Podcast
About
PIECEMEAL is an exhibition centred around the glamourisation of the creative process. Here, we explore the nuances of 'unfinished' and 'finished' art, questioning what and who gets to define these terms.
This exhibition seeks to challenge the dynamics rooted in constant output, with an aim to foster a more harmonious and mindful creative process that allows the artists to produce their best works.
PIECEMEAL is an exhibition for the artist, as much as it is for the viewer. The aim is to create a space where artists can step back and reflect on their creative journey in its entirety; rather than fixating on individual and isolated pieces. A celebration of the entire process, and not just the final product.
The show consists of fourteen of some of the UK’s most exciting emerging artists, all from a variety of backgrounds, and all at pivotal moments in their careers. What is so beautiful about this moment in time is the multi-hyphenate nature of creatives. It feels as if we are all free to explore a variety of mediums and creative endeavours. Due to this, the show sees works from a wide variety of artistic backgrounds, ranging from the traditions of painting, print, metalwork, sculpture, and woodwork, as well as film, video, and installation works, even expanding to the DJ mix as an artistic medium.
Ideas are often bred from subconscious creation and playful making, and at times, when we set out to create with a direct, fine, and polished work in mind, we find that we block ourselves from the wider possibilities of creation. The word PIECEMEAL is used to highlight the essence of time as a practice is built and developed bit by bit, little by little. This articulation further emphasises the beauty of the artistic process and celebrates the inherent messiness and spontaneity that fosters and nurtures creation.
Through PIECEMEAL we hope to expand the possibilities of creation and celebrate the process, activating new thought and approaches to making for both the artist and viewer. The show in itself was created to pose questions to the artist and audience alike. The most important being - is it the intention of the work or is it the final aesthetic of the piece that holds power in the exhibition space?
In the curation of this show, we sought to play with the idea of exploring work that may not be finished to the traditional highest degree in order to allow room for the artist's pure intentions and soul to shine. In this approach, guided by philosophical thought relating to the question of what is “complete”, we seek to challenge the idea that art must be "finished" for it to be valuable, and instead propose the recognition that we value the journey to the completion of the artwork.