Magali Fowler
Magali Fowler’s exhibition of recent work alludes to narratives, the twists and turns of which you could only guess at, for there are no scripts available. Presented without the trappings of their storylines, the protagonists are glimpsed upon a journey framed by rural landscapes.
Photographs of aeroplane interiors with off-white windows, blinds and beige seats, obviously not waiting for passengers as its seats are covered with clear plastic; a youth manoeuvring his motorbike within an overgrown fenced compound; a woman by a car, absorbed in reading a map, adds a note of reflection to the surrounding moments of action; a young man in a field studded with purple flowers lit by a low sun; a girl incongruously holding a T-shirt aloft. With the story-lines absent, viewers are left to enjoy the moments along the way for what they are.
Magali Fowler’s photographs were exhibited in 2002 as part of the Cable & Wireless Exhibition Programme, 1992 – 2006.
‘Stilled Lives’, Kay Walsh
HS Projects commissioned ‘Stilled Lives’, a collaborative project between Kay Walsh and Core Arts. ‘Stilled Lives’ investigated the making of contemporary still life studies focussing on significant elements within daily life. Through this exploration of the unseen or unnoticed elements of individual lives of people dealing with mental illness, the image making became a ‘site’ for the expressions of human existence.
The participants were asked to make a series of images that pictured their environment, home, possessions, obsessions or interests to tell us who they are. This could be an object, a place, a glance or a gesture. The images selected for the exhibition included those by both volunteers and members of the Core Arts community and opened up a dialogue between the viewer and image maker and in doing so questioned some of the common preconceptions that surround mental health issues and the lives of the people that it affects.
‘Stilled Lives’ was funded by the Insight Community Arts Programme (2002 – 2015). The project ran from July to December 2008.
‘Wish’, Nigel Ellis
HS Projects was appointed by Gazeley Properties to deliver a section 106 public art commission to act as a marker for their new business park in Crayford, Kent.
In close collaboration with the developers, architects Higgs Young and Bexley Council we developed the project and artist brief for a site specific, low maintenance, robust sculpture that retained highway visibility.
Following a selection process, Nigel Ellis was commissioned for his response to the physicality of the site and the business of Optima Park, a business and warehouse distribution park. The simplicity and uncluttered clean lines of ‘Wish’, Ellis’s 4 meter high, powder coated steel sculpture, relates well to the architecture and functionality of the site.
HS Projects commissioned ‘Wish’ on behalf of Gazeley Properties for Optima Park, Crayford, Kent in 2004.