Highlights of 2016. I’ve shown works in sixteen exhibitions during the year including two exhibitions with Sweet’Art in London and a solo exhibition at South Square, Bradford. I was thrilled to be shortlisted for the Greater Manchester Art Prize and to be selected show work in some great venues around the North West and beyond.
Posted on December 31st, 2016 by Jane Fairhurst
2016
Dystopia is the first piece of work I made this year.
January/February
First exhibition:- University for the Creative Arts, Farnham, Surrey.
“Transforming the everyday space of the kitchen into an absurd party landscape where quiet contemplation is abolished and replaced by an atmosphere that mirrors the the ecstasy of creating art.”
Foot Fetish-pigeon feet, cocktail sticks, black paint, florist’s oasis, turned wooden base.
March
Hand Maid, Sweet’Art, London.
Women’s work is never done…
Completed and partially completed knitted ‘Venuses’ in a vitrine with drawer.
April
Transit of Venus, Solo exhibition at Calver Gallery, South Square, Thornton, Bradford.
May
Alternative Nature, Electric Picture House, Cross Street, Altrincham
New Faces-altered icons
Call for Cloth-touring exhibition curated by Lauren Sagar.
My contribution to this touring exhibition was a photograph of myself and my brother as little children and related to the christening robe my parents bought during their honeymoon in Eire. This beautiful item is a link to my parents but since none in my family practice any religion it is use is now defunct.
June
I was thrilled to be shortlisted for the Greater Manchester Art Prize and to show my piece Dystopia in the exhibition at the Chamber of Commerce on Deansgate in Manchester.
Dystopia-heartwood lined with gold leaf supported on blocks of propolis, olive branch, silver mesh and wire, wax combs, gold leafed date stones, 7 queen bees in various states of metamorphosis.
July
SHE, Sweet’Art, London
Face masks and body wraps-wrapped and masked Barbies in a butterfly display box.
In July I was invited to join the selection panel for the West Lancs Open held at Chapel Gallery, Ormskirk and showed my work Gathering.
Gathering-bronze casts of avocado stones, miniature brass chair, Papaver somniferum roots (aluminium paint) contained in a glass dome.
August-November
VS-Castlefield New Art Spaces, Churchgate House, Bolton.
The VS exhibition gave me the opportunity to create a new work, my installation Mater Memoriam, a celebration of all women and the knowledge they possess and share with their sisters, daughters, granddaughters, nieces, friends and the wider female community as they have since ancient times.
September
Wigan Arts Festival, The Old Courts, Wigan.
Too many Happy Meals-large cloth mice
Warrington Contemporary-Warrington Museum and Art Gallery
Guardian-Bonsai Sycamore tree root, found budgerigar, gold leafed egg, feathers.
Spectrum, PSMirabel, Manchester
Tweet of the Day–Felt bodied birds with pigeon skulls and feet in a glass dome
New Mills Festival
L-R, Ladies for the Afterlife, Ekenu and Iti, Face masks and body wraps, Women’s work is never done, Matronae, shop window display, Blakes-The Art of Hair, Market Street, New Mills, High Peak, Derbyshire.
September-December
Reality on the Edge-PSMirabel, Manchester.
Enigma-acrylic on canvas
October–Dark Apparitions, The Old Courts, Wigan.
Cage of Silence-Large bird cage filled with snail shells, vacated oak galls, tree and plant roots, bird and animal remains including fox and dog skulls.
December
Cross Street Arts Open Studios
My new shelves ready for Open Studios.
Finally, my most recently produced work…..
Premonitions of the Anthropocene-plastic fish, gold paint, plastic scuba diver, florist’s wire, papier-mache pebbles, perforated glass dome with ceramic base.
2016 has been a very productive year for me and despite all the political shenanigans that have confronted us this year, the dreadful wars and waste of life, I still have some hope for the future.
