In London now!

Tabitha Moses, Hairpurse, 2004; Wen Wu, Hairplay II, 2011

BRAIDED TOGETHER
Hair in the work of Contemporary Women Artists

From the press-release:
You are warmly invited to attend the Private View of Braided Together at BHVU Gallery on 17 February 2012, 6 – 9 pm

Organised by artist run gallery BHVU, the exhibition is the first of its kind to consider the intricate relationship between women and hair.
Braided Together unites ten international contemporary women artists who each share an interest in the symbolic expression of human hair either as material or subject in their work. Inspired by the work of women Surrealists, the exhibition investigates specifically female and art historical concerns such as fragility, loss and power. Featured works include painting, etching, sculpture, drawing, photography and video, resulting in a truly dynamic exhibition that seeks to reinterpret the symbolism of hair through a multitude of female voices.

Braided Together commenced its tour at New Hall Art Collection, Murray Edwards College, Cambridge, and has now travelled back to its gallery of origin, BHVU. All of the art historical and theoretical ideas raised by the exhibition are considered in an accompanying catalogue – this includes images of all works shown, as well as work by artists Elina Brotherus and Hong Zhang and Kiki Smith, and three commissioned essays written by academics specializing in this field.

Exhibiting artists:
Marcelle Hanselaar, Marion Michell, Tabitha Moses, Karen Bergeon
Mary Dunkin, Wen Wu, Jenni Dutton, Trish Morrissey, Jessica Lagunas, Samantha Sweeting

BHVU Gallery, Unit A, 2 Leswin Place, 
London N16 7NJ
Open to public: 18 February – 18 March 2012
Opening times: 12 - 6pm Saturday + Sunday or by appointment
Admission: Free

Ich habe noch keine Vergangenheit

The other week I found a letter my favourite boy, the son of close friends in Germany, wrote to me a couple of years ago. He wrote in English, describing what he'd been up to, and explaining the financial crisis looming in the world with a little diagram (he's exceedingly clever). Floating at the bottom of the letter is the sentence "Ich habe noch keine Vergangenheit!" - I have no past yet. Just for a moment I took it to mean I have no past yet because I am a child, which seemed to make perfect sense in terms of having had no part in bringing about the financial crisis or global warming, etc etc, but of course he meant that he had not yet learned to speak/write in English past tense. Or did he? That moment of mis-understanding (which had not happened when I first read the letter) felt like a kind of epiphany, as it ties in with my second generation project, and now I can't get the sentence out of my head. Nor can I think much beyond it, being very tired, and in any case formulating my thoughts has never felt more difficult. The work is growing, while I grope about for insight. Maybe the work will teach me.