As part of the 5 year anniversary of kdoutsiderart.com, an exhibition of vibrant works by Scottish artist Steve Murison will open at Gallery Lock In, Brighton (UK), on 1st February.
“I think about skulls all the time, inverted crosses, mouldering decay. I picture burning beasts howling with intricate jewelled crowns. Have you ever witnessed something go horribly wrong? I haven’t looked at much of other peoples art for a few years, my simple line is unfurling and my cerulean blue stained hands give a hearty wave your way. Rum and coke. Violent Science fiction. The folk I love. Endless coffee on Sunday mornings. Bukowski. McCarthy. Tool. All my days smeared across ragged boards.” – Steve Murison
It’s Never Just a Cat
Steve has had work exhibited as part of Creative Future’s Impact Art Fair in London in 2013, and as part of previous kdoutsiderart exhibition, Miraculous Urgency, in Brighton in 2015.
A Lizard Hung By Sickly Moon
I first posted about Steve Murison back in August 2013, after seeing his work at the Impact Art Fair. His work is vibrant, somewhat naive in form, but incredibly deep in content. His characters take the form of animals – real and fantastical, and his pieces are tagged with comical but relatable titles – think We Found Your Idiot Skull in a Volcano, or A Petrified Heart in a Splintered Box.
We Found Your Idiot Skull in a Volcano
The exhibition space will also include a Werewolf Swap Shop, where you can bag yourself a unique cat painting by Steve in exchange for your own interpretation of a werewolf. Steve collects drawings of werewolves, so this is an exciting opportunity to share your work with Steve and take away your own little piece of his creativity.
Whisper Some More You Sweet Devil
Jazz Up Your Lizard will open on 1st February, 7 – 9pm, and will continue until 5th February, opening 1 – 7pm daily.
Gallery Lock In
Little Western Street
Brighton
East Sussex
BN1 2PU
Happy New Year! January 2017 is an exciting time for kdoutsiderart.com, as it marks 5 years since the very very first blog post! To mark this occasion, there will be two exciting things happening over the next couple of months. Before I go into these, I would just like to take this opportunity to thank all of the artists who have shared their work on the blog throughout the past 5 years, and a big thanks also goes to all of you readers – you’ve all given me reason to carry on writing when I felt I was sending stuff out into the abyss!
To thank you all, and to celebrate five years, I wanted to produce something physical in addition to something that is accessible from all over the world. For this reason, there will be two different exhibitions happening over the next couple of months. The first is a physical exhibition in Brighton, UK, showcasing the work of Scottish artist Steve Murison, and the second is an online exhibition featuring work by many of the artists who have appeared on this blog over the past five years.
Jazz Up Your Lizard: an exhibition of work by Steve Murison Gallery Lock In, Brighton, United Kingdom 1st – 5th February 2017
A Lizard Hung by a Sickly Moon
I am so pleased to announce the opening of an exhibition of work by Scottish artist Steve Murison in collaboration with Gallery Lock In, Brighton (UK) in early February to mark the 5 year anniversary of the blog.
I have been a big fan of Steve’s work ever since I first saw it at Creative Future’s Impact Art Fair in 2013. Since then, I have featured Steve’s work on kdoutsiderart, and have a steadily growing collection of it at home. Steve’s work is vibrant, somewhat naive in form, but incredibly deep in content. His characters take the form of animals – real and fantastical, and his pieces are tagged with comical but relatable titles.
A Petrified Heart in a Splintered Box
The exhibition opens on 1st February 2017, 7 – 9pm.
It continues from 2nd – 5th February, 1 – 7pm daily.
Gallery Lock In
Little Western Street
Brighton
BN1 2PU
kdoutsiderart: 5 years Online exhibition Opens 1st January 2017
Jenifer Renzel, Totem Pointing East
I am equally as pleased to announce the launch of a new online exhibition to mark the anniversary. ‘kdoutsiderart: 5 Years’ will feature work by many of the artists who have had artists’ showcases on the blog since its inception. I asked each artist to send an image of their work to be included in the online display as thank you for sharing their work at some point over the past 5 years.
