https://roxytopiapaddygould.com roxytopiapaddygould Fri, 01 Nov 2024 13:18:37 +0000 https://roxytopiapaddygould.com en https://roxytopiapaddygould.com/Homepage Thu, 22 Aug 2019 07:20:37 +0000 roxytopiapaddygould https://roxytopiapaddygould.com/Homepage Roxy Topia Paddy Gould https://roxytopiapaddygould.com/About Thu, 04 Oct 2018 23:05:35 +0000 roxytopiapaddygould https://roxytopiapaddygould.com/About About Over 17 years of collaboration, Roxy Topia and Paddy Gould have developed a multidisciplinary practice centred on painted sculpture and drawing. They use polyphonic or incongruous sensibilities across their works and exhibitions. Varying themes, from reflective nostalgia, to how our creativity, experiences, and interactions are mediated through technology and wider power structures, are explored. Current work takes the form of painted additive reliefs that consider the varying effects of digital technology upon our attention and perception. Initiated through imaginative drawings and then crafted from MDF, aluminium, and polymer clay, these materials are then painted in various styles, drawing inspiration from digital collages formed during the process. A translation of images where information is changed, lost or represented a new through the analogue. &nbsp;This component-based approach lends a slightly manufactured quality, reminiscent of vinyl graphics, medical models, and signage, yet retains a friendly, animated character. Recent pieces have been titled based on conversations with ChatGPT. Topia and Gould meticulously handcraft, assemble, and paint their works, fostering a localised and intimate collaboration. This hands-on approach merges conscious and unconscious creative processes, allowing shared agency to interplay with spontaneity and chance, leading to new discoveries. Artist couple Roxy Topia and Paddy Gould have been working together since 2008 and are based in Merseyside, UK. Periodically they collaborate with others, often on independent publications through their press Pink Sands Studio, founded in 2018. Their first UK institutional show, “Let Your Ideas Come Back As Children,” with Cormac Gould took place at The Bluecoat in Liverpool in 2024. Works available to purchase via the platform Gertrude&nbsp; https://roxytopiapaddygould.com/CV Sun, 14 May 2023 11:42:32 +0000 roxytopiapaddygould https://roxytopiapaddygould.com/CV Artist couple Roxy Topia and Paddy Gould have been working together since 2008 and are based in Merseyside, UK. Periodically they collaborate with others, often on independent publications through their press Pink Sands Studio, founded in 2018. Works available to purchase via the platform Gertrude, or contact us directly. Roxy Topia (b. 1982), Paddy Gould (b. 1980)EducationRoxy Topia, BA (Hons) Fine Art at UCCA, Canterbury 2003-2006 Paddy Gould, BA (Hons) Fine Art at Kingston, London 2002-2005SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2024 Let Your Ideas Come Back As Children, The Bluecoat, Liverpool 2022 Discombobuloscopy, Convenience Gallery, Birkenhead2021 Pause for Living. Spring / Summer, CBS Gallery, Liverpool2021 Pause For Living. Autumn / Winter, Pink Sands Studio, Birkenhead2018 Refried Beans, Studio 2, Todmorden2016 Great Pretenders, Studio 1.1, London2016 Got Worms? A Small View, Liverpool2015 The Recovery Positions, Roswell Museum and Art Centre, NM, USA2014 Massages from the Second Brain, Monte Vista Projects, LA, USA2013 Where the Magic Happens, Hackney Picturehouse, London2012 Hubba Hubba, Studio 1.1, London2012 Drip into Something More Comfortable, George and Jorgen, London GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2025 Fractured Familiar, 50MV, Liverpool (Opens 31st may) 2025 Fanatic, G39, Cardiff (til 14th June) 2024 The Town Is The Gallery Open, Convenience Gallery Pop Up, Birkenhead 2023 The Manchester Contemporary, with Convenience Gallery, Manchester2023 This Year’s Model part 3, Studio 1.1, London2023 Figurine, 50 MV, Liverpool2022 Shuffle, Old Bank, Liverpool2022 This Year's Model, Studio 1.1, London2020 MK Calling, Milton Keynes Gallery, Milton Keynes2019 Nice to Meet You, George and Jorgen, Oxford2019 Multipack, Bunker Gallery, Manchester2018 Watching Limbo, Caraboo Projects, Bristol2018 Dirty Un/Realism, Studio 1.1, London2017 RAIR 50th Anniversary, RMAC, Roswell, USA2016 I Cyborg, Gazelli Art House, London2016 Into the Valley, Studio 2, Todmorden2016 Neo:Print Prize, Neo Gallery, Bolton2016 Christmas Show, Fenderesky Gallery, Belfast2015 Lumen Film Festival, Staten Island, USA2015 Sex Shop, Transition Gallery, London2014 An Absolutely Distinct Still-Life, Fenderesky Gallery, Belfast2014 All the Fun of the Fair, A-side B-side Gallery, London2014 Sex Shop, Folkestone Triennial, Folkestone2014 Hello LA, (Project LALO), Studio 1.1 Gallery, London2014 Art Convertors, Studio 1.1, London2013 This Year’s Model, Studio 1.1, London2013 Summer Fete, Ceri Hand Gallery, London2012 Prophetic Diagrams, George and Jorgen Gallery, London2012 Somewhere in the Horopter, Mediodia Chica, Madrid2012 Filmideo, Index Art Centre, Newark USA2012 My Five New Friends by Oliver Braid, TRS, Liverpool2011 Sluice Art Fair, London2011 Emerging London, Identity Gallery, Hong Kong2010 New Contemporary Art Part One, George and Jorgen, London2010 Liverpool Reflections, Atelierhaus Salzamt, Linz2009 Portrayal and Perpetration, Wolstenholme Projects, Liverpool2009 Evil Night, (With Sam Savage and Gema Melgar) Wolstenholme Projects, Liverpool2008 More than This, Oriel Daffyd Hardy, Caernarvon, Wales Residencies2015-2016 Roswell Artist in residence, New Mexico, USA 2014- Troy Town Art Pottery, Open School East, London 2010- ’Urban Interventions’ (Jan-April), Atelierhaus Salzamt, Linz, Austria Other 2023- Gordon Ricketts Fund Recipient-Paddy2023- Jury for RAIR Program-Roxy2021- This is Jackalope, Issue 32015- Judges for Roswell UFO Costume Contest Reviews and writings Welcome to Connexus Reflective piece by Niki Russell for The Bluecoat Let Your Ideas Come Back As Children Review by Patrick Kirk Smith for Art in Liverpool. In Cahoots Review by Reece Griffiths for Corridor 8. There’s Always Things Falling Out The Sky Review by Jack Welsh for Corridor 8. Pause for Living Review by Patrick Kirk-Smith for Art in Liverool. I'm not perfect but I'm perfect for you Article by Linda Pittwood for Yishu Shijie, Artworld Magazine, China. Visual Vibrations, Topia Gould find the art worlds g-spot Review by Jessica Holtaway. My Five New Friends Review by Linda Pittwood for The Double Negative. Roxy Topia and Paddy Gould: Got Worms? Review by Patrick Kirk-Smith for Art in Liverpool. https://roxytopiapaddygould.com/News Fri, 01 Nov 2024 13:18:37 +0000 roxytopiapaddygould https://roxytopiapaddygould.com/News News <img width="1087" height="488" width_o="1087" height_o="488" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/13441c8f710f361c00ae752534591bba6f3cd8d21387fcfb10cc42af0275cd37/IMG_4336.jpg" data-mid="233502932" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/13441c8f710f361c00ae752534591bba6f3cd8d21387fcfb10cc42af0275cd37/IMG_4336.jpg" /> Fractured Familiar50MV, 50 Mersey View, L22 6QB Opening 31st May 5-8pm 1st-10th June Curated by Jeffrey Knopf, Fractured Familiar brings together sculpture and paintings by four artists based in the North West. Roxy Topia &amp; Paddy Gould, Jeffrey Knopf, Jamie Kirk and Luke Skiffington. At an intersection between states, their work evolves from different sources, &nbsp;including 1970’s cgi, medical models, signage, their own photographs and 3D scans. Familiar images converge with glitches and distortions resulting from hand-made or machine aided processes. In their work, truth and