Golly!
Hosted by the New Art Exchange, 'Golly!' examines issues around the masking of the human form by returning to a series of childhood experiences.
October 15th to November 9th 2007
Featuring work in paint, plaster, clay, Wright attempts to exorcise some of the painfully emotional scars left by his personal experiences of racism and bullying while for Berhane it is a celebration of her Ethiopian roots and culture.
Andrew Wright works in both the arts world and in the music industry, recently supporting Ghostface Killah on his UK tour. He has recently been awarded £5000 by Arts Council East Midlands to support this work which looks at the language and imagery used on our streets and at how blacks are represented by the West. Wright’s ‘Warriors of God’ (W.O.G) paintings are a response to the labels pinned to black people over the generations, which has left a toxic legacy that he believes still affects people on a daily basis.
Andrew comments: “As early as four I remember being called a Golliwog in the playground. I didn’t know what it meant but I knew from the tone and situation that it was not meant as a compliment. I have used this exhibition to explore the contemporary use of the word nigger and the imagery of the Golliwog, although I use the word W.O.G. mine is an abbreviation, which stems from the eldest known representation of Christ found on a gold coin design after his demise.”
Elshaday Berhane, who has also had support from Arts Council England East Midlands to develop this project , says her work “explores notions of aesthetic, fantasy, childhood, beauty, humour, duality and paradox. I am using these inherently and genetically familiar roots to explore politics, play and deception.
“My sculptures are often made to be visually enticing with a toy like quality that simultaneously possesses a mangled cynicism, creating an underlying feeling of discomfort.
“For this project I propose to make six freestanding sculptures of around 3-4 feet high. Through these I aim to develop and explore ideas I have been working on for the past two years sculpturally, while bringing together the appearance and feel behind my current two dimensional works. I am looking at patterns in different cultures specifically Japanese art, Ethiopian art and the sense of aesthetics in popular culture, marketing and graphics.”
Opening in Nottingham, 2008, the New Art Exchange will be a major new contemporary arts centre. With a foundation in the work of African, African Caribbean and South Asian Artists from the UK and beyond, the New Art Exchange will be a prestigious arts venue and cultural hub within the region and further a field and will promote and support arts of national and international quality.
The New Art Exchange will act as a centre for the development and origination of arts-based programmes across the country. With more than 65000 visitors expected in the first two years, it will host major artist residencies and hold 126 new cultural events. Plans include 15 major exhibitions, 150 performance workshops and associated events in Nottingham and at other venues throughout the East Midlands.
“Golly! aims to examine and challenge some of the long-standing and deep-rooted prejudices that confront black people, whilst celebrating the richness and vibrancy of our cultural past and present”, says Michael Forbes, Curator at the New Art Exchange, “Imagery such as Golliwogs and words such as Nigger are derogatory and contribute to feelings of low self-esteem, meaning that many black people do not fulfil their potential and take a more productive role in our society. Through work such as the ‘Warriors of God’ series of paintings, ‘Golly!’ is a visually intriguing and thought-provoking exhibition that challenges people to confront prejudices they may not even realise they had.”
Golly opens on Monday 15th October and runs until Friday 9th November. Entry to the exhibition is FREE. Gallery opens weekdays, 11am-5pm.
For more information on the New Arts Exchange, please visit http://www.myspace.com/new_art_exchange
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