Van Gough's inspiration's and alchemy

Inspired and at the behest of a recent facebook post by my talented daughter-Emma-above is a stack of current obsessions feeding the artistic alchemy. 

By virtue of abundance, it's not quite as diverse or impressive as  Bowie's top 100 list of books, which appeared this week and which I was happy to note does include one of the tomes on my own current pile.

Depending on the canvas consuming me at the time, the list is generally interchangeable of course, and most of the books are digested purely for invocation,  but as latitude and longitute into the geography of the new series, it's a pretty good GPS.

The list from top left is as follows:

Salvador Dali-50 Secrets of Magic Craftsmanship
Valazquez, the technique of genius by Jonathan Brown and Carmen Garrido
The Encyclopedia of Mythology by Arthur Cotterell
The PreRaphaelites by Trewin Copplestone
The Divine Comedy with Illustrations by Gustav Dore (translation by Henry W. Longfellow)
The complete works of Shakespeare
Images of Horror and Fantasy by Gert Schiff
Creepy presents Richard Corben-the definitive collection of the artist's work from Creepy and Eerie!
On Ugliness by Umberto Eco
Art of the Late Middle Ages by Hans H. Hofstatter
Van Gogh a self-portrait. Letters revealing his life as a painter selected by W.H.Auden
The Devil-the Archfiend in Art from the sixth to the sixteenth century by Luther Link
The Club Dumas by Arturo Perez-Reverte
Purgatorio by Dante Alighieri
The Secret Temple-Masons, Mysteries and the founding of America by Peter Levenda
Portrait of the Artist as ab young man and the Dubliners by James Joyce
Like you've never been away by Paul Trevor

Emma Gough-The Apple doesn't fall too far from the tree

One of the many joys of parenthood, is getting to watch your offspring flourish creatively. So it is with my daughter-Emma, whose own artistic travails would make any practicing daubers head spin-painting,drawing,collage,applique,textiles,photography,make up-all pour out of her at an alarming rate. One of the core joys last year was watching her Graduate her BA Art honors degree, which followed on from her premier showcase-The Ritual series.

Below is just a small selection of her beautiful works, of you can see more of Emma on her site HERE, or by liking her facebook: facebook.com/EmmaGoughArtAndCraft where she currently has a very generous giveaway of one of her gorgeous original Art pieces.

 

Emma Gough Ritual Exhibit Opening Night

Further to my post regarding my daughters Graduate showing at the Williamson Gallery, I am delighted to share a small selection of the first photographs from Emma's opening Night. 

 

The show runs until the 17th of June,The Williamson art gallery, Slatey road, Birkenhead, CH43 4U. 

Ritual-a series by Emma Gough

My  daughter Emma has been busy these past several months, the seeds of which are now baring fruit at her graduate degree show at the Williamson gallery in England, which opened June 2nd. 

The series is called Ritual, which Emma describes as " based on the process of applying make-up, and lying to ourselves. The idea of being cosmetically appealing but being portrayed in exposing and somewhat distorted and uncomfortable ways."



Quite rightly, her hard work has garnered some lovely press in the local paper-

Emmas interview in the Wirral News Article.

  I'd chew my right arm off to be there, but UK locals can catch the exhibit which runs at the Williamson Art gallery until June 17th.

The Williamson art gallery
Slatey road
Birkenhead
CH43 4UE

Would you Adam and Eve it? David Gough showing at Windield Gallery

Theothanatos I-The Evisceration of Adam
16" x 20" | Oil on Canvas

Remember this one-the pivotal piece (the Genesis) that started it all?
Or at least the furrow which I would plow these past four years?

I still have the original sketch for it, perhaps I should share it sometime.
It's now part of the collection at the wonderful Winfield Gallery in Carmel, CA for $2,500.

Full details of the gallery and its locale can be found on their site:

,
http://www.winfieldgallery.com/

I wanted to also let you know that my lovely, talented daughter-Emma-now has a sister blog, which showcases her own Art and words, as she diligently work's through her final year studying her degree.

You can follow her from the following link:

Emma Gough Online Portfolio

Emma Goughs Competition series

My daughter-Emma is in her final year at University, and recently began a series which I feel is her best work to date. Entitled the 'Competition' series and dealing with female identity through the use of makeup, I'm hugely proud of her accomplishment and thought I'd share her newest works here.

Incidentally, Emma has a blog of her own and I recommend my followers check it out.

Emmas Blog

New Brow contemporary underground art

A reminder that the New Brow IV show is occurring at the Alternative Cafe this evening. Unfortunately, the costly logistics of getting up there, mean I shalln't be in attendance , but in my absence, I've sent three of my pieces to keep you company.


And finally, my daughter-Emma- just got her first write up for a recent showcase in a local Liverpool inkie called Object of Dreams on page 6 of the Like it / Love it section.

This is wonderful news and I am so proud of her for all her hard work paying off.
Well done Emma.x
You can see the full magazine through the link here:

http://issuu.com/objectofdreams/docs/issue5

Joshua Tree

We're back from a two day sojourn to Joshua Tree. It was cold, windy, inhospitable and alien-everything in fact that is the prerequisite to fire my imagination.
At night the gale tugged at the tents canvas, so we curled in our sleeping bags like pupae,awaiting the eye of the storm. And I had the most vividly,epic dreams.

It was perfect. Thank you my darling wife-x

What did I miss whilst I was away?