fiction become blurred, forgotten and then reimagined. <img width="3544" height="1275" width_o="3544" height_o="1275" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/52353a24fbb3c7c0ecf1f445af8f3d709a2759a02b4a666bcebd8b224fb1da9e/FANATIC-website-banner.JPG" data-mid="230575743" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/52353a24fbb3c7c0ecf1f445af8f3d709a2759a02b4a666bcebd8b224fb1da9e/FANATIC-website-banner.JPG" /> Fanaticg39,&nbsp;Oxford St, Cardiff, CF24 3DT Launch 17 April 2025 18:00-21:00 19 April - 14 June 2025Open: Wednesday - Saturday, 11am-5pm Farah Allibhai, Emii Alrai, Alice Banfield, Abi Birkinshaw, Mohamed Hassan, Dead Paisley, Tina Rogers, Luke Roberts and Roxy Topia &amp; Paddy Gould What is your personal specialist subject? We all have particular things that we are alert to, things we are fans of, the collections, repetitions, accumulations of experiences or objects that run parallel with our everyday lives. Sometimes there’s a very fine line between the largely-positive word fan and the slightly-too-far fanatic. Sometimes these things are excitedly public, other times they are private, lone pursuits. Sometimes we might not fully understand what drives us toward them. We’ve brought nine artists together to respond to this prompt, with new works and existing collections. https://roxytopiapaddygould.com/Recent-Works Sat, 06 Mar 2021 13:09:53 +0000 roxytopiapaddygould https://roxytopiapaddygould.com/Recent-Works Recent WorksWorks that are available can be aquired via Gertrude or contact us directly. The first three works below were on show in ‘Fanatic’ at g39, Cardiff til 14th June 2025 Roxy Topia and Paddy Gould's work has been heavily influenced by pulp film and low budget cinema. Their recent research into Astrovision, a video rental shop in Gloucestershire in the mid 80's where Roxy's nan used to work has become a kind of MacGuffin for questions about memory, representation, nostalgia and physical media. <img width="2268" height="1701" width_o="2268" height_o="1701" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3a6717f7feb986d139d3ae59473d7baba65ddd47cff65fe0ae286cfd38f42e8a/Relief-1.JPG" data-mid="233503130" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3a6717f7feb986d139d3ae59473d7baba65ddd47cff65fe0ae286cfd38f42e8a/Relief-1.JPG" /> On Loan, Acrylic on MDF, found VHS Tapes, found objects, 2025 <img width="2408" height="1773" width_o="2408" height_o="1773" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b007c153c014fe64e6486cd98c448834c2813d4bbb9195bed4787ee33cf7e2a8/Coming-Soon-Still-3.jpg" data-mid="233507692" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b007c153c014fe64e6486cd98c448834c2813d4bbb9195bed4787ee33cf7e2a8/Coming-Soon-Still-3.jpg" /> <img width="2408" height="1775" width_o="2408" height_o="1775" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/57da012d34bd4356e70b5e35f0739ae514bf90cfefff305af9408ab66e4df317/Coming-Soon_-still-1.jpg" data-mid="233507695" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/57da012d34bd4356e70b5e35f0739ae514bf90cfefff305af9408ab66e4df317/Coming-Soon_-still-1.jpg" /> <img width="2615" height="1910" width_o="2615" height_o="1910" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f8f5b890349d354783b9ac60176b623fcb81491b7a1cf54d74207070745c3c6e/Coming-Soon_Still-2.jpg" data-mid="233507693" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f8f5b890349d354783b9ac60176b623fcb81491b7a1cf54d74207070745c3c6e/Coming-Soon_Still-2.jpg" /> Film stills from ‘Coming Soon’, looping video on 180 min VHS tape, (Displayed on a CRT TV AND VCR) 2025 -- There is a short text on this piece below -- <img width="2614" height="2592" width_o="2614" height_o="2592" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b2405904eccfd4ccb38f3caefc6a2cdb561e25bc4348cdd002a38c34d5003401/DSC_0103.JPG" data-mid="234205996" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b2405904eccfd4ccb38f3caefc6a2cdb561e25bc4348cdd002a38c34d5003401/DSC_0103.JPG" />Installation Shot. Image Credit: Fanatic, g39, 2025 <img width="3188" height="1969" width_o="3188" height_o="1969" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7759710a39bcd547eff0d0b5b58a78c084c83122df5c54cfd47496768e6de138/DSC_0163.JPG" data-mid="234206259" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/7759710a39bcd547eff0d0b5b58a78c084c83122df5c54cfd47496768e6de138/DSC_0163.JPG" /> <img width="3872" height="2205" width_o="3872" height_o="2205" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d2cf484485028554ba0db482befd65e2e610d4828a4be1351187efae801c25bc/DSC_0161.JPG" data-mid="234205997" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d2cf484485028554ba0db482befd65e2e610d4828a4be1351187efae801c25bc/DSC_0161.JPG" /> ‘Hidden Agenda’, Found VHS tape acquired from eBay seller retrocollector2023, based in Stroud, 2025 Image Credit: Fanatic, g39, 2025 The below is a short text on the video work -- ‘Coming Soon’ -- &nbsp; &nbsp; This work uses photographs taken with our phones whilst watching movies. Sequencing them together and limiting further intervention to transitions between images and the movement available through panning and zooming inside a single image. &nbsp; &nbsp; They are edited digitally and outputted back onto old video tapes for playback. Happily embracing the age and degradation of the medium of VHS, as well as the aesthetics gathered through their functional transfer between mediums. &nbsp; &nbsp; The images themselves started out capturing glimpses of artworks in the background. But that expands gently to accommodate wider questions of where art objects fold into the process of making films. &nbsp; &nbsp; It is an open work whose images are gathered by the vagaries of our day to day attention and sequenced by an organisational logic that blooms from the visual possibilities created when the images are pulled out of their films. &nbsp; &nbsp; It is a piece without resolution, and could easily be continued as we watch more films. In fact it could simply be re-edited from what we already have to reflect a different path through the material. It holds open questions of agency and art; mediation, meaning making and organisational logic; looking back and expectancy; as well as pondering contemporary art’s location in today’s incessant flow of media, and how it got here. &nbsp; &nbsp; As with some of our other work, it enacts a human centred version of a logic we see played out by technology in the world around us. With its similarities to the automated ‘memories’ slideshows, concocted by our phones and home video trailer reels promoting a distributors other titles. Perhaps we are pondering where exactly art can find a future in this contemporary world overwhelmed as it is with immanence and flow. Ongoing wallbased works. Painted reliefs. <img width="2682" height="3332" width_o="2682" height_o="3332" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/13320093d4c1df9cec32a7226d3e814949b5dfd63fcb93be63b7d2ef76b0739b/Whiffleplex.jpg" data-mid="197736516" border="0" alt="Whiffleplex, 2023" data-caption="Whiffleplex, 2023" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/13320093d4c1df9cec32a7226d3e814949b5dfd63fcb93be63b7d2ef76b0739b/Whiffleplex.jpg" /> <img width="3499" height="4204" width_o="3499" height_o="4204" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/296f23c9b91a3b443561fab2fce0434bf5a044d157c551fed52e58dcf5af5a29/Up_level_hallucination.jpg" data-mid="178632696" border="0" alt="Up level hallucination, 2022" data-caption="Up level hallucination, 2022" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/296f23c9b91a3b443561fab2fce0434bf5a044d157c551fed52e58dcf5af5a29/Up_level_hallucination.jpg" /> <img