Anthony Lee Morgan
Duel
July 16 - August 6

Anthony is one of the local young artists that Oriel Dafydd Hardy has followed from Sixth Form through Foundation to Graduation from Leeds University.

Anthony made a big impact in the early days of Oriel Dafydd Hardy by staging a solo show at just 17 years old, whilst still studying at Ysgol Syr Hugh Owen. “Oddi Wrth Y Wal” / “Off The Wall” was an light and sound installation blacking out the basement and providing visitors with torches as they stepped down into the noise of graffitied New York Subway. He was featured in the S4C programme Uned 5.

Subsequently, whilst doing his foundation course at Coleg Menai, Anthony joined three other ex-Syr Hugh Owen pupils to stage ” Wylit Waed ” - an exhibition exploring the anger of 21st Century young Welsh people today with that of Gerallt Lloyd Owen’s 1960s generation. This exhibition again had extensive national media coverage.

Returning now, after completing his degree in Fine Art at Leeds University, the focus of 22 year old Anthony’s exhibition “Duel” is two life-size steel figures……standing back to back.

Anthony says ” We all fall into the trap of a “Duel” everyday….whether we duel a friend, or family, the world and more frequently ourselves. Now that you know, ask yourself why?”

Through the influence of Peter Prendergast upon the structure of Coleg Menai’s Foundation course, and his strong belief in drawing as the means by which a subject may be grasped, it is not unsurprising that Anthony leans heavily towards Giacometti for inspiration.

“My entire portfolio consists of large scale figurative 3D projects and I now have the problem of where to store them….I think they will have to go in the garden of my parents’ place in Maesincla for the time being!”

“I’d love to do a series of public sculpture for Caernarfon….I would be prepared to carry out the work for little or no fee, so long as the materials were provided…I’d consider it a such an honour. I want to try and contribute to making Caernarfon a centre for art, a national symbol of Welsh culture. I’d like to add colour to the town…something make tourists want to come back here again and again. Imagine a series of red Welsh dragons around Caernarfon…with one perched on top of Twthill…imagine the impact this would have on the tourist industry!”

Anthony can be contacted on 07779 946 158

The Voice of Youth

This project is a partnership between Academi, Gwynedd Council and Oriel Dafydd Hardy to celebrate the new Maes in Caernarfon. The Voice of Youth was an opportunity for local children to express their feelings about this new development in their town through workshops with the bard, Meirion Macintyre Huws.  The schools who took part in the project were Syr Hugh Owen , Hendre, Maesincla, Gelli , Santes Helen and Pendalar.

Gwen Lasarus Literature Promoter for Gwynedd said:
‘ I’m very happy to see the fruit of the children’s creative writing work in poster form with local artist’s original art work being presented to the children from each school. These children will remember this experience for a long time.’

Members of bocs were invited to transcribe the children’s poems into posters.

The gallery reopens after the November flooding with a show of new work by Manchester based Scottish artist Naomi Lethbridge.

With an installation that eerily echoes the recent fate of the gallery; the artist will show work addressing the themes of abundance and excess, in both the subject matter and methods of the work. The work examines the abundance that has fuelled empire, expansion, progress and wars, and the reduction of such bounties to commodities and curiosities.

Opening
Friday 30th April 2010 5.30-8pm

Opening ceremony by Hywel Williams MP will take place shortly after 6pm
Light refreshments will be served

The exhibition will be open to public 4 -28th May 2010

Opening hours
Monday - Friday 10 am – 4pm
(Saturday 10am -1pm)

GWAHODDIAD / INVITATION
Gwahoddir chi i arddangosfa / You are invited to the exhibition
Dafad Ddrwg Dannedd Gosod
Bad Wart False Teeth
gan / by
GETHIN WAVELL
11eg - 27ain Tachwedd 2009 / 11th - 27th November 2009

Ac i’r Noson Olaf : Nos Wener 27ain o Dachwedd 7-9yh
Then to the Closing Night : Friday 27th November 7-9pm

OCTOBER 10 - 31st 2009

Private View : 9th October 7-9pm

Artist’s statement:

