Surface Gallery is very excited and making preliminary preparations for Tom Lovelace's 'The Cut' exhibition that is due to open Friday 3rd July. Tom is expected to be in the next couple of days working with our volunteers on his return to Surface Gallery to exhibit a solo body of photographic work. His images which he himself crafts, installs, and excavates are of industrial scenes, which ultimately create ephemeral objects and environments that exist solely for the camera. Each scene is constructed life size, presenting disconcerting scenarios that lie in the cusp between reality and fiction.

On Thursday 2nd July from 6-8pm there is a Private Viewing of Tom's work, which is not to be missed! It gives you the chance to view his work and meet the artist and also listen to a talk given by him at 7pm.

Here, at Surface we are also in the preliminary stages of collecting submissions for our Open Show exhibition which will be held 27th July - 7th August. We are receiving daily applications that show promising artists working in a variety of media. It is still not too late to enter, as the deadline has now been extended to 9th July. An application form is avaliable for download from our website, so have a look and also browse our upcoming events!

Saturdayyyyy

So 5degrees is now up and running after a very sucessful opening night on Monday we've plenty of visitors coming and going. After a raining start in Nottingham this morning a steady flow of people have been in and out following the Photoradar trail around Nottingham city center. If you haven't already seen the show you've got four more days to get yourselves down here.

So all in all it's been a rather busy afternoon here at the gallery. Tom Lovelace, the winner of last years open show, has also been in to explore the space and finalise plans for his open show winners exhibition. Having a sneak peak at a couple of his photographs he has brought along I believe 'The Cut' opening on the 3rd of July is going to be an exciting show, and I've also heard rumours there's going to be an artists talk for this one.

Its almost 5pm and I can't believe how quickly this afternoon at Surface has flown by, better start closing up for another day..

Rachel

on the wall

Lovely summery yellow paint job complete. But yet more painting and finishing touches to the gallery itself in preparation for hanging photos for the Photoradar 5degrees exhibition. It's all slowly coming together with three up on the wall. The dark, intriguing tones of these three photos juxtaposed against the brilliantly dazzling white gallery walls and sunshine leaking in through the open doors.

I've been printing off application forms for our Open Show (on at the end of July) - pick one up if you for the chance to exhibit your wares here at Surface! And small posters advertising our new space on the 2nd floor for any photographers in search of copious amounts of natural light...

Volunteers and the Photoradar team sporadically skip off to sneinton market to stock up on fruit and veg in between vital moments of creating, constructing, sanding, painting, hanging, sanding, framing, sunbathing...

Exciting time ahoy: Photoradar - the first exhibition I've been involved in as a new volunteer! See you there, Eve

Yellow!!

.. The Gallery foyer, that is. How very strange..

..except it isn't.
In anticipation and preparation of the upcoming Photoradar show, the Gallery is going through yet another makeover. Gone is the white foyer, and replacing it is a beautifully light lemon colour. Very summery indeed, which is becoming, knowing the weather in Nottingham at the moment!

Inside, it's all systems go. Paint, walls being altered, various DIY implements all over the place, banging and controlled chaos..roll on the opening day, the 2nd of June.

Typically it's been a bit hectic so it has been a while since the last update, apologies for that. And maybe one day we will actually manage to post some more pictures to this blog too - a lot of them are on the Gallery computer, it's all a question of digging the out of the right folders and posting them ;-).
Sadly my own technological expertise is not enough to be able to post anything from my own phone (that's what you get for being to smart and getting a phone that is a bit too clever for you!).

However, we now have a Flickr- account - find us at http://www.flickr.com/photos/surfacegallerynottingham.

There

Adios for now!

-Johanna-

Saturday...

It saturday at the Surface Gallery and as usual there's lots going on. Sam and Gemma have been busy giving interviews and inducting new volunteers. It's exciting meeting new voles, and as the expanding network of volunteers grows so will the gallery which as an exciting new space has heaps of room for development and new opportunities. 

Meanwhile I'm manning the gallery space. Its a penultimate day of Banalarama and we've had a few people in seeing the exhibition. I am currently feeling inspired and putting some thoughts and notes together for a review type piece of writing on the show. 

It's getting to that time of year again where degree shows are nearly upon us. It's scary to think that just this time last year I was busy wrapping up three years of creative work into one final exhibition, and even more scary how quickly the time has gone by since then! I'm sure that any final year students reading this will be feeling the pressure right now..

Here at surface gallery we are all also excited about 2009's up and coming degree shows. First of all we will ourselves be hosting one of the Nottingham Trent's Photography BA exhibitions. PHOTORADAR is this years festival and marks the 13th year of these annual shows and promises to be just as exciting as last years. This exhibition will be on from the 1st - 12th June, make sure you check out the surface gallery for further information on the exhibition and the artists involved.

Also here at Surface Gallery we have an exciting new idea in the pipeline for an exhibition in the summer which will showcase some of the best work and talent coming out of the East Midlands. It's all very exciting stuff!

Rachel

The hills are alive with the sound of music..

..and so is the Surface Gallery. That meaning, the music is blaring from the player and people are running about, doing the set-up the new exhibition starting this week.
For the casual listener is may sound like someone is pulling a wall down at the moment (but I am optimistic the roof will not fall on me whilst I am writing this blog at the downstairs office).

So, it is finally time for Banalarama. The private view is tonight, and all this week, the doors will be open for anyone wanting to see the work. Well worth the effort, I will say, having had a sneak peak at the stuff on display.

That is all from me - I will be going upstairs and contribute my non-existent DIY skills to the exhibition effort before rushing off to work. Hope to see you here, my dear reader!

-Johanna-

The Vole, that 'running force' behind it all

A short posting from me - a Vole who's just done a 12 hour shift at work, and is missing the first days of the setting up of Banalarama because of the joys of work.

The casual 'stumbler-upon-ner' might not know that the Surface Gallery is run wholly by volunteers, also know as Voles.
That's right - no paid workers, no full-time staff, just people who have lives, commitments and jobs outside the Gallery.

We don't get expenses paid - our reward is getting things done, seeing things progress and seeing other people enjoy what we have done, meeting people, talking to them, spreading the word that art is accessible and enjoyable to all.

That's where it gets interesting.
Fitting in the Gallery with 'the other life' can be a bit tricky at times. You snatch an hour here, and hour there, invigilate for half a day then rush off to the bank to pay bills.
Study, work, spend time with the friends, family, loved ones. Go shopping for food, relax, do stuff at the Gallery - it all has to fit in there somewhere in the 24 hours.
When you are involved in something like the Gallery, the satisfaction comes from every little hole filled with polyfiller, every wall painted, every day invigilated.
But it also brings with in hands-on experience in how to deal with a business and put up an exhibition, a chance to speak to artists and art students, visitors to the Gallery.
At the moment three Voles (myself including) have started working towards NVQs in various areas of business, all linked with the Gallery. Undoubtably they will be beneficial in the future - so it is not all about the more 'abstract' satisfaction that you get from being a Vole!

But ultimately, when being asked 'why do we do it', I am sure I can speak on the behalf of my fellow Voles when I say 'because it's great'!
(And because we really love polyfiller ;-).)

-Johanna-