width="2779" height="3485" width_o="2779" height_o="3485" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f2f3d52b5f7c09f4914dd15f4e6d5a7e709593c4150f23757db54ca65bda5d3a/Plexturism.jpg" data-mid="197736904" border="0" alt="Plexturism, 2023" data-caption="Plexturism, 2023" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f2f3d52b5f7c09f4914dd15f4e6d5a7e709593c4150f23757db54ca65bda5d3a/Plexturism.jpg" /> <img width="3821" height="5843" width_o="3821" height_o="5843" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8be763cd7b9d8883c86ebca1f95cadb7dd789a602f524706eb4d1aaf4916c5af/Propriosepsis.jpg" data-mid="160834049" border="0" alt="Propriosepsis, 2021" data-caption="Propriosepsis, 2021" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/8be763cd7b9d8883c86ebca1f95cadb7dd789a602f524706eb4d1aaf4916c5af/Propriosepsis.jpg" /> <img width="3000" height="4038" width_o="3000" height_o="4038" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ed358b87d6f07880fa46dd85b5b069379c642f28f0afe27ed05a6a774e880ce1/Specimen_Proplentic_Arch.jpg" data-mid="160834043" border="0" alt="Specimen: Proplentic Arch, 2021" data-caption="Specimen: Proplentic Arch, 2021" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ed358b87d6f07880fa46dd85b5b069379c642f28f0afe27ed05a6a774e880ce1/Specimen_Proplentic_Arch.jpg" /> <img width="850" height="1134" width_o="850" height_o="1134" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6a50126cb5f34631f0696f26a9c2119c97cccbc309a41ff23931873c9dbc942a/Lifelike-Cavity-1080px.jpg" data-mid="101051939" border="0" alt="Lifelike Cavity, 2019-20" data-caption="Lifelike Cavity, 2019-20" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/850/i/6a50126cb5f34631f0696f26a9c2119c97cccbc309a41ff23931873c9dbc942a/Lifelike-Cavity-1080px.jpg" /> https://roxytopiapaddygould.com/Let-Your-Ideas-Come-Back-As-Children Fri, 02 Aug 2024 14:24:42 +0000 roxytopiapaddygould https://roxytopiapaddygould.com/Let-Your-Ideas-Come-Back-As-Children Let Your Ideas Come Back As ChildrenThe Bluecoat, Liverpool <img width="1024" height="703" width_o="1024" height_o="703" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a137bb2feb9f0866c3fed7f2d040347f6460d7e02013be845243bb0b49dc8b1c/0207_Bluecoat-Summer-Exhibition-2024-WEB--52.jpg" data-mid="215718808" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/a137bb2feb9f0866c3fed7f2d040347f6460d7e02013be845243bb0b49dc8b1c/0207_Bluecoat-Summer-Exhibition-2024-WEB--52.jpg" /> <img width="1971" height="2953" width_o="1971" height_o="2953" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4d3bc8ed8096df39b343a6ecb961de3a508dcbb6ffdc45ea2e8fc4cdec20087c/DSC2227-25cm-sRGB.jpg" data-mid="217818029" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/4d3bc8ed8096df39b343a6ecb961de3a508dcbb6ffdc45ea2e8fc4cdec20087c/DSC2227-25cm-sRGB.jpg" /> <img width="1971" height="2953" width_o="1971" height_o="2953" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1948fa4d7013f41c4710882b553a8ee557a21c76628617c36869592559a29570/DSC2327-25cm-sRGB.jpg" data-mid="217818820" border="0" 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data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/70f11b5c0a6ede1d2e3091375b406e0d346bc94f8e12885a44118ad56797153d/0257_Bluecoat-Summer-Exhibition-2024-WEB--102.jpg" data-mid="215718724" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/70f11b5c0a6ede1d2e3091375b406e0d346bc94f8e12885a44118ad56797153d/0257_Bluecoat-Summer-Exhibition-2024-WEB--102.jpg" /> <img width="1600" height="1068" width_o="1600" height_o="1068" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0d20b45a8f9f2b6ed7ce36cad035153beba3691d17b0952475b493f0a1f292de/DSC2281-1600px-sRGB.jpg" data-mid="217818008" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0d20b45a8f9f2b6ed7ce36cad035153beba3691d17b0952475b493f0a1f292de/DSC2281-1600px-sRGB.jpg" /> <img width="2953" height="2834" width_o="2953" height_o="2834" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2431f40378902271855d6613b26ad33d78f128d4bfbf79e93182660912bb0758/DSC2159-comp-25cm-sRGB.jpg" data-mid="217818298" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/2431f40378902271855d6613b26ad33d78f128d4bfbf79e93182660912bb0758/DSC2159-comp-25cm-sRGB.jpg" /> <img width="1024" height="693" width_o="1024" height_o="693" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f36e8673d29f5cf543ce8eded0436a7adef0ad77bab2a1a6f6ac34bd33daacd9/0202_Bluecoat-Summer-Exhibition-2024-WEB--47.jpg" data-mid="215718838" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f36e8673d29f5cf543ce8eded0436a7adef0ad77bab2a1a6f6ac34bd33daacd9/0202_Bluecoat-Summer-Exhibition-2024-WEB--47.jpg" /> <img width="1024" height="725" width_o="1024" height_o="725" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c61fff71e6b0a32ce7f034359e57893511f4b77833c421d46f70289367c34413/0160_Bluecoat-Summer-Exhibition-2024-WEB--5.jpg" data-mid="215718826" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c61fff71e6b0a32ce7f034359e57893511f4b77833c421d46f70289367c34413/0160_Bluecoat-Summer-Exhibition-2024-WEB--5.jpg" /> <img width="840" height="1024" width_o="840" height_o="1024" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ba163e611048d2836a2603f87e92127d268c01de1f6c2e4100ec208843850dd0/0168_Bluecoat-Summer-Exhibition-2024-WEB--13.jpg" data-mid="215718832" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/840/i/ba163e611048d2836a2603f87e92127d268c01de1f6c2e4100ec208843850dd0/0168_Bluecoat-Summer-Exhibition-2024-WEB--13.jpg" /> <img width="2953" height="1971" width_o="2953" height_o="1971" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5a6cc463bf889e4fd76d076658c21daa1ff88c9322d8aa83b271389b553580eb/DSC2177-25cm-sRGB.jpg" data-mid="217817951" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/5a6cc463bf889e4fd76d076658c21daa1ff88c9322d8aa83b271389b553580eb/DSC2177-25cm-sRGB.jpg" /> <img width="2953" height="2775" width_o="2953" height_o="2775" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/56f7255c47f7256c54989ec1fa34e0fdedae0d74d365ff40b1012984f261fae7/DSC2255-comp-25cm-sRGB.jpg" data-mid="217818012" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/56f7255c47f7256c54989ec1fa34e0fdedae0d74d365ff40b1012984f261fae7/DSC2255-comp-25cm-sRGB.jpg" /> <img width="2953" height="1971" width_o="2953" height_o="1971" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a1df623842e52d9b21b9842e460cc5b0274cbcba1d5dbe640224193437d9d8cb/DSC2206-25cm-sRGB.jpg" data-mid="217818232" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/a1df623842e52d9b21b9842e460cc5b0274cbcba1d5dbe640224193437d9d8cb/DSC2206-25cm-sRGB.jpg" /> <img width="2953" height="2172" width_o="2953" height_o="2172" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b3932f8d9c72a8d2e0d25d0d38379185fabf482abe27f6efd9837acbf90e0b06/DSC2187-comp-25cm-sRGB.jpg" data-mid="217818321" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b3932f8d9c72a8d2e0d25d0d38379185fabf482abe27f6efd9837acbf90e0b06/DSC2187-comp-25cm-sRGB.jpg" /> <img width="2953" height="1971" width_o="2953" height_o="1971" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b888ccdbce78a6e4edf4d471718f5911e6622d938aeb7dd77a24f1b73f9f8241/DSC2322-25cm-sRGB.jpg" data-mid="217818521" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b888ccdbce78a6e4edf4d471718f5911e6622d938aeb7dd77a24f1b73f9f8241/DSC2322-25cm-sRGB.jpg" /> Images by Brian Roberts and Roger Sinek Let Your Ideas Come Back As Children The Bluecoat, School Lane, Liverpool21st July- 3rd November 2024First Institutional solo show in the UK. Let Your Ideas Come Back As Children, is an exhibition by artistic duo Roxy Topia and Paddy Gould in collaboration with writer and musician Cormac Gould and