All Together, All Different

B1 opened their group exhibition today. Their theme was introduced as soon as you walked into the gallery space. The crossing out of the unused posters started to show how the gallery space was being used to present the approach the group had decided to take. One thing that was highlighted though was that the posters had been hung over the 'cracks' of the walls which drew the eye away from the work itself. Also, the posters were both portrait and landscape, but were not hung centred to each other which is something I'll keep in mind for our exhibition. The press release was particularly helpful in understanding the intentions of the curators, but it could have been handed out or enlarged with the chosen poster to really stand out from the wall.

Phil's work was heavily framed which I think took away from the photos themselves. His work gave the impression of holding back information due to only providing part of a Facebook page about the demonstration he was discussing in his work. His work appeared as though it was a 'collection' of memories/ ideas/ items from the riots, but he could've taken this even further to create something more striking. Sound from the demonstrations themselves could've been particularly effective.

Loretta's photos were hung well with two horizontal strips seemingly colour coded with reds or blues. Relating to disfiguration they reminded me of images you might see taken from a crime scene. Their was discussion about whether a single large image would've been as effective or more so, but I think the way she presented them already worked well.

The structural yet delicate forms of Precious' work explained the destruction of paper. Suspended in the middle of the gallery space, it was interesting to see paper as a sculpture rather than a flat image attached to the wall. The decision to position it towards the windows worked best with the space in the gallery as it allowed a better view of the whole exhibition upon entry.

Sarah's painting was greatly enhanced by the inclusion of the tools used to create it. From a straw to a dustpan, it felt as if the tools themselves became more important than the work itself. It was interesting to presume that the order that the tools were arranged in related to the chronology of the creation of the painting.

The work that Vanessa presented drew you in towards it, as its canvas form from afar made it seem like a painting. The feminine fabric surfaces contrasted with the harsh lines of sewing that slash across the work. Vanessa and Sarah's pieces work well next to each other due to the colours and the themes of domestication.

The first thing that seems apparent when looking at Kim's work was that it seemed to be far too close to the edge of the wall to fully appreciate it. The light box and other piece could've been presented separately to work best with the space. I think the light box worked better than the other piece as the light really brought her drawings out and created a sense of life from her work. Perhaps the other piece could've been presented over the glass of the window for better use of space and to add to her work?

Shannon's board of magazine covers seemed to tower over the gallery space. Looking at the destruction of perfection, her work reminded me of the billboards you might find in cities, where the constant deleting and overlaying of desires leaves behind a narrative of value. It's a shame that the low ceiling made her work seem cramped as it didn't allow you to step far back from it to fully take it in.

In the dark space of the gallery played a video of all the artists at work on the pieces presented in the gallery. It was a nice end to the exhibition as it presented the pieces in a more personal manner, with faces behind the works. It also brought the theme back into play which seemed to get a little lost throughout the rest of the show. By utilising process as an art form itself it raised the question of it being a documentation or a collaborative piece?

It was interesting to see how the module was attempted by a different group in an entirely different way from our own. From viewing their show, I think it is apparent that there's a lot of small decisions that alter the effectiveness of a show. The lack of artists statements seemed to be one of the most picked on things in this show which I think we'll have to ensure to carry out for our own.