Galerie S O at The Glynn Vivian Gallery

Christian Gozenbach - Erasers - seen here

The Craft space at the Glynn Vivian Gallery in Swansea is hosting a lovely show at the moment, Contemporary Collections: New Work from Galerie S O. A selection of work from the cutting edge Swiss gallery, Galerie S O which has recently opened a London gallery in Brick Lane, representing some great makers including silver smith David Clarke - I really like his work.

Galerie S O is involved with representing and exploring the cross-over between art and design, an area that often seems to be difficult territory for British tastes: "The gallery's main focus is the contemporary object, which through an inherent grace of form and materials is able to convey diverse narratives to reflect, not trends and styles, but the attitudes and expressive intentions of the artist/maker". Seen here.

Hans Stofer - I have not got a clue - seen here

Helen Britton - Nighttime - seen here

Elysium Gallery, Swansea

I've been hearing good things about Elysium Gallery's new home in Mansel Street, Swansea. Elysium is an artist led space which began life as Exposure Gallery in 2003 and evolved into Elysium Gallery in 2007. I went to see the first show in the new Mansel Street venue, After the End... today - it was the last day and I was a bit late, so things were already being taken down.

The space is just amazing. I think it's an ex-pub or club, one big space downstairs and then a labyrinth of little rooms and bigger spaces on two more floors, pierced through the centre by an old fashioned lift shaft. My pictures do not do the place justice - it's beautifully shabby and has the patina of it's former life still strongly evident, a great atmosphere and an exciting place to show art.

The show was interesting too, a response to art critic, Arthur Danto's pronouncement that art ended in the 1960's. It's a very interesting proposition - I've thought about it a lot - it's a deeply pertinent question to ask artists' to think about...

The gallery will close over the summer for the upstairs spaces to be converted into artists' studios - this means the showing space will be more limited for future shows, but I'm looking forward to the next phase.

James Plumb

James Plumb - For Richer For Poorer (Concrete Stitches series) - seen here

James Plumb - To Have and to Hold (Concrete Stitches series) - seen here

Thanks to David Restorick on his excellent blog, for introducing me to James Plumb (who is actually Hannah Plumb and James Russell). I like their recycled and hybridised furniture. The use of concrete in these chairs is intriguing and contrary, I like that too.

Here's a couple more of their designs that made me smile.

James Plumb - Sampson - seen here

James Plumb - Cluster Chandelier - seen here

Jayne Pierson

We have a wonderful fashion designer working from a studio here in Carmarthenshire, Jayne Pierson has been getting some exciting coverage in prestige magazines such as Vogue Italia and AnOther recently, not to mention Blown Magazine the baby of our own Ric Bower - Carmarthenshire based photographer.

Jayne Pierson: design - Alice Gibb: Model - Donald Christie: Photographer - seen here

Louise Bourgeois at the Arnolfini

Louise Bourgeois - seen here

I was in Bristol this weekend, so I made a trip to the Arnolfini to have a look at a series of drawings by Louise Bourgeois that are currently showing at the gallery in response to a site specific drawing 'intervention' by Otto Zitko.

Louise Bourgeois - Je t'aime(detail) - seen here

The show is called Me, Myself and I and explores notions of relationships, intimacy and emotional engagement - "It is in the space between inner and outer worlds, which is also the space between people; the transitional space; that intimate relationships and creativity occur." D.W Winnicott.

Zitko's large scale drawings cover the interior walls and foyer of the gallery - dominating and all-present. Bourgeois' 2005 drawings Je t'aime are shown in a small room on the second floor, a framed series of 60 small works. Opposite these abstract pieces is one drawing from 1946 showing one person consuming another. Bourgeois described the Je t'aime drawings as being "...about the marking of time while waiting for someone special to arrive". What a debt we owe to this formidably intelligent woman, I was glad to have this little chance to say my farewell.

Music for Dogs

Laurie Anderson - Music for Dogs - seen here

Yesterday, musician Laurie Anderson staged a concert outside the Sydney Opera House for dogs. Music for Dogs was especially arranged to suit canine sensibilities and she said it was the fulfilment of an ambition to look up during a concert and find the whole audience composed of dogs. Brilliant!

We had a canine choir here in Wales a couple of years ago, A Song For Swansea Jack, commissioned by Swansea based arts organisation, LOCWS International. Artist, Richard Higlett staged a performance by dogs in memory of the legendary Swansea Jack, a black Labrador who is said to have saved 29 folk from drowning in the sea in the 1930's.



This gives me an opportunity to feature my own lovely dog, Brock who was seen sporting an Adam Ant look at last week's opening of Rhôd in Carmarthenshire after interacting with some of the art. She used to enjoy yodeling along to a little harmonica, or a heartfelt pack howl - but she's really deaf now (possibly a result of her own incessant and anti-social barking habits!).

Brock - photo by Maya Bryden

Gimme Shelter

Kathryn Campbell Dodd Shelter

This is my new piece of work. It is installed in woods, beside a pond, nestling amongst disused chicken and duck houses. I stopped painting as part of my practice about 5 or 6 years ago, and the old work sits in the corner of my studio. Sometimes I say that at least if I become homeless I can bang them together to make a shelter (I usually painted on mdf board). So that is what I have done. Six feet by 4 feet, the structure incorporates abandoned bits and pieces from the place where I live in the hills of west Wales. After I made the piece I slept in it for three nights to see what would happen; it was so conducive I slept like a babe.

I like this picture - these little folk look like Hansel and Gretel...

Thank you so much to my dear friend Marcus FitzGibbon for his help with the design and construction. He has made it safe for visitors and added his magic to the piece. It came together organically and easily, serendipity was on our side! I met Marcus at art school when we were 16 years old and we've always been friends. We've worked together and shared many many ventures, adventures and mis-adventures over these long years.

Kathryn Campbell Dodd - Shelter (detail)