children from Bluecoat's Out of the Blue after school clubs in Anfield and Norris Green. The artists have transformed the Bluecoat's Groundfloor galleries into the headquarters of Connexus, a futuristic creative industry. Over the past 6 months, the artists have worked with children aged 7-11 to imagine how the world of work and creativity will look in the future. Connexus has been split into four distinct rooms, a Meditation Room, Creative Ops, a heavily restricted Server Room, and a 'Boredroom'. The imagination, hopes, and fears of both child collaborators and adult artists have been combined to create a space in which both adults and children can think about the future. You are invited to pick up a specially designed map of the headquarters and take on the role of Connexus staff. Workers can follow a series of workday tasks in the gallery, with assistance available from the Bluecoat's invigilators who take on the role of Connexus Insight Guardians. By speculating on the future, the artists and their collaborators also reveal truths about the present day. The children's ideas of what the future holds ranges from optimistic idealism to macabre realisations. Happy Volcano on Mars, for example, is an interactive sculpture that invites you to audition for a job on Mars; this is reflective of the hope that technology will propel us to interplanetary opportunities. However, in Future Foods, a prediction of what children think we'll eat in the future, we have to face the reality that our diets may change as a result of climate catastrophe. Two audio works have been produced in collaboration with writer and musician Cormac Gould. The first takes place in the Meditation Room, in which a siren calls workers to take part in a "mandatory creative decompression." A calm voice reads out meditative statements that a future workplace might use for staff wellbeing. We are told to relax and reminded that we 'are an important cog in a valuable machine.' Affirmations, questions, jokes and a mellow soundscape all help put our mind at ease while reclining on brain shaped bean bags. Perhaps the employers of the future will take great care of their employees, or maybe enforced meditations are just a means to extract more productivity. A second audio work can be heard coming from the Server Room. Gentle electronic beeps, clicks and the hum of electronics can be heard spilling out from three dark and mysterious sculptures. The Server Room is the heart of Connexus, and yet is kept at arm's length from visitors. We are only permitted to peek through ventilation holes in the wall. Much of the technology we currently rely on also remains distant and mysterious; our smartphones are glued shut, and the algorithms and lines of code that fill our lives are kept entirely out of view. Blueprints inspired by conversations and workshops with children are presented in the Boredroom. One blueprint tells of rebellious youth movements fuelled by the electrical currents of new technology. Another tells us of the disruptive power of future musical genres, causing chaos in the workplace. We read that Connexus bosses struggle with the exuberant new music, unsure whether they can harness and sell rebellious new art forms or whether they will disrupt Connexus's power. In Let Your Ideas Come Back As Children we are offered a glimpse at the uninhibited imagination of future artists. But the exhibition also leaves us with questions about how art will be valued in the future, and who will decide what we use our creativity for? Will Weirdcore be the soundtrack to our liberation, or will we be toiling away to the sound of Productive Jazz and Crunchtime Rock? Let Your Ideas Come Back As Children is part of Weird Futures, a season of exhibitions, films, and workshops that asks audiences to think about our place in the future. Adam Lewis-Smythe&nbsp; Curator Read a reflective piece called ‘Welcome to Connexus’ on the themes behind the show by Artist, curator and writer Niki Russell at The Bluecoat websiteAn interview with us at The BluecoatRead a review by Patrick Kirk Smith at&nbsp;Art in Liverpool https://roxytopiapaddygould.com/Discombobuloscopy Wed, 15 Jul 2020 20:18:44 +0000 roxytopiapaddygould https://roxytopiapaddygould.com/Discombobuloscopy Discombobuloscopy Convenience Gallery, Birkenhead <img width="2720" height="2000" width_o="2720" height_o="2000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/325a3ca42adc8a34864a19a0acb5c50f9843adc22a2517dce2c6f9eff02e39fe/Full-screen-flat-on-2000px.jpg" data-mid="161596497" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/325a3ca42adc8a34864a19a0acb5c50f9843adc22a2517dce2c6f9eff02e39fe/Full-screen-flat-on-2000px.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="2250" width_o="1500" height_o="2250" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5a81ef58a49606c68e940145513c3a24005ec7f98ac83b24864b43dbba9f57b8/Left-panel-Curtain-1500px.jpg" data-mid="161596493" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/5a81ef58a49606c68e940145513c3a24005ec7f98ac83b24864b43dbba9f57b8/Left-panel-Curtain-1500px.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1500" width_o="1500" height_o="1500" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0ec14bd209975e6fe091740a84868da1154bfc409dbb33cf9c394bdcaa08fa0b/IMG_0108-1500px.jpg" data-mid="161596490" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0ec14bd209975e6fe091740a84868da1154bfc409dbb33cf9c394bdcaa08fa0b/IMG_0108-1500px.jpg" /> <img width="2021" height="1500" width_o="2021" height_o="1500" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7aed0c2eebcd5fa291fb9f8b56c01a3df8e9477f08afbe00a8faf813f983c7e1/IMG_0115-1500px.jpg" data-mid="161596495" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/7aed0c2eebcd5fa291fb9f8b56c01a3df8e9477f08afbe00a8faf813f983c7e1/IMG_0115-1500px.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="2250" width_o="1500" height_o="2250" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6e19064463c65fc788e0c4f4c5bf5f12247328a38712f6d78ee242e077564233/Middle-panel-Curtain-1500px.jpg" data-mid="161596492" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6e19064463c65fc788e0c4f4c5bf5f12247328a38712f6d78ee242e077564233/Middle-panel-Curtain-1500px.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="2000" width_o="1500" height_o="2000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/bee7848d9768875b4cdc9451ce7865394bfd2022adec3a55268d6cce00989970/IMG_0114-1500px.jpg" data-mid="161596496" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/bee7848d9768875b4cdc9451ce7865394bfd2022adec3a55268d6cce00989970/IMG_0114-1500px.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="2250" width_o="1500" height_o="2250" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/701fcd2397306737350787cc408f74a0b9e20732fc1d549ffa9e829d5b00d1fb/Right-panel-Curtain-1500px.jpg" data-mid="161596491" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/701fcd2397306737350787cc408f74a0b9e20732fc1d549ffa9e829d5b00d1fb/Right-panel-Curtain-1500px.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="2080" width_o="1500" height_o="2080" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5b3576e56117dbd1e706b19c2df57cb13ba76d1148cd219ba016c5c7e14a1bb8/IMG_0111-1500px.jpg" data-mid="161596489" border="0" data-no-zoom="true" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/5b3576e56117dbd1e706b19c2df57cb13ba76d1148cd219ba016c5c7e14a1bb8/IMG_0111-1500px.jpg" /> <img width="1080" height="820" width_o="1080" height_o="820" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3a2526df4ec6b658010cdbc2e1101781ddb0ac89e3f5a91318d6d3df100a1ea3/IMG_6491.JPG" data-mid="215750666" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3a2526df4ec6b658010cdbc2e1101781ddb0ac89e3f5a91318d6d3df100a1ea3/IMG_6491.JPG" /> Acrylic on handcut mdf, plywood and polymer clay, automotive paint on aluminium, metal frame and curtain. 