Well, my daughter-Emma, was part of an exhibit that's going on called Studio 121, showcasing second year BA Hons Fine Art students. I've only seen a small photo sample of her work on display, but it looks like a tremendous combination of cubist collage and naturalism, and I say that without a hint of bias.
I'll post photos as soon as I have them.

The show is currently showing at:

The CUC Liverpool

41-51 Greenland Street

Liverpool, United Kingdom

Emma also has a blog of her own, which you can follow here:

http://emmagough.weebly.com/blog.html

I also received news about something which I should be able to confirm over the next few days-past indiscretions have taught me the folly of spilling beans before money is in the bank, so to speak, but I think I am on fairly safe ground to tell you that good things are afoot, or at least a small toe.

A Chip off the Old Block-the Art of Emma Gough

My daughter Emma, has an exhibition featuring some of her work this coming week, full details below:

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Fractured Vision:
Art exhibition featuring the work of Simon Sherry & art work from Wirral Met College and Ashville Lodge
At the gallery, Birkenhead Park, Wirral CH41 4HY
Opening Tuesday 23rd November 2010- Tuesday 30th November
to be opened by Mike McCartney, The Eye Fund Patron.

............................................................................................................................................................

As one might imagine, I am hugely proud and excited for her, and wish I could be there to see the works in person, because the pieces she is displaying are very strong.

The exhibit is in aid of the Eye Fund charity, so if you are part of my English contingent and happen to be on my old stomping ground, then please go and attend and support some great up and coming talent and a great cause.

Notes from an Easel-Part 63-Kiss of Death.

Found my second wind today, and spent the afternoon in the seclusion of my studio, working up a new skull piece. I've wanted to put the stark white of bone against a blood crimson background for a while-it has a Valentines chocolate box appeal I guess, so I'm calling it 'the Kiss of Death.'
However, three days in, and I've been neglecting my daily sketch, although preparations have been so frantic, I've barely been able to doodle on a post-it.Suffice to say that they shall be reinstated tomorrow.

Here is a picture of my cat Ronin then, looking like butter wouldn't melt in his maw. Would you believe that this is the same cat who terrorizes his sister Pepper, steals my brushes, walks on my wet canvases and laid a sloppy stank egg on my rug yesterday morning? Snow white demon from Hades on cocaine.


Speaking of lethal white powders, I am told that my hometown is currently in the grip of a suffocating blanket of ice, not felt since the bitter winter of 81.
Undeterred, my heavily pregnant daughter-Emma-, trekked an hour through the tundra to her art college to discover it closed before walking back. It alarmed me terribly when I found out, but that's the kind of tenacity and determination that little girl is made of-she reminds me so much of myself, and I am incredibly proud.

Tomorrow I ought to be able to complete the new piece, before the weekend and our next stop at the Hive in LA.

Something for the weekend part one

After ten wonderfully hectic days, traveling up and down the coast to enjoy the best sights and company,that California has to offer, my daughter-Emma and her boyfriend, sadly returned to the UK yesterday.
A great time was had by all, and I'll be adding a selection of pics to my Flickr account, as soon as the moment presents itself. In the meantime,there is much to catch up on, starting with my weekly roundup of forthcoming events-Eyes down.

The Hive Show September

1. Whilst we had company, I was delighted to attend this months Hive showing, and proudly introduce my little girl to the work on display,which-alongside the cream of pop surreal bazaar-was a daubing by her old man.

The show runs until September 26th-729 S.Spring St, CA 90014, LA.

The Hive Show October-Tarot Group Show

2. Next months Hive showing will be a Tarot themed show, and will include a selection of the deck, by all of the artists involved. I missed the boat on picking the minor arcana card I wanted, opting instead for the seven of swords.The card itself is fairly innocuous visually, so instead I'll be working from the premise of a few of the keywords pertaining to the cards meaning, such as irrational, duplicity,instability and juxtaposition.

Looking Forward-The Alternative Cafe-October 2010

3.Alongside the featured Hive showing in October 2010, I received confirmation that I shall be a featured artist at The Alternative Cafe later that same month. The gallery is one of California's most prestigious Art hot spots, and regularly advertised in Juxtapoz magazine, so it is a great honor to be showing there.Currently exhibiting for instance, are works by the eminent Eric Joyner, and Gabe Leonard.


Losing my head over a Virtual Show.

4.Having mentioned in a previous post that my work is to be included in the 'Dark Vomit' video game project, and I can now reveal some of the first screen caps, portraying the dungeon room that my art is on display. I'm delighted with the results, and will post further details as they come.

I'll make a second posting shortly.

I am Jacks Pride and joy

My daughter Emma-who I miss as if I'd lost my right hand-sent me a wonderful e-mail this morning, featuring an installation piece that she had produced at college. She didn't include a title, and will probably kill me for this, but its a wonderful work (and I say that without a hint of bias) that explores themes broadly resonant beyond her years. To quote:

"This piece was meant to symbolise the constructions of all relationships. It purposely is meant to look like a chain, to show the strength and bond within a relationship. I have made the links different sizes to show different points and factors of being in love. Some are really small, some are thicker than others and some are long and thin.
It was inspired by Jackson Pollock and Eva Hesse. I have hand stitched them together to show the long and hard hours that go into making something work, I have also used thick acrylic paint, and I have embroidered it heavily in thread"

She is just eighteen by the way.

I am so very proud.

On an entirely separate note , I've tried to think of a multitude of ways these past two days, that I could address the death of J.G. Ballard, but I really don't think I could say it as well as Neil Gaiman did in his post.

Suggested Reading: The Atrocity Exhibition.