“I feel inseparable from the paintings done by the old masters; I am in a constant conversation with them. I look at everything and I want to respond to everything, from the Baroque to contemporary art from Japan, form Poussin’s Compositions to Jeff Koons kitsch sculptures. It is essential for me to know what is happening around me as it helps me form my context and helps my work develop as I do There is this constant Battle that takes place when I paint questions that arise regarding colour juxtaposition, composition and the possibility of excess marks in corners forming distractions. I want this in my paintings as the result is a constant engagement between colour, form and composition that needs to be tamed and controlled into working and forming the overall painting.
I don’t intend for the observer to come to a conclusion in my paintings, I want my paintings to move and shift with time, but exist in there own time and space were the viewer enters and feels comfortable in observing without the need to come to a conclusion.”

Bocs has been invited to stage the “graffitti box” project, which was conjured up for the official opening of Castle Square in Caernarfon, at the opening of the National Eisteddfod in Y Bala on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd August.

Most people visiting Caernarfon last week would have seen dozens of children enjoying painting and drawing alongside the artists on our huge 6ft white box. The theme in Y Bala will be “Gwynedd on the Box” and, after the artists have completed their artwork, visitors to the Gwynedd Pavilion will be invited to add their own touches to the box.

There will also be a video displaying of the current work on show now in Oriel Dafydd Hardy until August and other Bocs artwork and events.

Click more to see photos of the event:

That’s all folks, there are even more photos from that weekend in Bala on our Flickr set, including some shots of artwork from inside the art space.

Bocs ar y Sgwar / Bocs on the square

Come along to Caernarfon from noon onwards to celebrate the official opening of the new town square….join Bocs members drawing, spraying, painting on a six foot white box …..everything is being filmed and relayed inside our gallery Oriel Dafydd Hardy.
Then join us for a glass of wine and a further feast of art at the opening of our new exhibition “Bocs ar y Sgwâr.” / “Bocs on the Square”.

The Prado in Google splash page gives you the option of viewing it in Google Earth, or in Google Maps. (You will need to click “Save to my maps”)  These will let you view the pieces in ultra high resolution, meaning that you get to zoom right in and see all the fine details, bringing you far closer than it would be possible with the originals.  Some of the pieces are 3 metres high and art galleries are not in the habit of providing ladders.

Here’s the “making-of” video.

Of course, it won’t be anything like seeing the pieces in person, but it’s the next best thing short of buying yourself a plane ticket to Madrid.

[via guardian.co.uk]

MEAT, SKIN AND FEET
Exhibition by
GETHIN WAVELL
Opening Night
Thurs
April
7-9pm
Then open to the public
April 2009
ORIEL DAFYDD HARDY
Y Maes, Caernarfon.

G. wavell was born in a small establishment in Llanrug. As a baby he showed great promise at ice skating, but at the tender age of three he was struck down by a mysterious illness and began to develop lumps on the side of his head. At age twelve he was cast out of the family home for his deformities, and made to fend for himself. He later found a job in the freakshow business. It was in this establishment that he was given the name ELEPHANT MAN. He became an instant celebrity and toured Europe, but in Denmark he was ill treated and had the princely sum of £27 stolen from him. He retreated to Bangor where he was set upon by local youths at the Fat Cat. The authorities were summoned and took him to Ysbyty Gwynedd Bangor, where he was given permanent quarters. Here he was blessed by celebrity visitors, such as Bryn Fon, Bryn Terfel and Dafydd Wigley. G. Wavell now spends much of his time at leisure, painting, watching birds twitter and describing his fondness for jellied eels. Unfortunatley the jellied eels are not on display, but his paintings are. So enjoy in the fruits of G. Wavells labour…..

I graduated from Cardiff UWIC in 2007 where I studied fine art. The pieces on show are work that I have produced in the last three years. I enjoy looking at a wide range of artists, from Guston to Goya. I also have a fondness for literature and films. I see my work as the final image of encounters and reactions that I’ve had or am ever going to have. Therefore, I rely heavily on my imagination and memories. With these tools I’m able to construct a piece of work that is highly personal and corresponds to what I surround myself with.
G. WAVELL