2022. Friday 25th February 2022 - 11th March 2022Convenience Gallery, Bloom Building, Birkenhead, CH41 5FQMore info can be found here‘Discombobuloscopy’ is an experimental collaborative painting, made in relief from hand cut MDF, metal and polymer clay. Mounted as a tri-fold modesty screen made specifically for the Convenience Gallery modular framework, it sits in a tradition of decoratively carved and painted screens and room dividers that dates back thousands of years, including those used for the privacy of medical examination. The painting depicts an imaginative, unfolding body as landscape for contemplation; part self-examination, part costume change. Inspired by cartoonish representations, medical models and body imaging, body horror movie prop design and the&nbsp;melting, colour driven animism of psychedelia;&nbsp;the piece meditates on how conscious we have become of our bodies and whether it’s possible to build a coherent picture of them? Do we view our bodies as just a vehicle and what or who is along for the ride; are we just relay nodes for the micro-organisms we house?&nbsp;How best do we live in ourselves as a site for transformation? Trifold Handout to accompany the exhibition: <img width="1417" height="1010" width_o="1417" height_o="1010" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ccc45def985ebc1aef2fe3dca0991acda14b2f688fd86f1ffe68f3e5d44d59b4/Discombobuloscopy-handout-front-Final-web.jpg" data-mid="215750570" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ccc45def985ebc1aef2fe3dca0991acda14b2f688fd86f1ffe68f3e5d44d59b4/Discombobuloscopy-handout-front-Final-web.jpg" /><img width="1417" height="1010" width_o="1417" height_o="1010" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/63ccc0bc464fa86763260f2d8d6dece8c684c1ef61017f5dae391603776da5d4/Discombobuloscopy-handout-insides-Final-web.jpg" data-mid="215750571" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/63ccc0bc464fa86763260f2d8d6dece8c684c1ef61017f5dae391603776da5d4/Discombobuloscopy-handout-insides-Final-web.jpg" /> <img width="3024" height="3024" width_o="3024" height_o="3024" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e14f4d24b639568769dbcaf48be93564190f9c7dd7d49b4a1d008366aa621c36/Social-media-flyer-11th.jpg" data-mid="132210362" border="0" data-scale="50" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e14f4d24b639568769dbcaf48be93564190f9c7dd7d49b4a1d008366aa621c36/Social-media-flyer-11th.jpg" /> https://roxytopiapaddygould.com/Pause-For-Living Thu, 07 Jul 2022 15:09:09 +0000 roxytopiapaddygould https://roxytopiapaddygould.com/Pause-For-Living Pause For LivingSPRING/SUMMER CBS Gallery, Liverpool <img width="1417" height="1026" width_o="1417" height_o="1026" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f63e135cfa4f17c1b38cd97f29496aa5b7cdacfb39e8e6db415b620906c25675/IMG_3500-1.jpeg" data-mid="160836279" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f63e135cfa4f17c1b38cd97f29496aa5b7cdacfb39e8e6db415b620906c25675/IMG_3500-1.jpeg" /> <img width="945" height="1417" width_o="945" height_o="1417" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c813c3d38d718b5e347ec37332cc619ac1c2e5cc4ef961cdf8694d277bf5183d/IMG_3510.jpeg" data-mid="160836184" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/945/i/c813c3d38d718b5e347ec37332cc619ac1c2e5cc4ef961cdf8694d277bf5183d/IMG_3510.jpeg" /> <img width="1417" height="945" width_o="1417" height_o="945" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c5343ae65817e05ace63c3fecf1fd540ef2202cc2df24533b4e5dbe33ddf02c9/IMG_3560.jpeg" data-mid="160836176" border="0" alt="Domestic Beacon Series" data-caption="Domestic Beacon Series" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c5343ae65817e05ace63c3fecf1fd540ef2202cc2df24533b4e5dbe33ddf02c9/IMG_3560.jpeg" /> <img width="945" height="1417" width_o="945" height_o="1417" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f2a0fcced7d0ead477aafcd546f3522a7bcfd2b53f615a3686cbd3c0a4d026cf/IMG_3517-1.jpeg" data-mid="160836280" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/945/i/f2a0fcced7d0ead477aafcd546f3522a7bcfd2b53f615a3686cbd3c0a4d026cf/IMG_3517-1.jpeg" /> <img width="1417" height="945" width_o="1417" height_o="945" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7efc3e74cce2eb250b967cfdfeac36bd1975a491a3821dbd394a4321321eaae7/IMG_3530.jpeg" data-mid="160836180" border="0" alt="Cupboard Staple BH1 &amp; 1AB" data-caption="Cupboard Staple BH1 &amp; 1AB" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/7efc3e74cce2eb250b967cfdfeac36bd1975a491a3821dbd394a4321321eaae7/IMG_3530.jpeg" /> <img width="1417" height="945" width_o="1417" height_o="945" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/750dab76aa505061056ad65a96d7164cb5f4deccda19d66db9a629800f577ab4/IMG_3541.jpeg" data-mid="160836179" border="0" alt="Those Sighing' Hawaiian Blues" data-caption="Those Sighing' Hawaiian Blues" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/750dab76aa505061056ad65a96d7164cb5f4deccda19d66db9a629800f577ab4/IMG_3541.jpeg" /> <img width="945" height="1417" width_o="945" height_o="1417" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4c65f673c44d6f9f05b9262f4422f020bc6f0ba27ed4aceab097cb5029facbd3/IMG_3555.jpeg" data-mid="160836177" border="0" alt="Postcard for Grandad" data-caption="Postcard for Grandad" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/945/i/4c65f673c44d6f9f05b9262f4422f020bc6f0ba27ed4aceab097cb5029facbd3/IMG_3555.jpeg" /> <img width="945" height="1417" width_o="945" height_o="1417" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5eb98c07863f57c706bcb356c2c45e802abd2c2b32886c49b48b11870730cd21/IMG_3563-copy.jpeg" data-mid="160836178" border="0" alt="A very British summer" data-caption="A very British summer" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/945/i/5eb98c07863f57c706bcb356c2c45e802abd2c2b32886c49b48b11870730cd21/IMG_3563-copy.jpeg" /> <img width="850" height="1105" width_o="850" height_o="1105" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4de68c3f54a1bd43e4e638227f04564612e539c4f6ee4d6c9d9a4ad57e06fe4a/P-RFrame-edits-3.png" data-mid="160836368" border="0" alt="Rebel by choice" data-caption="Rebel by choice" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/850/i/4de68c3f54a1bd43e4e638227f04564612e539c4f6ee4d6c9d9a4ad57e06fe4a/P-RFrame-edits-3.png" /> <img width="850" height="1106" width_o="850" height_o="1106" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a597768520a8fc8b7d613bd0899904fdd8b102e412a2ba2c88dfca070e9d06ed/P-RFrame-edits-5.png" data-mid="160836370" border="0" alt="Anything but ordinary" data-caption="Anything but ordinary" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/850/i/a597768520a8fc8b7d613bd0899904fdd8b102e412a2ba2c88dfca070e9d06ed/P-RFrame-edits-5.png" /> <img width="850" height="1105" width_o="850" height_o="1105" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3b4cacf95d1092f1a258105d23bb2e98c69938f6130b626a106b569ba3fb1d87/P-RFrame-edits-2.png" data-mid="160836367" border="0" alt="Homecoming" data-caption="Homecoming" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/850/i/3b4cacf95d1092f1a258105d23bb2e98c69938f6130b626a106b569ba3fb1d87/P-RFrame-edits-2.png" /> <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/fd1692c55db9fa52583bb53b8c72b51d134b588737784c46648d2c8756678e4f/IMG_4006.JPG" data-mid="160835485" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/fd1692c55db9fa52583bb53b8c72b51d134b588737784c46648d2c8756678e4f/IMG_4006.JPG" /> Pause For LivingAUTUMN / WINTER Pink Sands, Birkenhead <img width="4032" height="3024" width_o="4032" height_o="3024" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d6a3283b7eac095a13ce91207c97c8403204722d1bce1b8603c7103b16ac31f2/IMG_4162.JPG" data-mid="160836582" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d6a3283b7eac095a13ce91207c97c8403204722d1bce1b8603c7103b16ac31f2/IMG_4162.JPG" /> <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7c1d99f8bd78a61ebb725c440ccef935a337fe2703898a3eadc9cb4e64f22c95/IMG_4213.JPG" data-mid="160836622" border="0" alt="Slurp, chew or swallow?" data-caption="Slurp, chew or swallow?" