Tobacco Factory

Exhibitions

FEBRUARY

IN THE MAKING - UWE GRADUATE SHOWCASE
+ WHY WE LEFT THE EARTH - Animation Showcase
Main Bar & Green Room

CLOSING PARTY: THURSDAY 23rd Feb // from 8pm ~ RSVP here
DJs plus animation screening in the Green Room

'In The Making' (Main Bar) ~ 6th February - 3rd March

Our annual event exhibiting the wealth of talent and range of styles offered by 3rd year Art students at UWE. This year the exhibition focuses on the Animation & Illustration courses.


'Why We Left The Earth' (Green Room) ~ 30th January - 3rd March

Supporting exhibition for short animated film, featuring work by students and recent graduates. A surreal vision on the possible future of our planet with the theme of "changing habits now to change the future". The artists were given creative freedom to create an invention to help humans survive extreme climate and one resolution to help us save the planet.



MARCH

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL '50' Exhibition
Main Bar & Green Room ~ 5th - 31st March ~ RSVP here

Artists have supported the work of Amnesty International throughout its 50 year history. Picasso famously designed a poster, as did Miro. In celebration of this milestone, 50 artists in and around Bristol have agreed to show their work in an exhibition promoting the efforts and successes of Amnesty. The human struggle for justice and dignity is illustrated by their art.

The famous Amnesty logo of a candle circled by barbed wire was designed by British artist Diana Redhouse. Amnesty founder Peter Benenson suggested this piece illustrated the proverb - ‘It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.’


The artists involved in this exhibition support the work of Amnesty; some of these artists have chosen to create pieces involving human rights infringements, women’s rights and free speech. The work is uplifting and a celebration of the freedom and liberation Amnesty has helped thousands of individuals gain.


image: Emma Skeldon

APRIL

VYVYAN HOPE-SCOTT vyvhopescott.co.uk
Main Bar ~ 2nd - 28th April

"The pictures, though abstract, often suggest landscape; perhaps an abandoned industrial site, perhaps somewhere half-remembered or dreamed. Sometimes they allude to shapes found in maps, or of mechanical parts of locks and clocks; like old technical drawings of machines whose scale and purpose is unclear. There’s often a calligraphic element, lots of contrast, plenty of black and a certain amount of drips and spatter. Exploiting the qualities of the paint itself is one of the main reasons for doing it."

Vyv Hope-Scott trained as a musician and is largely self-taught as a visual artist. He works mainly in acrylic and oils but also does some printmaking and sculpture. He has taken part in various summer end-of-year shows including Richmond School of Art in the 1990’s, Bristol School of Art in 2003 and 2004. More recently he showed work at Centrespace open Exhibition 2006, the RWA open exhibition 2008 and regularly shows at the West Bristol Arts Trail.

Further details coming soon...




Drawn in Bristol presents
EVERLY DARK
everlydark.com
Green Room ~ 2nd - 28th April

Everly Dark is a Bristol based artist.

Her style could be described best as low brow and pop surrealist. Her paintings, portals to the world inside her head where a dark innocence is plagued with an indulgence of colour and wonder.

She is inspired by anything weird and unconventionally beautiful; the little things that go unnoticed.

She is also part of Drawn in Bristol








MAY

BRISTOL FESTIVAL OF PHOTOGRAPHY bfop.org
Main Bar & Green Room ~ 30th April - 12th May

The Bristol Festival of Photography is a biennial event celebrating photography. The festival is inclusive; everyone is welcome to get involved. The festival team is organising a series of talks, curated exhibitions and other events.

The festival will comprise of:
• 100 plus exhibitions from international and local artists
• A symposium and talks throughout the festival period
• Family friendly events
• Art markets and fairs
• Open submission competitions
• Workshops and learning opportunities

Bristol Festival of Photography 2012 will also include the finalist’s exhibitions for the RGB Awards, an annual contemporary photography competition launched this year.

Further details about what will be displayed in Tobacco Factory's exhibition space coming soon...



