Brighton’s Arty: Alison Krog

Emotional Charge

Memories. Emotions. People. I’m not sure I could better that as the perfect triumvirate to inspire a powerful body of art. And coming up are two brilliant exhibitions by local artists underpinned by just these themes.
At Naked Eye Gallery in Farm Mews, Hove, be awestruck by latest drawings by Ian Hodgson – an artist whose work engages with identity and place exploring the transformative process of journey filtered through memory. The depiction of light in space and on surface plays with the divisions between the physical and psychological, the solid and the ethereal. Heads and bodies represent internal conflict and resolution regarding his place in the world, and look out for the recurring fingerprint motif, which Ian uses to signify the self.
Working primarily in graphite on paper, Ian finds that restricting his material choice allows him to fully explore the properties of this medium. Applying sandpaper and embossing tools to work on the paper adds further layers of texture and mark-making. His drawing process often leads to re-drawing objects, figures and spaces, and this repetition has inspired the title of the show – ‘Refrain’ – where certain passages and phrases are replayed in order to underline meaning. From 12 to 28 Feb.

Out of town: For the past three months Mary Beaney has worked tirelessly producing a new collection for her first solo show at Eastbourne’s Lily Clifford Gallery. Entitled ‘Emotions’, the works dig deep into her past and use members of her family as the starting point to depict a state of feeling. Mary’s work is full of texture, in mixed media comprising everything from acrylic paint, polyfilla, glue, tissue paper, bleach, ink, salt, sand, tea and coffee… to gold and silver leaf, which expresses the richness and passion she feels. The gallery space is well worth a visit, housing cutting-edge artworks and promising a warm, friendly welcome. From 15 Feb to 6 March.
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