Originally I was going to keep this blog as a dry record of events in which my art is being exhibited. But since my move to Berlin in late 2013, I have started to reflect on my arts practice and I realised it was time to get honest with myself. I am going to use this space more for discussion of my process, thoughts and ideas to get an insight into my work. This is helpful for me, and maybe for you, if you are interested in what I do.
I have had a few chats with other artists, writers and comedians too, about the creative process. Since a child, I have considered that the artistic process must be consistent throughout the duration of ones life. I have nurtured the idea, that to be a true artist one must work at their practice physically, in every waking moment. Anyone who doesn't do this is a hobbyist, an amateur, or just not that serious. I am not entirely sure where this idea originated, but I have a sense it was from all of those Modern artists biographies I read as a child. Artists lived, loved and died for their art. All very romantic and heroic stuff. 20 years into the future I am an artist, and by a random set of events, I am living in Berlin Germany, the hub of contemporary art. One would suppose that by now I would be showing in some galleries, mingling with other artists and basically using the energy of the city to bring my art to life. But, I in fact, I am not making that much art at all. And this is the point I want to explore: contrary to my childhood ideas about art, I actually think to be an artist you do not need to be making art ALL THE TIME. Sounds a bit like a lazy person's excuse, you are thinking. Well, it isn't. I have met and worked with a lot of artists from around the world over the last 8 years in particular, and it is clear to me that every artist has a unique process. Some artists work from 9 - 5pm, focused on one form of art for many years. Others are working on several projects, often in different mediums, and the projects often stop and start over a course of years. My process, I think, works in cycles. I naturally work in intense periods of time, usually from 4 - 6 weeks. And I could be working on anything from a series of poems, learning guitar, baking cakes, painting, sculpting with clay, or knitting. But for me, each of these processes and projects are an outlet for my creativity and are part of what I call my artistic process. The products of this process are eclectic and multi-mediumed, but I can see now they are part of a life long project to be a creative person and live a creative life. And in fact, even the spaces in the cycle -in which I am reading science fiction novels, drawing cartoons with German speech bubbles, or spending time daydreaming as I walk along the Spree birdwatching - these are PART of the WHOLE creative process for me. Without these life experiences, these observations outside of myself, I would always feel blocked. Creativity is about freedom and having the option to choose how to let that creativity flow. So, if in the next few months you hear that I have taken up singing, or comedy or amateur robotics, don't think I have lost my way as an artist. I know what I am doing. I AM serious.
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This year marked the 10th anniversary of the European Artist's E.V. Essen- Werden Germany, Coordinated by Karola Teschler. This year was shorter than usual and included an exhibition plus a two day conference in which artists could present papers on their work. The organisation launched a catalogue of all of the artist's work to celebrate. The European Artist's e.v has fifty members from across Europe, in addition to members from Australia, Oman, Kurdistan, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. I have been a member since 2009. Download the catalogue here.
The exhibition in Garbsen Germany was successfully received by the community and extended due to public interest.
Ich warte auf mich is an exhibition of seven female artists from around the world, and explores the theme of identity. The exhibition was opened by Michael Stoeber who is an internationally recognised art critic and regular contributor to the art journal Kunstforum. My four 20 x 20cm canvas are a type of self-portrait, based on photographs taken on my HTC phone, during moments of waiting between travel destinations. The paintings relate to the theme of the exhibition, for at the moment I am waiting to find myself, and my place after three years of living and working in Ningbo China. This series are currently displayed as part of Yasemin Yilmaz photographic installation Uncensored: 5 years, which explores the themes of time and place. The exhibition is open from the 15/09/2013 - 06/10/2013 in Osterwald- Gabersen Germany. The original text from Fulvio Colangelo: ‘CHRONOS und KAIROS’ opens in the Ki-gallery Turin. Italy next week. This first exhibition was inspired by the Art Symposium held in Essen -Werden in Northern Germany. 