Lives of Artists Series Four : On The Cusp

CUSP and Vanilla Gallery space is new – literally since March. The cavernous space was opened in a vacated Cash & Carry building at 2 Queens Street in the Cultural Quarter of Leicester.

With this literally being the 2nd exhibition opening in its history. It will be interesting to see what the artist-led vision of the space will be…a product of a collaboration between CUSP and Vanilla Galleries, housing two gallery spaces and 18 artist studios with the overall space being Two Queens.

This time CUSP playing host to Alex Pain’s sculptural angular curving shapes :

Cut Across the Grain to Give a Richly Textured Surface.

But before reaching the sharp and clear lines of Alex Pain’s exhibition.
You had to encounter this:

TEXU a collaboration by two artists: Trans~Europe~Xpress~Urself who are Jonny Ryall based in Berlin & Gino Attwood in Leicester. In a cross-continent over-the-net use of all mediums on offer, to enable, discuss, view and exchange ideas without the physicality of being in the same room. The end resulted in Attempt #1 Vasari’s Corridor: A look at the myths taken from Georgio Vasari’s ‘Lives’ …transformed into The Gossip Obstacles a series of exaggerated obstacles to be negotiated while travelling the length of the gallery space.
And so the use of this space was interesting on entering as Vasari’s Corridor seemed to be a precursor you had to navigate through first.. a slightly unnerving sensory dissonance of balance with spotlights moving across the space highlighting this sense of eerie surprise.

I’m really not going to say too much more about this collection of work! as navigation is key to the real journey. George Vasari should be a good starting place though….suffice to say…I hope the photographs will intrigue into a visit!. A pity I haven’t also the two sound tracks, which added to the overall meaning. Especially as the main music, created by Aberdeen musician graduate, Nathan Bissette, stands equally in its own right.

There is a short video on Vanilla Gallery’s website to give a visual feel. The music used here is an excerpt from the much longer and hauntingly atmospheric sound piece.

Alex Pain’s work too, like the gallery is relatively new – graduating from Nottingham Trent last year. Although having exhibited in exhibtions and shows from Hungary to China to Cromford in the Peak District UK. I somehow managed to miss his work last year at the Open Show in Nottingham Castle (plus point his solo show in the same space is coming up later this year!).
So anyway, I was pleased, finally to see some of those pieces that I had missed, along with a complete new body of work.

And I think you do really have to see these up close! although good because photographs do lend themselves to the curving sharp lines and subtle use of textures in his work. The gravity and weight of substance, though, along with aged, patinated, brushed and polished surfaces do far better justice under closer inspection.

However ! here’s the pictorial evidence :