The Instant Art Critique Phrase Generator

We like this. A humorous way to sound like a professional art critic, without any effort or knowledge of art whatsoever.

The Instant Art Critique Phrase Generator works on a simple numerical system - input any 5 numbers between 0 and  9, hit the button and voila, - instant art bol<*cks!!

Sample: 54308 produces this beautiful, ready-to-use specimen of Art Speak: "Although I am not a painter, I think that the reductive quality of the spatial relationships verges on codifying the substructure of critical thinking."

Harminder Judge - Latest Solo Show - Review in The Guardian

"Do What Thou Wilt" - the title of prominent Birmingham artist Harminder Judges' latest show, a performance piece at the biannual Spill festival, held at The Barbican London in April 2011, sees Judge meditating on themes of "desire, divinity and the power of magic."

From the Guardians' Lyn Gardner : "This show is a reminder of the role that ritual and ceremonial magic continue to play in popular culture, from the rock concert to Olympic ceremonies, and it makes much use of contemporary instruments of enchantment: dry ice and the laser. For its 21st-century audience, living with our coveted gadgets and gizmos in a largely secular society, it might bring to mind Arthur C Clarke's Third Law: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." We all 

yearn for a little black magic in our lives."

Read the rest of the Guardian review here

Harminder won the Arts Foundation Fellowship Award in Performance & Live Art 2011 with his solo show "The Modes of Al-Ikseer" ; "As a British born Sikh artist, Judge is fascinated by the enduring appeal of faith and spirituality and likes to question the power and relevance of timeless myths and rituals. He explores the space that faith inhabits, both physical and metaphorical, in a post modern and largely secular society."

As a well known face on the Birmingham arts scene and co-founder of Grand Union, the artist led gallery and studio in Eastside, Digbeth, Judge continues to delight and we wish him congratulations on his latest performance and look forward to his continued success.

Visit his website here.

Crowd6 at Trove Birmingham - 6th May 2011

Crowd6 will be exhibiting at Trove, kicking off with a Private View on 6th May between 18:00 - 20:00

More details about the show will be made as and when available. Meanwhile you can visit Trove here, Crowd6 here - and Troves' Facebook page here.

From Crowd6 website:  "Crowd6 are a Birmingham based contemporary art group, who have been organising exhibitions and events in Birmingham since April 2007.

Crowd6 was formed by Elizabeth Short, Steven Varndell, Naomi Randall and Jamie Randall, all of whom are creative practitioners based in the West Midlands. Crowd6 begain it’s life in a shop in Bearwood in Birmingham. During the 18 months in which the Crowd6 space was open, Crowd6 organised, exhibited and curated 13 events and exhibitions ranging from wall based work, spoken word nights, performance, video and installation. Crowd6 gallery space was also used in the national daytime television show Doctors where actors from the show walked around the space and talked about art. Elizabeth Short and Jamie Randall can be seen in this episode as special extras in the background!"

Paul Langford - New Website

Paul Langford is another 2010 V.A.N.S. (Visual Arts by Negotiated Study) graduate who has recently launched his own professional website.

Paul has become known for his multiple sculptures of leaping horses, which featured in his degree show at Bournville in June 2010. Prior to this body of work his practice was mainly focussed on painting. He currently occupies a studio space at The Works in Digbeth.

From his site: "For 2011 Paul will be experimenting with clay and exploring the possibilities of rendering the horse in clay with a view to casting in bronze and other metals. In addition to this project Paul is also working towards another body of paintings on canvas by observation of landsacpe."


Click here for pictures of Paul with his degree show work.

Index of Hope - Adventures in Blogging

Simon Hope graduated from Bournville School of Art in 2010 with a 1st class degree on the Visual Arts by Negotiated Study BA course.

During his time at University Si was a fairly prolific blogger, and indeed, still is. He has gathered his own personal blogosphere together under the title Index of Hope which I highly recommend for anyone interested in art blogs. The Index is an eclectic collection of blogs that range from actual supportive documentation and archive material for course modules, to purely indulgent insights into Si's interests and influences. Si also documents and photographs most of the shows that he attends, especially other students' work and degree shows.

Fizzy Cox & Phoebe Belle Pearce - Level 5 Collaboration

Fellow students Fizzy and Phoebe have launched an online showcase of their collaborative project for Level5 Professional Practice on the Bournville Art & Design BA course.

From their site : 


"BCH Photo was created and carried out by 2 Art & Design students (Fizzy and Phoebe) from Birmingham City university. BCH Photo offered a series of varied photography based projects to children in Birmingham Children’s hospital.

Our aim for the projects was to help the children to learn new techniques and/or experiment with creativity within photography. They were able to adapt the projects to their own artistic style and interests, and then see their photos displayed online."

School of Art Website

Bournville School of Art has its own website. In addition the School tutors are currently working on a catalogue of student art across all levels which should be published mid 2011 - more news on this as & when it happens.