| Thu, 07 Aug 2008 14:48:00 +0000 Art Brightening Up Tube Travellers' Day   A DARK tunnel might be an unlikelyspot for a gallery, but artists are clamouring to exhibit their work there. Kent artist Tim Guest is the latest creative to display his work on the London Underground, brightening up commuters’ day with his striking image of a tree. The Bow will be exhibited on the Piccadilly Line at Gloucester Road for two weeks from Monday, offering Londoners a glimpse of nature as they endure the daily slog. With his impressive portfolio, landing the spot with Art Below was a simple process for the Ramsgate artist. “It was recommended to me and a friend of a friend had exhibited there,” Guest said. “I had a look at the website and when I applied, they liked my images.” Smoggy tunnel Naturally, the painting that will hang in the smoggy tunnel is not the original. That is in the Bell Hotel in Sandwich, alongside other works by Guest. He had to create a huge scan image of the painting, which will be used to adorn Platform Five. Posters of underground art are available to buy and Guest hopes that exhibiting to a captive audience will generate interest in his work. “I’m hoping that I’ll be able to get more exhibitions nationally,” he said. “I’ve already had some interest from a couple of galleries in Brighton.” ON THE PLATFORM: The Bow, above, is on display at the Gloucester Road station on the Piccadilly Underground line in the capital for two weeks. Another of Tim Guest’s paintings, right, is typical of his work inspired by the landscape, which uses acrylic and pastel The Bow is one of a series of images of trees that seemed to develop naturally, as Guest, 36, discovered a market for his unusual pieces. “I really love experimenting with media and I found the pieces that have sold at the Bell Hotel are primarily based on landscapes and trees,” he said. “I’ve done some (more), though I’m not limited to that. I think my vivid use of colours and textures appeals to a lot of people.” While some of his pictures have a moody and almost dark feel to them, others make use of uplifting natural light and rich colours. Guest’s love for experimentation includes shifts in mood, as well as method. “I primarily use acrylic, pastel and resist techniques, and I often put texture on the canvas before painting,” he said. “This kind of experimentation would often add a new significance to my work and create unexpected results. I’ve done some incredibly vibrant pictures with bright oranges and yellows. The tree pictures are quite moody. “The Bow was based on a sketch I took of trees by a beach and it was a particularly bleak day. They (the pictures) are taken from a primary source like sketches and I like to get the mood across when I’m drawing it. But once I’ve experimented, it could take on a new meaning and mood.” Guest went to school in Canterbury and did a degree in fine art at Christ Church University, before studying spatial design at University College, Suffolk. He teaches theatre set design at Canterbury College, as well as working as an illustrator, but is happy to be a fine artist rather than pursuing a full-time career in theatre and TV. “I really enjoy teaching it (set design),” he said. “Unfortunately, when I graduated, a lot of the crews that were designing for the BBC were made defunct and it was swamped by freelancers, so I was not really able to get into it. “But at the same time it enabled me to be a youth artist worker and that led to me going into Creative Partnerships. I felt my own creative curiosity about becoming a fine artist.” Creative partnerships Creative Partnerships, the Arts Council’s creative learning programme, supports long-term collaborations between schools and artistic professionals. Guest delivers workshops in local schools and has found the learning experience to be a two-way street. “I’ve met fantastic artists who have inspired me, but the work with young people has also been inspirational,” he said. “The ideas and creativity bleed into me. Young people get a lot of reward out of being creative and I think it’s missing from a lot of their lives. “I think that by having someone the kids don’t know working alongside the school curriculum, artists are able to push the boundaries and find new ways of exploring a subject. “I’ve been working in primary schools and it can help teachers find new ways of being creative.” Guest spent much of his childhood in Thanet, including some time living in Monkton, and is particularly inspired by the recent surge in the area’s artistic profile. He believes the influence of exciting projects in other areas, like the Folkestone Triennial art exhibition, is also felt in Thanet. “There’s a lot happening,” he said. “It’s an exciting place for artists now that we’ve got the Turner Contemporary in Margate and there are a lot of new galleries. “There’s a lot of regeneration happening and because of my work with artists, I’m privy to what’s underlying and what’s available.” • View more of Guest’s work online at www.modern-wall-art. com. More information about Underground art can be found on the website www.artbelow.net  |
| Sat, 26 Jul 2008 07:12:00 +0000 Exhibition, London Underground, Art Below  Glouester Road - Art Below Exhibition. The poster is up!!  |
| Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:49:00 +0000 Exhibition, London Underground, Art Below Postcards  Lindos Light is inspired by a trip to Lindos, Rhodes last year. The colours and textures that were created during an unusually hot October were quite incredible, particularly looking across the farmlands towards the Acropolis and the sea.  As one of only two surviving piers in Kent, Deal Pier still exists to a substantial length. Its Kentish counterpart at Herne Bay can only boast a shoreward end. The present Deal Pier is the third to have been built here, and is the only new pier in Britain to have been constructed after the Second World War.  Drawn in a snowy April in 2008, Wingham is a tudor village situated 20 mins from Canterbury, Kent UK and is surrounded by woodland and historic buildings.  Inspired by Whitstable Harbour.   |
| Mon, 14 Jul 2008 15:51:00 +0000 Exhibition, London Underground, Art Below Art Below Exhibition  Art Below Exhibition at Gloucester Road tube station28th July - 12th August   |
| Sat, 10 May 2008 16:29:00 +0000 Exhibition, London Underground, Art Below Nature's Kindergarten The universe is one great kindergarten for man. |