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/7c1d99f8bd78a61ebb725c440ccef935a337fe2703898a3eadc9cb4e64f22c95/IMG_4213.JPG" /> <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e9d5d6e8dd66c7c3011dc047ec570d6780651358efaf549f6331987a2acdfa23/IMG_4170.JPG" data-mid="160836812" border="0" alt="Hibernation and Cupboard staple 1BF" data-caption="Hibernation and Cupboard staple 1BF" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e9d5d6e8dd66c7c3011dc047ec570d6780651358efaf549f6331987a2acdfa23/IMG_4170.JPG" /> <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0924a3df4e1726eee2ca18fa05692a2ac8f88ce4f9a7978218e830ad07554e0a/IMG_4210.JPG" data-mid="160836959" border="0" alt="Cupboard staple A4" data-caption="Cupboard staple A4" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0924a3df4e1726eee2ca18fa05692a2ac8f88ce4f9a7978218e830ad07554e0a/IMG_4210.JPG" /> <img width="4032" height="3024" width_o="4032" height_o="3024" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0cc509f1fbbf29a738200bb222f85ba2b8bd87e16d83d06a5b83fb096259565f/IMG_4180.JPG" data-mid="160836813" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0cc509f1fbbf29a738200bb222f85ba2b8bd87e16d83d06a5b83fb096259565f/IMG_4180.JPG" /> <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f9ba25de90a1231d38786c681a1cfbead46f26f034964f0bead0586389cc6a47/IMG_4307.JPG" data-mid="160838405" border="0" alt="Rinse and Repeat" data-caption="Rinse and Repeat" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f9ba25de90a1231d38786c681a1cfbead46f26f034964f0bead0586389cc6a47/IMG_4307.JPG" /> <img width="4032" height="3024" width_o="4032" height_o="3024" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/bd9648fe2560532a0a1eccdbc4a212ca559935dd7c8223801674de5ff22a4cce/IMG_4226.JPG" data-mid="160836960" border="0" alt="Domestic drawings series" data-caption="Domestic drawings series" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/bd9648fe2560532a0a1eccdbc4a212ca559935dd7c8223801674de5ff22a4cce/IMG_4226.JPG" /> <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d84a75d3d0915c8f8e5d63dade7edf195ea09f77b247ca081f18d31600c0e048/IMG_4285.JPG" data-mid="160836877" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d84a75d3d0915c8f8e5d63dade7edf195ea09f77b247ca081f18d31600c0e048/IMG_4285.JPG" /> “In the mid 20th century Coca Cola began releasing a free advertising pamphlet called ‘Pause for Living’. Four colourful seasonal issues a year offered hosting advice, illustrated crafting ideas and party tips; aimed at housewives and reminding them to entertain with Coke.Fast forward to 2020, what a year for us all.This work was mostly completed last year but it was started a year or so before. Our grappling with a more settled and tbh more boring lifestyle was only exacerbated by the onset of lockdown. Our rented home environment, full of objects, plants and knick-knacks all became close friends for better or worse. Time spent reflecting on nomadic yearnings, handed down aspirations, nostalgic longing, self-sufficiency and daily routines; values that are advertised to us by objects in the home; all in a moment like none any of us had ever experienced.We present still lives, paintings and sculptural vignettes that attempt to capture a mixture of feelings and changeable emotions. (Objects which further clutter our lives lol). We can’t say that everything that happened in 2020 was all bad, amongst some very painful times there were some positive outcomes. Let’s just say we tried to ‘PFL’ and be ok with it.”Roxy &amp; PaddyPause for Living was split over two venues CBS Gallery and Pink Sands Studio, Sept-Oct 2021 The shows featured all handmade painted sculptures, drawings and paintings employing a range of materials to create installations that suggested rooms. Bespoke pamphlets were created for each show in the style of the original ‘Pause for Living’ pamphlets described above. If you would like a copy of either pamphlet, we have a few remaining so get in touch! <img width="1800" height="1274" width_o="1800" height_o="1274" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3c1f35259d9841ae1470877ee0561c4b4c414bd19b133ee0c7c1268068624be0/CBS-Header-PS-copy.jpg" data-mid="147328728" border="0" data-scale="100" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3c1f35259d9841ae1470877ee0561c4b4c414bd19b133ee0c7c1268068624be0/CBS-Header-PS-copy.jpg" /> https://roxytopiapaddygould.com/Acid-to-Alkaline Sun, 11 Dec 2022 11:56:24 +0000 roxytopiapaddygould https://roxytopiapaddygould.com/Acid-to-Alkaline Acid to Alkaline Series <img width="1364" height="1080" width_o="1364" height_o="1080" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/77c7d4d7d7dea66328e0b93f3b9261010b94fd32a35376b85a3c3c0a062bfe5b/1-Roswellness.jpg" data-mid="161597929" border="0" alt="Roswellness" data-caption="Roswellness" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/77c7d4d7d7dea66328e0b93f3b9261010b94fd32a35376b85a3c3c0a062bfe5b/1-Roswellness.jpg" /> <img width="1080" height="1438" width_o="1080" height_o="1438" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0662ca70c133af9c1c8d78dbe2121d3668c431b645ab375aa26cf23caa401306/2-Jolly-Rancher.jpg" data-mid="161597930" border="0" alt="Jolly Rancher" data-caption="Jolly Rancher" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0662ca70c133af9c1c8d78dbe2121d3668c431b645ab375aa26cf23caa401306/2-Jolly-Rancher.jpg" /> <img width="900" height="2163" width_o="900" height_o="2163" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a7bd65dc1d2312937791e6e45233af8b88a1c749661352700d616cea2d6a866f/3-High-plains-lovers.jpg" data-mid="161597931" border="0" alt="High plains lovers" data-caption="High plains lovers" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/900/i/a7bd65dc1d2312937791e6e45233af8b88a1c749661352700d616cea2d6a866f/3-High-plains-lovers.jpg" /> <img width="1080" height="1402" width_o="1080" height_o="1402" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a291a2e163ec27159dd6074afcd0abe522b34c30032e5923d499c94933bc9fe8/4-Carlsbad-Cleanse.jpg" data-mid="161597932" border="0" alt="Carlsbad cleanse" data-caption="Carlsbad cleanse" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/a291a2e163ec27159dd6074afcd0abe522b34c30032e5923d499c94933bc9fe8/4-Carlsbad-Cleanse.jpg" /> <img width="1185" height="1080" width_o="1185" height_o="1080" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4027c519de01ea13f1c704ef2eda9b23c256fc9da000a805e2f289ca20788fc3/5-Compound-snuggles.jpg" data-mid="161597933" border="0" alt="Compound snuggles" data-caption="Compound snuggles" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/4027c519de01ea13f1c704ef2eda9b23c256fc9da000a805e2f289ca20788fc3/5-Compound-snuggles.jpg" /> <img width="900" height="2124" width_o="900" height_o="2124" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/cce95734b3b90c97f06097826b236995da60a752e46e35685648a42a6eddc89a/6-High-altitude.jpg" data-mid="161597934" border="0" alt="High altitude" data-caption="High