Sacred & Profane

These artists boldly examine life, death, sex, religion and transgression. A mirror is held up to our culture’s taboos, in terms of what is acceptable to represent, to reject, and to use. The work at the exhibition shall be a combination of sculpture, painting, illustration, film, collage and assemblage.

These artists share a common vision. They are aiming to convey the divine aspect of human nature, and it’s dark twin: our animal desires and instincts. Ever since the dawn of human history, we have been making images of supernatural beings and holy creatures. Our oldest surviving images represent urgent ideas about nature, primal urges and the supernatural. As human society has “progressed”, it is worth contemplating that religious icons still represent some of the most beautiful aesthetic expressions in our various cultures, whether we choose to worship at them or not. Regrettably, lives are still being lost, and wars fought over such icons, and for the right to create and display such religious images, so we should ponder what they represent politically and culturally.

The exhibited work will be supplemented with sessions of performance and music from Jowe Head & The Demi-Monde, Helene Williams, The Rude Mechanicals, Bird Radio, Rotten Bliss, and Sexton Ming.

Opening on 27th of March from 6.30 : ‘A Shamanic Street Ritual’ a performance by Mark Fuller and Helene Williams. (Mark Fuller, blacksmith and performance artist. His most recent performances have been in East Anglia where he presently resides).

2nd April: First Thursday open until late 6.30 to 9.30

Helene Williams, based in Kent, is an accomplished, innovative sculptor who works in fabrics, plaster, ceramics and found objects. She is also a performance artist, and has performed some memorable ritual-based pieces in the Whitstable area

Jo Roberts, whose practice embraces paintings, illustrations and mixed media work. She has recently completed a period as an Artist in Residence in Berlin. She also has an excellent reputation from performing as a solo artist and in her amazing band Rude Mechanicals.

Gaye Black spent three years at art college, qualifying as a graphic designer, before becoming bass player with punk band The Adverts. Since then, she has been exhibiting regularly in the UK, and shown her work in Germany and the USA. She has also curated three exhibitions. Her work uses assemblages of found objects, including organic detritus, often collaged with paint, photos and jewellery, and often encased in resin.

Danielle Dax, the unique musician/performer, produces visionary paintings and kinetic 3-dimensional work. Dax was born in Southend-on-Sea, Essex and spent the majority of her early childhood with her grandparents who encouraged her love of art, nature and the occult. She appeared in two films – Neil Jordan’s – ‘The Company Of Wolves’ and ‘The Chimera’ and was regularly performing with dancers/performers, body paint, hand-painted sets, costumes and the films of Holly Warburton’.

Dagmar Rieger, based in Linz, Austria, works with collage fabrics, paint, embroidery and found objects. She has showed her works in the University of Salzburg, in Linz, and also in Istanbul, London, and Birmingham.

Charlie Pi has a background as a Performance Artist (Charlie Pig), and creator of conceptual art pieces, and as a Therapeutic Counsellor, before returning to Fine Art. He organised many exhibitions of his work including Summershows at St Pancras Crypt, and in the basement of Shoreditch Town Hall. His work includes burnt fabrics, found objects, drawing and paint.

Ella Guru is an American-born painter. She works in traditional oil paint on canvas, taking inspiration from painters like Caravaggio and Velazquez. She is a founding member of the Stuckist art movement. After being a resident of London for 23 years, Ella is now based in Hastings. One of her recent projects completed is a series of paintings of the 22-card Major Arcana Tarot.

Stephen Bird  is better known as a performer under the name Jowe Head. He makes collages, sculpture, reliefs and clocks using recycled junk. He is also an accomplished draughtsman, painter and print-maker. He has been involved in countless exhibitions in London, and in Berlin, Hamburg and Augsberg in Germany, and also in the USA at Manhattan in New York City, and at Phoenicia in upstate New York.