'CHRONOS und KAIROS' was the theme of the symposium organized by European Artists E.V. and remains the show's title. Each artist has made a little work 20x20 cm for this show. The result is a collection of thirty works small but beautiful and exciting. The evocative theme is 'Time' in both senses of the flow of time, a a moment suspended. The result is a series of extraordinary works from different corners of the world. You can look at the hieroglyphs full of old time scents by Ahmed Sakr (Egypt) near the empty contemporary spaces by Kim Goldsmith (Australia), or the rigorous work in black and white by Thad Beal (USA) next to the flaming colors of Zaki Maboren (Sudan). It's not often you can see up close many artists so from different countries. 'CHRONOS und KAIROS' is a good opportunity to visit the small prestigious Ki-gallery in the center of Turin, just a short walk from Valentino Park, also the atelier of the artist Fulvio Colangelo.Ki is Colangelo's ideogram and its meaning in Japanese is Energy, Spirit, Soul. The artists are: Karola Teschler GERMANY, Zsuzsanna Ardó HUNGARY/LONDON, Fulvio Colangelo ITALY, Kim Goldsmith AUSTRALIA/CHINA, Ola Hejazi SAUDI ARABIA , Thuraya Al Baqsami KUWAIT, Zaki Maboren SUDAN, Bahaiden IRAQ, Thad Beal USA, Helmut Bistika SLOVAKIA, Wolfgang Brenner GERMANY, Brunivo Buttarelli ITALY, Pirjo Heino FINLAND, Maja Jockov SERBIA, Vera Kekic BOSNIA, Ralf Klement GERMANY, Sonja Koczula GERMANY, Paolo Pompei ITALY, Angelica ITALY, Rudi Punzo ITALY, Simone Ramshorn GERMANY, Ahmed Sakr EGYPT, Christine Steuernagel GERMANY, Bojana Rade BOSNIA, Norio Takaoka JAPAN, Dusan Todorovic SERBIA, Hiroaki Asahara JAPAN, Tegi Canfari ITALY, Paula Kouwenhoven HOLLAND, Joyce Bloem HOLLAND, Esther Tornai USA, AND Yangjubang KOREA. I have been selected as a runner up for the CQ28 Art Competition. More than one of my photographic works will be uploaded on the online gallery in the next issue. Check out this link next month to view the work.
In July and August I am invited to participate in three festivals in Finland and Germany.
The first is the International 'Metal' Art Symposium, organised by the European Cultural Association, Urkin Piilopirtti,Tampere Finland, July 24th – July 31st 2012. A selected group of International artists will stay in Tampere and will produce artwork or present papers based on metal as a theme, material or colour. This will be my first chance to get welding. The second event will be a ceramic artist residency at Hovinkartano European Arts and Culture Centre, located in a Finnish Manor House in Helsinki. I will be there for 10 days in early August creating new ceramic works that I hope to exhibit at a later date. The third event is the European Artist's E.V. Artist's Symposia "Khronos and Chaos" in Essen-Werden Germany from the 12th - 28th of August. A selection of International artists are invited to spend two weeks creating paintings and sculpture for an International exhibition. I intend to continue working on some collage paintings as part of my new series Home Anywhere, Home Nowhere. Full articles of these events will soon be available on my blog Art Bytes 20 artists from Morocco and 3 invited International Artists exhibited their work in this festival that ran parallel to International Women's Day. The aim of the festival was to promote the creative work of female artists, and support the development of women's art collectives in Morocco.
F___ YOUR DONATION showcases five artists who have emerged from a craft based medium into an engaged sculptural, installation and performative practice which is socially engaging, politically charged and medium non-specific.
Three of my new Refuge Nests made while travelling between China, Turkey and Australia will be included in this show along with six photographs that reflect the mood and context of each place the nests were constructed. The process of making these works was experimental because I have not knitted or used photography in an exhibition before. I hope it works! Check out these links. The exhibition is a satellite event of Craft Victoria's Craft Cubed Festival. http://craftvic.org.au/craft-cubed/satellite-events/exhibitions/f-your-donation http://www.broadsheet.com.au/ http://launch.rmit.edu.au/first_site.html A video of the floor talk can be viewed on: http://www.facebook.com/rmitlink.arts June 2011: Cultural Studies Lecture Series, The University of Nottingham, Ningbo Campus China.8/2/2011 Shelf Life Series (1/6) was recently selected for exhibition during the ICMEA (International Ceramic Magazine Editors Association) conference. The conference involved ten days of seminars, exhibitions and excursions to potteries within China. All sixty nine ceramic objects selected from around the world are now a part of the permanent collection housed in the Fuping Pottery Village Gallery, China. |
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Check out my interviews with International Artists and reviews of exhibitions and symposiums at: http://kimajgoldsmith.wordpress.com Archives
April 2014
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