Review / 08
Edwina Slinn, an artist with Brighton’s Rocket Artists, visited Phoenix Art Space’s Lucy, Jack, Gabby exhibition and shares her thoughts with us.
Exhibition detail of Lucy, Jack, Gabby featuring a painting by Lucy Jenion, photographed by Edwina Slinn.
Can you introduce yourself please?
My name is Edwina.
What are your first thoughts when we walk into the exhibition?
Nice pictures.
How is it set up?
Nice to see pictures on the wall. Good to be able to sit down.
Can you say any more?
It’s possible to meet the artists and ask questions about their work. We met Lucy.
Which ones catch your eye or are you drawn to straight away?
Some paintings with people in.
So, let’s have a look at those. Can you tell us about them?
Gives new ideas. Skulls - quite a few - different colours. Saw something new; pipe-cleaner art. The animals are made of all different coloured pipe-cleaners.
How do they make you feel?
Sometimes get calm.
What kind of atmosphere do the colours create?
A calm atmosphere.
How does it make you feel when you look at them?
Blue, red, orange, purple painting are my favourite kind of artwork.
And would you like to say anything about the artwork?
I counted 5 legs on the animals with people walking alongside them.
So, the paintings on the boards, are they similar?
Each series by artist are similar but they are different from each other. The colours they use is different.
Exhibition detail of Lucy, Jack, Gabby featuring a painting by Jack Goldsmith, photographed by Edwina Slinn.
Exhibition detail of Lucy, Jack, Gabby featuring a painting by Lucy Jenion, photographed by Edwina Slinn.
And what is it that draws you to these?
The colours yellow, red, white, black and light pink.
Do you have a favourite series in here?
I like them all.
Can you tell us about the paint marks and what they remind you of?
I can see all the colours, I like I can see the paint marks.
What would you tell your studio friends about this exhibition?
There is lots of colours, I like pictures of the animals.
And how do the colours make you feel?
Make you feel better.
What is the last thing you would like to say about it?
People should come and see it.
Exhibition detail of Lucy, Jack, Gabby featuring a painting by Lucy Jenion, photographed by Edwina Slinn.
More information about the exhibiting artists Lucy, Gabby and Jack:
Lucy, Gabby and Jack are from Project Art Works, a supported art studio based in Hastings that collaborates with people with complex support needs. Their studios provide the conditions for a broad range of collaborative practices with neurodivergent artists, who take part on their own terms.
Lucy Jenion uses animated films as inspiration for her artworks and shows imagination and skill through the vivid colours and minute details in her paintings, drawings and photography.
Jack Goldsmith has a strong interest in colour and expresses his lived experiences through paintings and 3D multimedia drawings on childhood television shows.
Gabby R. uses hot glue, pipe cleaners and found objects to create imaginary characters inspired by the natural world.
About the reviewer:
Edwina Slinn, 2023.
Edwina Slinn is an artist working with patterns and all colours mainly through drawing and sometimes using cotton to make pompoms. The pompoms make colours on the walls. Edwina is very happy and cheerful when making her work.
The Rocket Artists is a not-for-profit, artist-led social enterprise that celebrates diverse identities, abilities and art practices. They are dedicated to supporting the creativity of learning-disabled and neurodiverse young people and adults. As visual and performance artists, they challenge barriers around art, inclusion, learning and communication through developing collaborative strategies, making, showing and selling art from our studios in Brighton. Rocket Artists have two dedicated art and design studios.
Thank you to the staff at The Rocket Artists Studio for your support with this review.
Rocket Artists is a supported studio in Brighton. It supports the creativity of learning-disabled and neurodiverse young people and adults.
Lucy, Jack, Gabby is on at Pheonix Art Space in Brighton until 23 April 2023.
© All images from Rocket Artists unless stated otherwise.