adorned with roses, shows that classical sculpture is welcomed into Leeds still and that it is in a position where it holds power. Although i did like some of the pieces within the leeds gallery i felt that they were all too safe...if you know what i mean?!? They had no vitality.....I believe that classical figurative works, if they are truly great, will stand the test of time and never fail to impress from their own position. However, i was not receiving this emotion from a lot of the pieces ,and, so began to consider how i might re-invent a very tried and tested and tired look into something novel and full of youth. Marc quinn took a very traditional aspect of sculpture and almost drove it to the extremity of purity, where all his pieces gain a flawless white glaze. So, must i "modernize" my own subject matter.

PICTURES COMING SOON