My Last RBS Workshop

Here are some photos from last Tuesday’s school workshop at the Royal British Society of Sculptors It was the largest class that I’ve worked with so far at the RBS so we divided the children up into two groups. While one group did sketches of the sculptures (that myself and the other artists are currently exhibiting in the Found show), the rest made small sculptures out of found objects and household materials. Then the two groups swapped over. I also got to give a small talk to the kids about my work. And once again, the children didn't cease to amaze me with the wonderful things they managed to produce in such a short space of time. Well done kids!

Invite to 'Found' at RBS (no, not the bank)

Here's the details for the upcoming show at the Royal British Society of Sculptors, where I will be exhibiting my Fetish sculpture (the one made out of human hair). The opening night is on Wednesday the 10th March but I will also be giving a talk about my work at 7 pm on Wednesday the 24th March. The opening night and the talks are free to enter so if you are in the area please feel free to come along.

The Royal British Society of Sculptors, 108 Old Brompton Rd, South Kensington, London SW7 3RA. +44 (0)20 7373 8615. info@rbs.org.uk

Vamalgam 4

Untitled Component Drawing, originally uploaded by Wayne Chisnall.

Because a lot of my sculptural work comes under the umbrella of assemblage I tend to collect large quantities of found objects and materials - always being drawn the things and forms that have a certain resonance, but not always knowing what I will eventually do with them.
In this drawing I have taken a few of these items and, without trying to concern myself too much over matters of how the individual forms relate to each other, I've attempted to morph them all together. This proved to be more easily said than done, as a life time of drawing, awareness of perspective and of trying to accurately create the illusion of 3D forms in a 2D plain can hard wire the brain to following certain rules. None the less I'm quite happy with how it turned out - there are some interesting connections going on. A friend recently said that there was a lot of sexual imagery in the piece. I'm not sure if that says something about him or me.
Anyway - this work has just gone on display in Vamalgam 4, the Victoria and Albert Museum's new staff show. This year's exhibition is the biggest of the four shows, with some of the best work yet. The work ranges from painting, to photography, to drawing, to mixed media and showcases the diverse creative abilities of the people who make up the V and A Museum.

'Whaleless' - Strychnin Gallery (opening night - Friday, 11th July, 7pm)

Poorly Remembered Whale (side view), originally uploaded by Wayne Chisnall.

This is my contribution to the Strychnin Gallery's 'Whaleless' Exhibition (details below). The piece is called 'Poorly Remembered Whale' - the idea being that once the creatures have become extinct and our memories of them as real, living animals fade, they almost become things of myth and legend. And our only physical record of them are as old bones in museums.
For the majority of this piece's construction I chose to use stuff that I had collected whilst mudlarking along the Thames at low tide. As well as the aquatic connection, this material provided a link to the story of the unfortunate whale that recently perished in the Thames. Sadly, that incident was probably the closest that many of us Londoners will ever come to seeing a whale.

WHALELESS, an international group show dedicated to the whales, will be on display at the Strychnin Gallery London – from July 11 to August 10, 2008.
Curated by Giovanni Cervi and Res Pira, Whaleless will feature work by Catalina Estrada, Stuart Semple, Gemma Compton, Wayne Chisnall, Luke Insect, Pure Evil, Lee Baker, Dan Hillier, Arianna Carossa, Squp, Chris Bonobo, Ryan Obermeyer, Zaelia Bishop, Aurelien Police, Nicoz Balboa, Guiliano Sale, Silvia Argiolas, Kokomoo, Tamara Ferioli, Myron Campbell and Marie Luise Emmermann.

Whaleless is an art project dedicated to those artists wishing to express their indignation, rage, shame, disbelief or concern about the slow disappearance of the fascinating giant marine mammals. Pollution, whaling and unacceptable fishing practices are only some of the causes that seriously endanger their survival.

It seems that whales are slowly but inevitably growing extinct, while the consequences of their gradual disappearance are impossible to predict. And yet we can be certain that the world’s ecosystem – not just the oceans’ but that of our entire planet – will be affected by this change.

Whaleless was born three years ago on the pages of the Italian PIG magazine and on the Whaleless website. As a result, over 200 pieces of art work – from the USA to Hong Kong, from Russia to Venezuela – were submitted to the project and some of these will be on show in the London exhibition.

Over the next few years, the exhibition will visit other major European cities in an attempt to raise awareness for this global environmental problem.
The world would not be the same without whales, which is why action needs to be taken immediately. Therefore, a percentage of sales from this exhibition will be donated to Greenpeace to support them in their actions to save the whales.

Times: Friday to Sunday – 12 noon to 6pm. Open for Time Out‘s First Thursdays on August 7 (5pm to 9pm).
Strychnin Gallery, 65 Hanbury Street, London, E1.

Exhibition @ Strychnin Gallery London

The City (close up 1), originally uploaded by Wayne Chisnall.

I've just been invited by the lovely people at Strychnin Gallery to be a guest artist at the new show in their London Gallery. The pieces that I will be exhibiting are 'The City' (see image above) and 'Pelvis'.

Here are the exhibition details -

'In The Absence Of Colour' (a black and white group show)
Opening Night - Friday 9th May, 7pm
Duration of show - 9th May - 9th June

Strychnin Gallery
65 Hanbury Street (off Brick Lane)
London E1 5JP
www.strychnin.com

Opening times - Friday through Sunday (12 noon until 6 pm)

'The City' & Little Girl (ROLLO Gallery 2006)

'The City' & Little Girl (ROLLO Gallery 2006), originally uploaded by Wayne Chisnall.

Here sits a little girl, gazing at 'The City' sculpture that I exhibited in the ROLLO Art Gallery's 2006 (Sept - Oct) Contemporary Sculpture show, in conjunction with the Royal British Society of Sculptors (RBS). I over heard her say "mummy it's a castle".
TO SEE MORE EXHIBITION PHOTOS CLICK ON THE ABOVE IMAGE.

The City (+ details)

The City (+ details), originally uploaded by Wayne Chisnall.

Dimensions: 92 x 43 x 43 cm
Materials: mixed media