Southampton City Art Gallery 2022 Open: // WHAT DOES CULTURE MEAN TO YOU?

Southampton recently reached the final four in its bid to become UK City of Culture in 2025 and wanted to explore and celebrate what culture means to everyone across the region in all its vibrant and diverse forms. Therefore inviting artists to respond to the question ‘What does culture mean to you?’

Everyone’s culture is unique to them, and it can mean many different things to different people. It might be playing or watching sport, singing, music or dance. It might involve books, paintings, theatre or television. It might be different histories, religion or spirituality, or the food we love, how we style our hair, or our sense of fashion and what we wear.  It can be about the special or our everyday lives. It’s part of what makes us human. There is no right or wrong way to enjoy culture – it belongs to everybody and it is constantly evolving and changing.

We were encouraged to consider the theme of culture as creatively and widely as possible.

The successful artists will have their work exhibited at Southampton City Art Gallery from 02 July – 10 September 2022.

All submitted works are reviewed by a Selection Committee. The judges will select the work based on the skill, inventiveness and originality of the artist’s response to the theme. The judges
 Stacey Heale, Writer and Curator 
Clare Mitchell | Curator of Art, Southampton City Art Gallery | Emma Richardson, Artist
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I have submitted two pieces of art to City Art Gallery’s biennial ‘open exhibition’. The pieces were wrapped up and ready, hottest day of the year of course. I was walking though southampton cuddling bubble wrap and melting as I walked these meter by meter pieces to the gallery. I was met by a rather lovely collective mix of other artists submitting there pieces. I am now awaiting the judging to see if one or both pieces make it into the exhibition or none!!!

It took some time to tackle this rather large title of What does culture mean to you? There are so many aspects to everyday life which could take inspiration from. I decided working on one piece of art for the open exhibition was pretty complicated indeed as bursting with ideas. I created two submissions Everyone and Where are you. I spent time reflecting on myself as apart of the culture I was born in Southampton and grew up in Southampton. I wanted to reflect on my experiences as part of the community and wanted to reflect on emotions which culture evokes. I came to reflect on love lost, good and evil, bad memories good memories and everything in between and from this created two pieces of art.

Where are you (battleships)
100x100cm Acrylic

A abstract contemporary piece. I wanted to paint something that represented a small part of my history and current world affairs. This painting has been created with my childhood memories in mind.

Life sometimes has many challenges and experiences some of which are welcomed and some of which you rather forget. Battle ships was one of the games that came into my mind. I remember the frustrations “where are you” with not being able to find the ships and win the game. The cheating and upset that occurred while playing this game at very young age and the need for control by others while playing the game. As a child wondering why a game is not fun and joyful. The dynamic relationship with a few simple pegs and dots.

I wanted to use the freedom of colour without stereotypes and used the white spots to represent the battles and the idea of plotting war map and the next moves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everyone 7th June 2022
100x100cm Acrylic

This painting was created simply with love in mind. Painting while listening to music and being inspired by sounds and nature. I painted this on my 8th wedding anniversary and really thinking about the amount of love and hope and sticking together no matter what. This is so much more evident in the world as of late. I wanted to paint a picture for everyone to enjoy. The blue pallets and peaches a pick me up colour arrangement. Reflecting nature and shapes in a abstract manor. Open for interpretations and reflection of the individual.

 

These works are available to purchase they can be purchased from the Gallery direct should the be entered into the Gallery exhibition or will be available to purchase from our studio direct. Prints are also available of these images as a limited edition. Funds from prints will be used towards a charity of my choice not yet decided.