Review - Pull Everything Out, Corita Kent and Ciara Phillips

Pull Everything Out

Corita Kent and Ciara Phillips

Spike Island, Bristol

Corita Kent 'E eye love' , 1968

Pull Everything Out is an exhibition showing works by the late artist and educator Corita Kent, and Canadian born Ciara Phillips. Corita Kent (1918-1986) is best known for her screen prints from the 1960’s, taking images and text from popular culture. Ciara Philips is a contemporary artist, who like Kent uses print.

Walking into the main gallery space the viewers eyes are greeted with large day-glo prints embellished with slogans and images from magazines with an often political message. It was surprising for me to discover that Corita Kent spent much of her life as a nun. Alongside this work Ciara Phillips has created her own work in reaction to Kent’s, either in the form of prints or by painting directly onto the walls of the gallery. In this manner, therefore, Phillips has entered into a dialogue with the late artist. Phillips work accentuates the older artists work. Much of her work, such as the abstract marks made upon the walls are often visual quotations from the passages within Kent’s prints, and thus also display a connection to language. The main gallery space is joyous with its colour and excubarance. Despite the amount of work on display the space does not appear overcrowded; instead Kent’s work appears to lead, with Phillips dancing alongside, adding flourishes here and there.

For the first month of the exhibition Ciara Phillips has set up a working studio in the front gallery. However, although there was evidence of Phillips working in the space, it seemed almost staged when I visited. The space was too pristine to appear like a true working studio, and I suppose that it did not help that there were original copies of ‘The Bulletin’  placed under glass in the studio space, making the work shop space seem half like a museum. I think it will be interesting to visit the front gallery at the end of the month, to see more evidence of Phillips having worked in the space.

My favourite part of the exhibition was a film showing Corita Kent teaching her students. It was clear from watching the film what an inspirational teacher the nun was. Dressed in her full habit Kent instructed students on a collaborative project involving images and slogans and magazines which were then printed onto boxes with the boxes then placed upon each other. As I watched the film I wanted to take myself back forty five years and join the kohl rimmed, turtle necked students in their project. I wish there were more educators like Corita Kent in art schools today. 




The exhibition runs until the 26th August 

2nd in 1st Year Out of Uni interview series.

SooMin Leong, Little Tree House In The Woods, 2012

My second interview in this series is with Bristol based artist and printmaker, SooMin Leong. SooMin graduated from Bristol UWE with an MA in Printmaking in 2011. I wanted to see how the last year has treated her, in terms of the development of her practice but to also see if she has managed to balance that delicate line between earning enough money to live, and being able to still make art. 


Elizabeth Dismorr:  What do you miss (if anything) about being in an educational environment?
SooMin Leong: Technical assistance and critical comment/advice from tutors and course mates.

ED:Do you feel that you have managed to balance earning enough money to live, with practicing as an artist?
SL: No. Especially to begin with.

ED: Have you taken part in any unpaid work experience/ internships/ volunteering since university? Do you think these will stand you in good stead to finding a job? 
SL:I started with volunteering and internships. It can be a good way to know people and also show people I am capable and reliable.  I had volunteered at Spike Island since autumn, and have just stopped volunteering there because I am now a paid invigilator. I've also Volunteered at M Shed since autumn, helping up in events and also operating the printing press. I am not volunteering there at the moment because they just kept the press away. However, if there are some interesting projects coming up, I will still volunteer for them, especially if it includes printing. I also I volunteered for Bristol Civic Society as their 'talks' photographer for a few events. Lastly I spent 3 months (January til early April)doing a  paid internship with Arnolfini as an archive intern. For this I catalogued the artist's book collection at Bristol Records Office. 

ED: Have you managed to participate in many exhibitions/events in the year since you have graduated? 
SL: Some:
f16 -- photography exhibition during photography festival.
The secret postcard show 'Six by Four' for the UWE MA Fine Art Fundraiser, I also participated in Seila Fernandez Arconada's show Secret Whispers. And my solo show, Traverse. And also some pop up shops, Made in Bristol, and Paper Scissors Stone. 

ED:How has your practice evolved since you left university? 
SL: I am still working on the same idea, slowly move on from that. Try to produce different things with the same idea, such as books and also other 2D works besides my 3D layered photographs.

ED: What do you hope to achieve in the next year in terms of your practice and career as an artist? 
SL: Hopefully, my work will get into more galleries and exhibitions. And also some part time jobs or a full time job related to art along side.

ED: Do you think you'll stay in Bristol? 
SL: Yes, for the moment. However, I might move to other places, if I get opportunities else where.

ED: What advice would you give to anyone about to graduate in an arts related subject and keen to make it as an artist? SL:Keep inspired and the passion and belief you have will bring you through. 






SooMin Leong's show Traverse is at The Gallimaufry on Gloucester Road in Bristol until the 21st of July. 


To find out more about SooMin and her work, take a look at her website