G1 Main Gallery
Knick Knacks
Solihull Gallery collaborated with Sculptor and Digital artist Matt Robinson to work with two schools in North Solihull leading to the creation of the children’s own sculptures.
Matt has taken his inspiration from these to make commissioned work specifically for this exhibition. This exciting new body of sculptural pieces will be exhibited alongside documentation of the young people’s work in Knick Knacks.
Using his trade mark energetic and absurd style, Matt has utilised casting, mould making and innovative ways of working with materials.
The outcome is a visually delicious, part-improvised, playful and humorous exhibition.
Free Events, all are welcome
Launch Event Monday 3rd October 6.15pm-7.30pm - Join us to celebrate the launch of Knick Knacks. Refreshments provided.
Artist Talk Thursday 20th October 6.15pm-7.30pm – An opportunity to hear Matt Robinson talk about his work, the processes undertaken and the project at large. All welcome.
An online portfolio of Matt’s work can be seen at:
Beyond, Beyond, Totally Beyond, Perfectly Beyond
Commissioned as part of the Knick Knacks Project
Mon 3rd October - Sat 19th November 2011
G1 Main Exhibition Space at Solihull Arts Complex
Matt Robinson
‘Concrete for me has hard edged seriousness, everyday familiarity and is built to last. So to use these materials to create something that’s so silly had a real appeal.’
The pieces in Beyond, Beyond, Totally Beyond, Perfectly Beyond’ were inspired by creative workshops with Smithswood & Grace Academy schools and created in a similar way the workshops ran. Matt and the school groups played many free association games and some of the games involved combining random People with Actions and Places [PAP]. These games brought forth an abundance of improvisational scenarios and set the path for open play with just enough solidarity for them to hold together. This led the young people and the artist down very open and often unknown unexplored avenues.
Similarly, the sculptures were created by Matt playing with free association and combining odd things together, e.g. playing with contemporary symbols to create narratives, playing with psychedelic cross sections, a warped sense of space and taking the semi-familiar, for example the Ham steak and bone and joining it with a monolithic huge shape, ultimately making the familiar unfamiliar.
The ham leg 'Lucinda Skycrawler' is assumed to have some sort of brain. This sets up the monolithic block to being representative of a head / brain / consciousness.
The imagery on the block therefore serves as a physical manifestation of the creature’s thoughts and feelings.
The Sculptures on their low tables take reference from Japanese aesthetics and Zen gardens.
The tables become platforms for a circus performing dog and a Ham about to walk down a stage to perform.
The interest for Matt Robinson lies in not making something entirely beautiful or ugly but to play with both of these so that something is created which both looks a little bit wrong but at the same time is attractive and enticing.
The sculptures where created at a child size and just a big bigger than adult so people can have a variety of connections to them. The sculptures also combine high end production techniques and delicate detailed sculpted elements with humorous, comical Low art.
Matt hopes that people can come to this show and ask themselves 'what is this?' and 'what is happening here' and come up with their own thoughts.
‘I would love to know what people think. The sculptures are created through a process of play, where I may have an idea beforehand then it’s simply played with on paper, adding, squashing, taking away, combining, until something is reached. It is like they are almost created by them selves but through a process of rigorous refinement where the right objects, shapes and connections have to be formed - the pieces gather a feeling of existence, presence and worth.’
Knick Knacks
A Collaboration between Solihull Gallery, Artist Matt Robinson and Grace Academy & Smiths Wood School’s
‘Knick Knacks’ is a multi-faceted art project which was led by artist Matt Robinson and Solihull Gallery. With a grant from Arts Council West Midlands, the project worked with Grace Academy & Smiths Wood schools and a community group - the users of Kingshurst Arts Space. This project has culminated in two community based art installations and a new body of work ‘Beyond, Beyond, Totally Beyond, Perfect, Beyond’ commissioned specifically for exhibition in Solihull Gallery.
Solihull Gallery & artist Matt Robinson developed 'knick knacks' as a project exploring the theme around personal knick knacks and belongings. This project gave an important opportunity for young people to engage in an arts based project who have a very limited experience of arts and culture. The young people involved developed new art based skills in relation to particular artforms and materials which they can now take forward with them into GCSE level art based courses.
The project involved getting the young people involved in diverse workshop processes such as story telling and role play to inform the making of sculptures and related artwork. As part of the project the young people used skills learned through workshops to make new 'knick knacks' and the ideas generated then inspired/informed the artist to make his own work. Matt speaks of the project being very rewarding ‘It has been a great journey over the weeks to see the groups progress and see some of the timid young people become confident, strong, excited, expressive and more themselves.’
Matt Robinson is a multi faceted visual artist with four years of experience of using his art process in a workshop setting. Matt also has a wide portfolio of exhibitions and projects to his name including shows at MAC, BMAG and Tate Britain.
He, in the process become known for producing large scale off site art installations using strange and challenging materials.
Entry is free at all events and all are welcome.
Solihull Gallery is always interested in hearing from artist's who would like to exhibit!
Artists and curators interested in exhibiting in the G1 space should read the G1 Submissions Guidelines