Red Tweny, Looking out on the Balcony
The exhibition is incredibly diverse, including mixed media pieces, paintings, drawings, computer-generated art and sculpture.
The artist showcases on kdoutsiderart aim to bring new and emerging artists into the spotlight. This time, I’ve asked Amanda Weckwerth a few questions about her work and her life as an artist. If you’d like to share your work on this blog, please email kdoutsiderart@yahoo.com.
Amanda Weckwerth, Depressed Many
When did your interest in art/creating begin?
Although my initial interest in creating art began in high school – in art class – I became hooked on using the arts to depict my personal experiences with mental health and the stigma resulting from such issues. I only began creating at the age of 24 when I completed my Bachelors in Psychology and a friend of mine bought me a cheap child’s art kit. Over the years I realized the healing power of the arts in dealing with intense emotions and the deleterious effects of stigma.
Amanda Weckwerth, Blue
What is the starting point for each piece?
Because I dabble in multiple art forms the origins for each type of art vary. Take for example my pastels; when I feel strong negative emotions or hurt resulting from differential treatment I immediately grab my pastels and pad of paper. Before creating any image I take a moment to stop and think about how I can best capture my emotions through visual mediums. For the most part I am driven by a need to make the internal external. Paintings and anti-stigma posters are planned when I am experiencing strong emotions but are created once I have gathered needed art supplies.
Amanda Weckwerth, Sadness
Who/what influences your work?
As mentioned, my work is influenced by my current mental state (extreme moods, or hurt resultant of differential treatment) and how I believe I can best capture and convey my experiences. There is the odd time however where what I believe to be a cool idea pops into my head and may or may not be related to my state of mind. I have a flare for the strange and unusual and try not to be influenced by the work of others. In general I do not create art with the intention to sell although I would like to sell more pieces.
Amanda Weckwerth, Life in a Fish Bowl
What do you hope the viewer gets from your work?
I can only hope that my art allows others to understand a number of things. My anti-stigma pictures are meant to make others aware or to strike a personal chord related to the negative impacts stigma, stereotyping and differential treatment have on those who suffer from mental health and addictions. With regard to pastels I hope to create an awareness of the lived experience of having mental health issues and addictions; or, to provide a unique insight into the world of the oppressed. With regard to my paintings I hope to engage the minds of those with an appreciation of the strange and unusual.
Amanda Weckwerth, Race Against Time
What do you think of the term outsider art? Is there a term that you think works better?
These are very good questions; I certainly feel and am treated as an outsider so the term seems fitting. Nonetheless, I feel that the term inadvertently creates an “us and them” mentality. Perhaps a better term might be “Experiential Art.”
Amanda Weckwerth, Noise
What are you working on at the moment?
With regard to mental health and the arts I am working with a local art gallery to develop an outsider art collective devoted to educating our community. My current art piece – which I admits sounds – strange is to use plaster rolls to obtain a mould of my body parts which I will adhere to a canvas as large as myself. I want to create a woman coming out of the canvas. I hope no one knocks on my door when I am plastering myself; how do you explain what the hell you are doing?
Amanda Weckwerth, Anorexia
Where do you see your work taking you in the future?
Maybe it will lead me to the “looney bin” (again); just kidding. Possessing little knowledge of the art world but knowing how hard it is to get recognition, I dream of having the opportunity to share my art on a large scale; namely for the purpose of educating the public (via the creation of bold yet heart felt pieces) about the realities of mental health and stigma. I’d love to make my living making art but know how hard it can be. I’d like to combine my educational assets (Masters in Community Psychology) with experiential knowledge/creativity for the purposes of mental health advocacy and stigma reduction. I can only hope but to use my art for public awareness given the opportunity.
KDOA 