altitude" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/900/i/cce95734b3b90c97f06097826b236995da60a752e46e35685648a42a6eddc89a/6-High-altitude.jpg" /> <img width="1338" height="1080" width_o="1338" height_o="1080" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0a10da5b0bf8248d8f2c1290a447538fcaa34eb0968e79d5f177999261202d34/7-Bitter-lake.jpg" data-mid="161597935" border="0" alt="Bitter lake" data-caption="Bitter lake" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0a10da5b0bf8248d8f2c1290a447538fcaa34eb0968e79d5f177999261202d34/7-Bitter-lake.jpg" /> <img width="1080" height="1581" width_o="1080" height_o="1581" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0d0258718e9c762fe321f140cceabd2d8bf959f0b87f7697302d3a10b6b4d377/8-Taos.jpg" data-mid="161597936" border="0" alt="Taos" data-caption="Taos" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0d0258718e9c762fe321f140cceabd2d8bf959f0b87f7697302d3a10b6b4d377/8-Taos.jpg" /> <img width="1080" height="1250" width_o="1080" height_o="1250" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/28a44f90ece61a7ec02184886045ecb727235239b0a8a127ebea7c7b7246d910/9-Carrizozo-juice.jpg" data-mid="161597937" border="0" alt="Carrizozo juice" data-caption="Carrizozo juice" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/28a44f90ece61a7ec02184886045ecb727235239b0a8a127ebea7c7b7246d910/9-Carrizozo-juice.jpg" /> <img width="1080" height="1377" width_o="1080" height_o="1377" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/57c3cd2cbd6a612c927670da3f3daf37e682a46d7636f22efe7269c5505c7100/10-Muscle-Motel.jpg" data-mid="161597941" border="0" alt="Muscle motel" data-caption="Muscle motel" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/57c3cd2cbd6a612c927670da3f3daf37e682a46d7636f22efe7269c5505c7100/10-Muscle-Motel.jpg" /> We were invited to contribute drawings for Issue 3 of the ‘This is Jackalope’ annual, bilingual printed publication (ES/ENG) by Christina Anglada &amp; Gema Melgar.&nbsp;It gathers texts and visual essays that reflect on the themes and interests of the contemporary artistic and cultural field. The ten drawings featured are from our Acid to Alkaline Series created whilst on the Roswell Artist in Residence Program 2015-16. &nbsp;All drawings were created using pen and airbrush on bristol board. They had not previously been exhibited.&nbsp; Designed by Otro Bureau Available from the This Is Jackalope Website <img width="425" height="576" width_o="425" height_o="576" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0faa2fd0d4e534126707f1585409755bf856c3dca84e2cc749d1abaf8aff5432/ThisIsJackalopeCover.jpg" data-mid="161597329" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/425/i/0faa2fd0d4e534126707f1585409755bf856c3dca84e2cc749d1abaf8aff5432/ThisIsJackalopeCover.jpg" /><img width="425" height="576" width_o="425" height_o="576" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f2ebc2b7e81d01697c5b507010dea516914440e0a28919ae9ed78eea4cd279cd/ThisIsJackalopeContriburtors.jpg" data-mid="161597330" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/425/i/f2ebc2b7e81d01697c5b507010dea516914440e0a28919ae9ed78eea4cd279cd/ThisIsJackalopeContriburtors.jpg" /> https://roxytopiapaddygould.com/I-m-not-perfect-but-I-m-perfect-for-you Sat, 13 May 2023 13:33:20 +0000 roxytopiapaddygould https://roxytopiapaddygould.com/I-m-not-perfect-but-I-m-perfect-for-you I’m not perfect, but I’m perfect for youThe artistic collaboration of Roxy Topia and Paddy Gould.By Linda Pittwood, 2018 Ceramics appear to be dipped in rainbows or glazed with nail varnish. Some are finished with a smooth disruptive puff of bespoke textile. A proud but jovial horse-like object elegantly wears a clitoris for a face. Snakes, bowels, anemones, curls of black hair follow the contours of ovaries. Artists Roxy Topia and Paddy Gould have been engaged in a prolific collaboration since around 2008. The multi-media practice they have developed together could be described as ‘maximalism,’ but in an odd way that word seems reductive. Their work is underpinned by drawings; both in the sense that they produce hand-drawn works on paper, but also that their sculptures, animations or even performance combine attention to surface design, with concept, form, texture and humour. The 2012 exhibition Drip into Something More Comfortable established their interest in human idiosyncrasies and interactions, and the material culture of sex, using layers of imagery, sound, clashes of ideas and patterns. Perhaps not recognised legally, around this time they entered into an ‘artists-marriage,’ with vows that were written for the couple by an artist friend of theirs, Oliver Braid. “… I will photograph, photoshop and photomontage at your request…,” they read in a video animation titled I’m not perfect, but I’m perfect for you that used the vows as dialogue, “…Install with you, share observations with you…”. They continued their inquiry into sexuality and their own romantic relationship in the works they displayed the following year in the exhibition Hubba Hubba. Specifically the narrative of the show was about “the maintaining of desire in a long-term relationship.” Bodies appear to have been deconstructed, then glued together with new types of tissue, cells or foreign objects. Their drawings shimmer like something alive and multiplying under a microscope, like an animation about to animate. Somehow their attack on the human body never seems macabre. In their next show, Where the Magic Happens in 2013, body parts continued to be a central motif. Sometimes we can see recognisable human features, a nose for example, with additional noses hanging against a golden halo of iridescent afro hair. This show also introduced their interest in the bizarre language and anecdotes of Hollywood: the movies, press junkets and celebrity antics. They wrote in their press release, “The muscle memory in Jack Nicholson’s eyebrows has kept his skin limber year after year, re-enforcing his persona and our desire.” Topia and Gould have occasionally curated and produced performance outputs, although they never let go of their own distinctive aesthetic. In 2015, they built a gallery and ‘Tiki bar’ in their back garden to exhibit the work of other artists and serve cocktails. The project was titled Duvet Days. It was intended to gently protest something un-specified, perhaps a reference to John and Yoko’s Bed in for Peace, 1969. Treating their back catalogue like the ‘ink blot’ tests invented by invented by psychologist Hermann Rorschach, I tell Topia and Gould that I can see psychedelic record sleeves, microbes, brain cells, packaging and 1990s graphic design in their work. When I ask if any of these are deliberate references, they reply: no, not really, only the cells. Their work looks effortless, whilst much of the labour of meaning-making happens in the imagination of the viewer. Obsessions come in and out of focus. Yet, their concern with sexuality and bodies persists. In The Internal Clitoris drawings, the shape of interior female anatomy is explored and interrupted. Sometimes the shapes of ovaries and wombs are formed with cherry cakes and a coiled spring. Another time by a coil of hair, the lacy frill of pair of underpants and a sea of microbes. Whilst the female form has been the subject of Western art for centuries, in their output it feels less pornographic than normal. Their sculpture One Size Does Not Fit All. Internal Clitoris, 2014 (the horse-like object) was selected for a group exhibition titled Sex Shop as part of the Folkestone Triennial Fringe. It was later featured on the British public-service television channel, Channel 4, in a programme called Sex in Class in 2015. The programme discussed