Mapping the River Thames
City Lit Developing an art practice and personal project. A year long course ending in a group show, that comprise a series of short videos artwork and photographs. The group exhibition Furniture 12 was at ST Pancras Church basement Gallery My Exhibit was a short film "Working upon the land' projected onto a Stone Boulder that I found at Battersea and walked it in a trolly to St Pancras church , to project my video clip onto it shows me working as artist on the river thames at a variety of places. Shown on my website www.glen-paul-mendes.uk
My project work done from 2015-17 during an illustration and visual media MFA and during an art practice project develpment course has been an exploration between artist and location where found objects transpose as artifact and compose into a contemporary art language, the purpose of this has been to both define a technique and develop a very unique art thematic style, by researching the American expressionists and as diverse as Antonio Tapies to Joseph Beuys, Gottlieb and Kieth Harring including theoretical influences from the Gutai Movement and the Situationists that are distilled in discovery and construction.
I work with photography and video, drawing sketched notes and photocopy which transpose into landmaps then into acrylic and natural materials, found objects, river water, charcoal and marker pens.
The photographs and paintings are an influence of the Land art which is about mapping location,connection mark making and star gazing.
Inspired by artists who like to walk in the wilderness and incorporate shamanic technique in the form of symbols and a unique working method, I am interested in a cultural heritage that passes the baton to those who are caretakers of the land.
anthropological areas found in Palaeolithic hunting methods, vibrant matter, psychogeography and recently Gaffuturisim. an Ethnographic exploration.