The Kelham Island Arts Collective (KIAC) has long been a creative hub in Sheffield, bringing together a diverse group of artists to share studio space and ideas. With their upcoming exhibition FOUR set to showcase the work of a talented resident quartet, we caught up with one of the artists involved, Kieran Flynn, to learn more about the collective, the exhibition and the vibrant community that makes it all possible.
Could you tell us a bit about the Kelham Island Arts Collective and what you do?
We’re a shared artist studio of around twenty-five artists, depending on studio uptake. We’re currently full, which is great. We run as a not-for-profit business, which means we all pay studio rent to keep the bills paid so we can all have an affordable studio space to create our art. We are a friendly, creative community made up of lots of painters, but there are also sculptors, potters, woodworkers and even a tool maker.
What inspired a quartet of artists to get together for the upcoming exhibition, FOUR?
Well, we’re all painters, so we have that in common. We also happen to have studio spaces that are all pretty much next to each other, so we often bump into each other when we’re in and working. The main reason is that we all get on, love each other’s artwork and thought that our paintings would complement each other well. We all have very different styles, but none of us are what you would call traditional painters. We don’t paint typical landscapes or portraits. So, hopefully people will be able to find something different and original about the work of all four of us. Also, putting on a group show is lots of fun; it’s great seeing how your paintings work alongside other people’s. Curating the exhibition is just as much fun as having a drink on the opening night.
What can you tell us about the artists involved and their work?
Julian Wright is an abstract painter who predominantly paints about how he feels about his environment. His paintings use lots of bright colours, are full of energy, with lots of interesting mark-making and unusual composition. He only works on recycled canvasses, so expect work painted over charity shop pictures or found pieces of board.
Kay Bainbridge is a semi-abstract colourist who primarily works in oil paint. The imagery she paints often fluctuates between abstract and figurative elements, a play between form, colour and depth. Her landscapes are stylised, so you will recognise elements such as trees, clouds or birds, but the compositions are imagined and often fun and unusual.
Tony Caunce is a musician, writer and artist whose artistic practice has moved through landscape painting, abstract studio work, video performance and installation. His current paintings explore imagined landscapes and interiors. The figures in his work are often haunting and Bacon-esque, his use of paint and mark-making creating a dream-like quality. People who know Kelham Island may well have noticed one of Tony’s huge abstract landscapes on Green Lanes.
Speaking for myself, the paintings in this show will be imagined landscapes and cityscapes. I have always been interested in creating odd worlds from my imagination. I used to run a theatre company and write lots of plays, so I think my love for creating a place or environment from scratch has transferred to my painting. I posted one on Instagram recently, and a friend told me that it looked bleak, which is probably a reaction to the world we are currently living in. I enjoy using contrasting techniques of traditional oil painting with stencilled spray paint. Colour is a huge part of my process; you will often find me studying a colour wheel or a book of swatches.
How can people get involved?
The exhibition opens at the Two and Six on Friday the 6th of December and is up for that weekend. The Two and Six is a great venue with a white-box gallery attached to a lovely micropub. Dan and Juliet, who run it, really know their beer, so there are bound to be some great ones on offer.
We will have affordable prints for sale, which we are doing on demand. So, you can put your order in and we’ll get it to you in time for Christmas. This way we don’t have to do a big, expensive run, and we can pass the savings on to the punters at the exhibition.
hopefully people will be able to find something different and original about the work of all four of us.
Is there anything else in the pipeline from KIAC?
We have just opened five new studio spaces, so our community has grown, which is great. Our gallery space has been closed for the last eighteen months, but the landlord has managed to get the roof in there fixed. This means we will soon have our own gallery again, and I’m looking forward to organising our first group show in there. Curating twenty-five artists will be a right laugh. We’ll definitely let you know about that.
View FOUR at Two and Six Micro Pub, Snig Hill, on Friday 6 Dec (7-11pm), Saturday 7 Dec (12-10pm) and Sunday 8 Dec (3-8pm).