new approaches to sex education in British state schools. Topia and Gould’s exhibition Massages From the Second Brain, was held at Studio 1.1, London, UK and Monte Vista Projects, Los Angeles, USA in 2014. Drawings hang unframed on the wall, charged with energy and swirls of toothpaste. Ceramic objects hover at the cusp of disgusting. Over time their work becomes more Science-Fiction as the bodily forms from their drawings escape the page and become free-standing sculptures. By the time they produced the exhibition Great Pretenders, in 2016, aliens made simply of organs covered in the artists’ distinctive surface design seem about to walk out of the gallery. An important part of the artists’ recent history is their 2016 year-long residency in Roswell, New Mexico, USA. Roswell is a real place but also a mythical one. In 1947 a flying disc was seen in the sky, which remains the subject of fierce debate. Was it a UFO? Or a nuclear test surveillance balloon? Topia and Gould’s work fits well in a place that can been seen differently according to what the viewer wants to see (and a place associated with extra-terrestrial life). Spending so much time in a remote location has clearly impacted them personally and artistically, and made them unafraid of diverting from well-trodden paths. Their work has always been underpinned by their personal narrative and at a certain point they start to use the device of transcribing a conversation between them in their press releases. This is compelling, as in their work it is impossible to see where the contribution of one artist ends and another begins. (The interview for this feature could have been written by one or the other, or both). It helps them to reflect on their life and work, turning everything into a dialogue. After returning from Roswell they wrote: Paddy: Picture this, for a year you are standing under the whole blue cloudless sky, expansive flat plains surround you and the brightest sun you have ever seen is beaming down upon you. The nearest big city is 3 hours away and to get anywhere you have to drive, you may or may not see anyone for over a week. Roxy: Sounds pretty great, well it was. Bringing their story up to date, the artists recently held the show Refried Beans in Todmorden, a small creative town surrounded by mountains in rural England. The gallery is owned by artist Matthew Houlding, who disrupts the architecture of the white cube with sub-sections, open brick-work, different floor levels and coloured glass. The exhibition itself was an opportunity for Topia and Gould to reflect on their return to the UK (‘re-frying beans’ they intend as a metaphor for self-reflexion and re-creation) and the concurrent developments in their lives and their practice. They are now located in Birkenhead, Merseyside, a place not known as a cultural centre, but a location that allows them to access their networks in the vibrant city of Liverpool whilst working intensely in their studio across the river. On another day with a cloudless sky, I ascend the stone steps to Matthew Houlding’s gallery. The artists have been experimenting recently with software that translates drawings into smooth, mechanical cuts in large sheets of fibreboard. These are displayed on a wall partially painted in purple, with textile and other objects hanging and peeping through holes. The push and pull of 2 and 3 dimensions. The pieces are large and heavy, but they have the quality of preliminary sketches. Matthew Houlding’s own work is a presence within the show. As well as building the distinctive space for displaying other artists’ work, he has a studio beyond and a kitchen and storage area filled with large cans of paint and brushes. The result is convivial. Linking the kitchen to the main exhibition, Topia and Gould have lined up cans of baked beans, replacing the labels with the exhibition branding. Baked beans, a cheap, quirky but unexciting British food product are literally re-packaged here as Fine Art. Demonstrating the artists’ skill in making connections between disparate things and making these connections seem logical and coherent. The centrepiece of the show is a beanbag, abstract but clearly meant to resemble a human brain. The beanbag is titled, The Struggle to take it easy. This is curiously appropriate amidst so much colour and movement in their signature heavily-worked drawings. The room is warm, but the coolness of the summer light and the different lines of sight in the space give the pieces room to breathe. At least for today, it doesn’t seem too difficult to take it easy. There are some feet in their new works, perhaps hinting at the many points on the global map that trace their recent trajectory. Or perhaps the feet are just resting before the two artists change location again. <img width="2185" height="3071" width_o="2185" height_o="3071" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7301665dad204fc5922b64790106e2bd9bf18ca7747bc520443b51e645740d65/332_linda-1.jpg" data-mid="178644763" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/7301665dad204fc5922b64790106e2bd9bf18ca7747bc520443b51e645740d65/332_linda-1.jpg" /> <img width="2185" height="3071" width_o="2185" height_o="3071" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/076d7e0b30efee67beb4700fe7faf3a960e521099984dc742922a52301ac2813/332_linda-3.jpg" data-mid="178692556" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/076d7e0b30efee67beb4700fe7faf3a960e521099984dc742922a52301ac2813/332_linda-3.jpg" /> <img width="1836" height="2326" width_o="1836" height_o="2326" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4b2c2d0b1d92817d3dad2317821b85a5961ea19d33215a27a392be4828aad868/332_linda-4.jpg" data-mid="178692557" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/4b2c2d0b1d92817d3dad2317821b85a5961ea19d33215a27a392be4828aad868/332_linda-4.jpg" /> <img width="1836" height="2326" width_o="1836" height_o="2326" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/42be1d96b149c70fe1a0370e38abc7a051f745ad74bd81cb3ece8f2daf89c1fa/332_linda-5.jpg" data-mid="178692565" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/42be1d96b149c70fe1a0370e38abc7a051f745ad74bd81cb3ece8f2daf89c1fa/332_linda-5.jpg" /> <img width="2185" height="3071" width_o="2185" height_o="3071" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/dfb36a608ba34e67151cf7917e20dc7159cb24fcf085fc470d954b75bad3e2b9/332_linda-6.jpg" data-mid="178692559" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/dfb36a608ba34e67151cf7917e20dc7159cb24fcf085fc470d954b75bad3e2b9/332_linda-6.jpg" /> <img width="2185" height="3071" width_o="2185" height_o="3071" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/513076a0971a2f97ba19482a6be003fab3ba61dba898d724adc0a55a964d422b/332_linda-7.jpg" data-mid="178692563" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/513076a0971a2f97ba19482a6be003fab3ba61dba898d724adc0a55a964d422b/332_linda-7.jpg" /> <img width="2185" height="3071" width_o="2185" height_o="3071" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4596fbcdbbd4f2b8444bdf46ce77911530fd7c03f4e5a14e65a4610f3b95a795/332_linda-8.jpg" data-mid="178692562" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/4596fbcdbbd4f2b8444bdf46ce77911530fd7c03f4e5a14e65a4610f3b95a795/332_linda-8.jpg" /> <img width="2185" height="3071" width_o="2185" height_o="3071" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6c6244c198203ed60a261a595f4dc2d84f6c59de185f8a15c60f887670d8f2b1/332_linda-9.jpg" data-mid="178692566" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6c6244c198203ed60a261a595f4dc2d84f6c59de185f8a15c60f887670d8f2b1/332_linda-9.jpg" /> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;