Tuesday 6 May 2008

Brighton Open Houses - 64 Stanford Avenue

It's Open House season in Brighton and we went to the Private View of the newest Open House - and a probable contender for the best exhibition during this years festival - SixtyFour is in a large beautiful Victorian House on Stanford Avenue high above Brighton overlooking the town and the back gardens of Fiveways.

Many of the artists have come from 6 Clifton Street which isn't opening this year but there are a few additions.



Rob Peel is showing his 'mixed process' works which he also calls 'praints' a combination of monoprints and paintings Robs unique process. This lovely prints are semi-abstract landscapes of Sussex and Cornwall - especially West Penwith. Summoning the spirit of the place rather than straight landscapes.

Work is packed into the house and garden - all is worth seeing even though I didn't take pictures of everything.


Victor Stuart Graham's driftwood boats in the bathroom.

Peter Layton's glass.




Rhoda Baker's intricate white teselated card pictures - minimalist, repetitive forms constructed from layered and constructed card shapes, play with light and shadow, and look fantatic on this dark wall.

Judy Dwyer's 'Dangerous Dolls and dogs' are both engaging, and very slightly sinister

Also exhibiting
Hannah Bedford Beautiful Silver Jewellery
Chris Cain - Recycled metal sculptures
Helen Cann - Acrylic Paintings
Mary Gillett - Etchings and paintings of landscapes - Dartmoor and West Country
Lis Lawrence - Paintings of Sussex
Bernard Lodge - Woodcuts
Philip Lyddon - Small scale pots and ceramic figures
Catriona Muir - Textiles
Anabel Munn - Delicate domestic ceramics - expresso cups, vases etc
Kathie Murphy - Resin jewellery
Kate Osborne - Watercolour pictures
Bob Read - Oil Pastels
Judy Stevens - Lareg colour Lino-cuts
Kerry Stokes - Woven Screens and furnishings
John Weaver - Lovely modern simple furniture.
and John Wiltshire - Watercolours and Oil Paintings

I know this sounds like a hell of a lot of artists but the house doesn't feel unduly rammed just a lot to see and worth taking some time to view it all.

(Top Tip for visiting Open Houses if choosing just a few to see choose houses with a long list of artists as there will be more chance you will like something - visiting the house of a single artist can be embarassing if the work just doesn't strike a chord with you)

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