Attract, the first Cultivate group show of 2019 ended yesterday, a show curated myself and co-cultivator Emma Harvey, the show and the work of the other artists involved is documented here on the Cultivate website,  the photos here are of my pieces, this website is where I wear my painter’s hat rather than my curator’s cap. Mostly new work produced this year, mostly pieces in found frames, some smaller “art drop” style pieces painted on found wood hanging alongside the recently completed Let The Dance Begin piece Acrylic on found board in found frame, the first larger piece of the year (100 x 90cm). The frames are very much part of the pieces, very much part of the whole, there’s a pleasure in making use of things thrown out.

Attract was fun, Attract was stressful, hanging a show is exciting, herding artists together is frustrating, bringing artists together and making a show work as one whole is the buzz, that and quietly watching the reactions (and sometimes listening to bits of overheard conversations).  I do like BSMT Space, the lighting isn’t the best and that floor is far too dark, but I do like where it is, I do like having to walk through both the beautiful reality, the wonderful people and the noise and ugly chaos of Ridley Road Market to get to the gallery, I do like that gentrification hasn’t quite got to that part of Dalston yet. There’s more about the show over on the Cultivate website and over on the Organ pages. A rather satisfying start to the year, thanks to all who came along and took part, I mostly enjoyed (most) of it…