SOUTH BANK ARTS TRAIL
Main Bar & Green Room ~ 14th May - 25th May

The tenth Southbank Bristol Arts Trail will be a weekend of arts and performance in homes, churches, community centres and public houses around Southville, Bedminster and Ashton. Over 50 venues will be opening to show work from over 150 artists, makers, performers, musicians, and others.

All venues will be open on 19th & 20th May 2012 (with our exhibition at Tobacco Factory open 14th - 25th May), welcoming the public to view and buy art, enjoy performances and music and take part in lots of activities, all in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.


Look out for information on our special events and weekend delights as part of the art trail experience!







JUNE

UPFEST upfest.co.uk
Main Bar & Green Room ~ 2nd - 4th June(exhibition continues til end of June)
~ RSVP here

Europe's largest free urban paint festival; Upfest, is now in its fifth year and is preparing to take over its cultural home Bristol by welcoming over 250 artists and 40 DJs, Groups & Human Beatboxers.

'The Urban Paint Festival' is now firmly established as the main event for street art in Europe. The two day explosion of events attracts urban artists from all over the world who flock to Tobacco Factory - the festival's birthplace, as well as a number of locations across the city.

Look out for information on the showcase weekend... details tbc...








JULY

GEOFF OKE geoffreyoke.blogspot.com
Main Bar ~ 2nd - 28th July

Oke’s pieces are sought after for their richness and warm earthiness, and provide particularly welcome relief in an urban setting. Both brooding and comforting, they take much inspiration from Rothko. Geoffrey Oke lives in Aberystwyth and has recently completed an MA in Fine Art at Aberystwyth School of Art.

“My recent work suggests landscape, but doesn’t attempt to describe it literally. I take a long time working on each painting, building up layers of glazes. I demonstrate fluency with this method of working. Looking at these paintings the viewer gets a sense of something buried but partially revealed.

My paintings are drawn from a variety of sources: drawings of Aberystwyth, photographs of aged surfaces which I have collected and images created on Photoshop. Through their built up surfaces I intend for the viewer to call to mind emotions and memories they have of places and times.”





AUGUST

JACK ARCHERjackarcher.co.uk
Main Bar ~ 30th July - 1st September

Further details coming soon...


















SEPTEMBER

OLIVER HOLDEN oliverholdenartist.co.uk
Main Bar ~ 3rd - 29th September

Uncertain Bristol: Notion/Capture Series XI
Notion/Capture is an ongoing process that explores the possibility of visually representing the formation of memory through photography. The way in which a viewer interprets discernible information in a photograph relies heavily on experience and memory. With this, one reconstructs a certain memory through thought; fragmented, multi-levelled and fluid but with information lacking at certain points. Despite this, perception attempts to fill in the information. Smell, sound and touch enters the equation, transforming the original visual memory into a multi-dimensional sensory experience. Each capture attempts to do just that. Not to ‘copy’ what is visually seen, but to represent the atmosphere at the point of shutter close. To encourage the viewer to delve into ones memory and experience to complete the picture.

Uncertain Bristol focuses on the heart of Bristol’s historic industrious landmarks, the docks, factories and railways. These raw materials are striking form, power and grandeur, delivered through the lens of an affected manual film camera under uncertain visceral circumstances. Once captured,
the results visually emulate certain stages of memory reconstruction whilst challenging the perception of the viewer


OCTOBER

ROS CUTHBERT RWA roscuthbert.co.uk
Main Bar ~ 1st - 27th October

Ros, a singer as well as a painter, is exploring musical and theatrical themes in her current work. Ideas are gathered from a variety of sources including photographs of street musicians and professional performers, film stills, sketches made at concerts and at the theatre, as well as from the experience of performing and from the music itself.

She is a Royal West of England Academician and a member of the St Ives Society of Artists. Her work is in public collections including the Contemporary Arts Society, the National Portrait Gallery and the V & A; and in many private collections.










NOVEMBER

JAMES MORTON & MILLIE GLEESON artgallery.co.uk/artist/james_morton
Main Bar ~ 29th October - 1st December

James studied at The University Of The West Of England from 2003 - 2006. Since then he has moved to various countries around the world doing mostly private commissions. He now lives and paints in Bristol. Millie Gleeson joins him for this special double-bill show.















