ARE WE NEARLY THERE YET?
GROUP SHOWBEASTON PROJECTS,
PLATFORMS PROJECT’S INDEPENDENT ART FAIR
BOOTH A4, TECHNOPOLIS
ATHENS
26 - 29 OCT, 2O23
EXHIBITING ARTISTS
Aaron Rigal, Bruno Diaz, Dom Cooper, Jameela Stenheden Gordon-King, Josie Swift, Leon Scott-Engel, Tom Enoch, Zane Drees
Curated by Leon Scott-Engel
PRESS RELEASE
There is something uncomfortably exciting about “emerging”; that label young artists are given right out of the gates as they begin their journey into this unfamiliar world. We constantly feel as though we have something to prove, perhaps especially to ourselves. Your practice is just finding its footing, and you are constantly reassessing yourself, questioning your style, approach, intention, all in an attempt to find your individual voice.
The artists presented for Platforms Project’s are all in this phase of emerging, navigating their work and ideas outside of institution. Built on the foundation of Doppelgänger’s (Glasgow, 2022) aftermath, ARE WE NEARLY THERE YET? acts as a direct progression, a maturing of recent BA graduates who are beginning to find their voices; the start to a journey with, hopefully, no end in sight. Across the works there is no one universal style, but rather a collective mindset towards artistic practice and making; a singular approach to push expectations. Energy and excitement exude from the practices of these artists, and through looking back at those before us, we can think forward to where we will go, show, sell, make and make-do.
Captivating a broad range of mediums, from intimate drawings to figurative paintings, print, video, and sculpture, the works presented in ARE WE NEARLY THERE YET? exist unbound to a particular theme; hauntology, folk-lore, critiques of the self, sentimentality, our relationship to the natural world, a nostalgic lens toward the day-to-day, to the very fascination of the painting process itself feature across the broad range of works. All of the artists on show highlight this commitment and belief in their work as they move upwards into the next stage of their practice. Through all of this, the artist is tentatively asking the question…
“Are we nearly there yet?”
The short answer…
“No. But we sure are on our way!”
Aaron Rigal, Bruno Diaz, Dom Cooper, Jameela Stenheden Gordon-King, Josie Swift, Leon Scott-Engel, Tom Enoch, Zane Drees
Curated by Leon Scott-Engel
PRESS RELEASE
There is something uncomfortably exciting about “emerging”; that label young artists are given right out of the gates as they begin their journey into this unfamiliar world. We constantly feel as though we have something to prove, perhaps especially to ourselves. Your practice is just finding its footing, and you are constantly reassessing yourself, questioning your style, approach, intention, all in an attempt to find your individual voice.
The artists presented for Platforms Project’s are all in this phase of emerging, navigating their work and ideas outside of institution. Built on the foundation of Doppelgänger’s (Glasgow, 2022) aftermath, ARE WE NEARLY THERE YET? acts as a direct progression, a maturing of recent BA graduates who are beginning to find their voices; the start to a journey with, hopefully, no end in sight. Across the works there is no one universal style, but rather a collective mindset towards artistic practice and making; a singular approach to push expectations. Energy and excitement exude from the practices of these artists, and through looking back at those before us, we can think forward to where we will go, show, sell, make and make-do.
Captivating a broad range of mediums, from intimate drawings to figurative paintings, print, video, and sculpture, the works presented in ARE WE NEARLY THERE YET? exist unbound to a particular theme; hauntology, folk-lore, critiques of the self, sentimentality, our relationship to the natural world, a nostalgic lens toward the day-to-day, to the very fascination of the painting process itself feature across the broad range of works. All of the artists on show highlight this commitment and belief in their work as they move upwards into the next stage of their practice. Through all of this, the artist is tentatively asking the question…
“Are we nearly there yet?”
The short answer…
“No. But we sure are on our way!”
EXHIBITED WORKS
Dom Cooper, I’ve Seen A Robot In The Square Shopping Centre
(2022), Runtime: 9 minutes 30 seconds
FLOORPLAN
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1. Dom Cooper, I’ve Seen A Robot In The Square Shopping Centre, 2022, Video, Runtime: 9 minutes 30 Seconds
2. Zane Drees, pearl heart, 2022, Beads, Fabric, Polyester Stuffing, 7cm x 9cm
3. Jameela Stenheden Gordon-King, Cheddar, 2023, Oil, Charcoal and Pastel on Linen, 41cm x 61cm
4. Bruno Diaz, Conversations with the selves’, 2023, Oil on Canvas, 25cm x 30cm
5. Zane Drees, in da belly of da beast, 2023, Graphite on Paper, Found Frame, 9cm x 9.5cm
6. Leon Scott-Engel, Headrest, 2023, Oil on Tailored Linen, Upholstered over Foam and Wood, Each: 20cm x 28cm x 4.5cm
7. Zane Drees, hand holding, 2023, Paper and Mica from North Carolina riverbed, 14cm x 19cm
8. Josie Swift, ISN’T IT STRANGE, 2022, Digital Print on Cotton, Bungie Rope, 139cm x 89.5cm
9. Aaron Rigal, Irisation, 2023, Mixed Media on Fabric, 30cm x 30cm
10. Tom Enoch, Built Like A Brick Soft House, 2023, A15 Silicone, Silicone Pigments, Glitter, Polythene Foam, Paint, Installation, Each: 10.25cm x 21.5cm x 6.5cm
1. Dom Cooper, I’ve Seen A Robot In The Square Shopping Centre, 2022, Video, Runtime: 9 minutes 30 Seconds
2. Zane Drees, pearl heart, 2022, Beads, Fabric, Polyester Stuffing, 7cm x 9cm
3. Jameela Stenheden Gordon-King, Cheddar, 2023, Oil, Charcoal and Pastel on Linen, 41cm x 61cm
4. Bruno Diaz, Conversations with the selves’, 2023, Oil on Canvas, 25cm x 30cm
5. Zane Drees, in da belly of da beast, 2023, Graphite on Paper, Found Frame, 9cm x 9.5cm
6. Leon Scott-Engel, Headrest, 2023, Oil on Tailored Linen, Upholstered over Foam and Wood, Each: 20cm x 28cm x 4.5cm
7. Zane Drees, hand holding, 2023, Paper and Mica from North Carolina riverbed, 14cm x 19cm
8. Josie Swift, ISN’T IT STRANGE, 2022, Digital Print on Cotton, Bungie Rope, 139cm x 89.5cm
9. Aaron Rigal, Irisation, 2023, Mixed Media on Fabric, 30cm x 30cm
10. Tom Enoch, Built Like A Brick Soft House, 2023, A15 Silicone, Silicone Pigments, Glitter, Polythene Foam, Paint, Installation, Each: 10.25cm x 21.5cm x 6.5cm