'Mental Mapping': Give Credit Where It's Due

‘Mental Mapping: New Work By Andrew Smith & Hugh Marwood’ is already over a week behind us, and there remains little to do but sort out the digital archiving, and find places to store the returned work in my increasingly over-stuffed house.  It does occur to me that there are some loose ends to tie up regarding certain pieces of work in the show, and I’ll discuss ‘Cement Cycle’ in its finished state, and the most recent pair of ‘Map’ paintings, in upcoming posts, but this will be the last relating to the show itself.

Life moves on, and I’m currently involved with entering certain pieces of the ‘Mental Mapping’ work for a couple of Midlands open exhibitions.  It’s too early to know if they’ll be accepted, but at the very least it’s an attempt to have them out in the world, rather than stacked up against my walls.  There’s even been talk of entering ‘Orfeo’ for a film festival, which is something I’d never have predicted.  It seems the ripples may continue to expand for a while.

Anyway, while looking over my shoulder, it would be remiss not to thank properly, all those people who helped us realise the exhibition in one practical way or another.  Therefore, be it for design of publicity material; distribution of said material, or generally spreading the word; video editing and final production assistance; exhibition hanging; catering help; cake baking; or for their interest and general encouragement; - many thanks to:

Chris Cowdrill, Pauline Dorey, Paul Drury, Tim Durham, Suzie Fletcher, Emma Goldfinch, Lorel Manders, Dianne McDermott-Crampton, Shaun Morris, Paul Ray, David Weight & Jolan Woolridge.

Thanks also to Tammany Heap, Jessica Litherland, Jo Harrison and the rest of the team at Rugby Art Gallery & Museum.  The venue was everything we could have asked for, and everyone concerned proved very helpful throughout the whole process.

I should also express appreciation to my employer for allowing me a cheeky morning off to take the show down on a school day.

I came away with copied pages from the comments book and it was gratifying to see that the reaction was generally favourable, even where people were a little confused.  Thanks to all those who visited the show, attended the Private View, or took the trouble to write something encouraging.  Amongst my favourites, are these two:

"Interesting - But baffling", (two consistently enjoyable sensations, - personally speaking).

"Memory, Impression, Groove, …", (what's not to like there?)

And finally; to Andrew Smith for being at least fifty percent of the whole deal, - cheers, mate, - I enjoyed every minute.