Abstract Artist Ben Fearnside's second exhibition at Gallery 40 for the Brighton Fringe was a great success. Fantastic feedback, sales, commissions and £450 raised for MIND in Brighton and Hove. Here are the highlights.
The exhibition kicked off with a busy private preview. Lots of prints and two paintings sold that night, including 'Seal', the one I was donating for Mind. A very encouraging start!
This year we were part of the Artists Open Houses Central Trail. Gallery 40 was certainly bustling at the weekends, when the trail was running.
We were also featured in The Guardian Guide exhibition pick for BOTH weeks.
A total of seven paintings sold and are now off to new homes: one just up the street, two to France. Bon voyage!
'Disunion' may account for the exhibition's popularity with European visitors, although people both sides of the Brexit vote really liked it. Perhaps that proves we all just see what we want to see?
I sold paintings across the range of my work: organic abstracts, geometric containments, cracks, and the new blue 'falling' series. The stars of the show were 'Janus', (blue) 'Strata' (organic), and 'Telstar', three very different paintings.
I had come to the exhibition hoping for clear feedback about which style to take forward. The answer seems to be 'all of them'. People walked in and literally went 'wow'. Two people were moved to tears by paintings, something I've never experienced before. Here's some of the comments in the guest book... all from complete strangers.
'Beautiful!! Really interesting use of an unusual material'
'Gorgeous work- very original superb shapes/ compositions'
'Making chaos from order. Loved it!'
'My favourite piece is 'Telstar', it just speaks to me and I couldn't stop staring at it'
'I've been in different art museums and galleries around the world. Never seen something like this before. Really beautiful'
'Fantastic, mesmerizing, honest and abstractly brilliant work!'
It was great to show the paintings, to talk to fellow artists, students, art forgers, interior designers, car finishing specialists and the North Laines traders who made us welcome. My old comrade Anthony 'Choppa' White had a pop-up gallery nearby and we sent visitors to each other. By the last weekend I was pretty exhausted by all this socialising, so Ratty and Beckett (left) came to help out. My friends were fantastic. Big shout out to Uli and Nick, Ben and Sharon
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THANK YOU ALL
In a month's time, we're doing it all again:
3rd -9th of July 10am- 5pm daily.
47 Warwick Street,
Worthing BN11 3DH
Come and see the new collection.