For further information about our Exhibitions or if you'd like to display here, please email Dave Bain art@tobaccofactory.com


PREVIOUS EXHIBITIONS



THOMAS DOWDESWELL womanakkin.com
Main Bar ~ 3rd January - 4th February

"The Battle With The Boys in Blue - The Corruption of Our Bloated Streets"

Thomas has created a fictional commentary on The Stokes Croft riots of 2011. Within the context of the work are many faceted small scale battles with bodies and limbs falling from the sky, figures of authority clubbing innocent bystanders and brawls taking place where the innocent and the guilty are impossible to define.

The purpose is to provoke a philosophical questioning of why there were such scenes of pseudo-anarchy in the streets and what the roles were of those protesting and those trying to suppress what were for the most part peaceful protests against an unjustifiable corporate monolith.


TAMANY BAKER tamany.net
Green Room ~ 3rd - 28th January

Tamany Baker has been making photographs and worked in many areas of photography for over twenty five years.


Tamany’s photographs examine layers of the psyche and the tension found between the natural world and our modern existence, whether in the ice fields of Iceland or her own back garden. She works instinctively to respond to her personal experience, using subconscious narratives and ritual to engage the audience, challenging the “disembodied eye” of Cartesian rationality. In the series Living with Wolfie she photographs the presents Wolfie, her cat brings to her and makes beautiful memento mori to commemorate the transient lives of the dead creatures.



DECEMBER

Drawn in Bristol presents SLUMBER slumberbean.com
Green Room ~ 28th November - 27th December

SlumberBean is totally bushed; he's always on the lookout for a place to rest his sleepy little head.

No one knows who he is or where he's going – but he's been around.

And no one's sure why he's always so tired... when asked, he just yawns… smiles politely… then sleeps (Full of beans – he is not).

His latest adventures are lovingly captured on archival quality Somerset enhanced art paper.

Each print is signed and numbered by the artist. But be quick, they're limited editions… if you snooze you lose.

Slumber is an illustrator based in Bristol, England and is part of the illustration collective
Drawn in Bristol.


NOVEMBER

10
Main Bar ~ 31st October - 26th November 2011

To celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the Café/Bar we have invited selected exhibitors from the past 10 years to contribute an image on the theme of '10'.

Featuring:
DAVE BAIN | KEVIN COULING | LOCH NESS | EMILIA MILDMAY | GAVIN PRYKE | NIGEL SHIPLEY | SILENT HOBO






MICK KIRTON mickkirton.com
Green Room ~ 31st October - 26th November 2011

Showcasing a fresh approach to displaying images, locally based photographer, Mick Kirton, exhibits photographs of Bristol places and events produced in HDR (High Dynamic Range). The pictures show the diversity Bristol has to offer - from the industrial history of the Tobacco factory itself, through to more modern views such as Pero's Bridge. Producing images in HDR is a recent interest and this is Mick's first public display using this particular style.





ALISON ARMITAGE alisonarmitage.co.uk
Main Bar ~ 3rd - 29th October 2011

'Words are Bullies' Words hurt. Words are all over the place. They get shoved in my face. I don't know why but words make me cry.'
(Brian Patten)

A personal interest in dyslexia and the effects it can have on an individual have led Aliston Armitage to explore the use of words within her work. The paintings are also concerned with relationships, and associations that may exist between colour and language.



GARY SMITH flickr.com/photos/cactuscounty
Green Room ~ 3rd - 29th October 2011

Much of Gary Smith's work is based around a secular celebration of the Day of the Dead festival as it might be observed in the fictional atheist community of Cactus County, New Mexico.

Gary's naive works reflect a belief system that rejects all forms of the supernatural, particularly religion, while embracing science and aspects of the ancient Greek philosophy of Epicureanism.





SIMON HOPKINSON simonhopkinsonart.co.uk
Main Bar ~ 29th August - 1st October 2011

"An Alternative Trail"

A series of paintings arising from Simon Hopkinson's longstanding interest in British urban scenery.

He views areas of sprawl & decay not as eyesores but as subject matter to be explored. An accidental beauty occurs when the modern is adjoined by a crumbling past - a result of the ongoing process of man-made change & natural decline, with nature in control.