Approved: 27.01.2017

Carolyn Curtis Magri

Artist, Arts administrator, Community worker, Gallery educator, Teacher

Archived
Approved: 27.01.2017

My drawings and small sculptures are informed by anything to do with forensics and my experiences as an artist-in-residence working in prisons.  I am interested in the microscopic. I work between the two cultures of inside and out.  Various patterns can be detected: DNA, polymer chains, skin and scars, edges, x-rays, cross-sections of prison loaf, as well as discarded debris from the prison environment. Shards of broken glass from car break-ins are put into syringes and Victorian silver spoons stained with acid.  Stories of poisoners are re-invented.

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  • Location: Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire

Artist Statement

My drawings and small sculptures are informed by anything to do with forensics and my experiences as an artist-in-residence working in prisons.  I am interested in the microscopic. I work between the two cultures of inside and out.  Various patterns can be detected: DNA, polymer chains, skin and scars, edges, x-rays, cross-sections of prison loaf, as well as discarded debris from the prison environment. Shards of broken glass from car break-ins are put into syringes and Victorian silver spoons stained with acid.  Stories of poisoners are re-invented.

Unsolved crimes are researched and aspects of these are gathered together to form an overall structure taken from either a birds-eye view of a landscape or a close up of part of a place where evidence might be hidden, for instance, inside a hole in a tree trunk.  

To a certain extent, my drawing process mirrors forensic method as I know it from books, the internet and film and TV crime series. I ‘dig into’ the top layer of the paper with an embossing tool and then carefully ‘reconstruct’ layers with pencils ranging from 10H to 8B. I take colour details from the evidence of unsolved crimes and when using paint and pencil, I ‘unwrap and pull back’ colour from edges to reveal something else. The Installations include small sculptures which are the evidence in fictional crimes.

Carolyn Curtis Magri

CV & Education

Education

1986-88   Dip.H.E. Visual Studies;  1988-91      BA (Hons) Fine Art Painting Manchester Polytechnic;  1993-95   MA Art and Design, Sheffield Hallam University;  2003 M. Phil. Fine Art ‘Contemporary Artists of Maltese Origin’

Exhibitions

2016        Spectrum, PS Mirabel August, Chicago Calling,  Artsmill Open, December

2015        Forensic Derelict, Preston, Chicago Calling and 3rd Floor, Drawing Exhibition, Manchester

2014        Chicago Calling, Collage, Collaboration;  Drawing Possibilities, The Studios Gallery, New Mills with Magda Archer, Lindsey Bull, Mike, Chavez-Dawson, Jenny Core, Sophia Crilly, Beatrice Haines, Stewart Kelly, Jim Medway, Klaus Pinter, Richard Shields, David Shrigley;  Paper Gallery, Manchester, ATC collection.

2013        Verb Project 5, Bankley Studios and Gallery and Shortlisted Prize Winner, Open Call

2012        Fishbowl Gallery, Dublin, Windows Project;  Curator and exhibitor 60 Drawings Exhibition, Bankley Gallery, Levenshulme;  Exhibition Castlefield Gallery with Jessica Longmore

2011        Curator, Captured Images: The Photographer Comes to Prison, European Prison Education; Association Conference and Presentation on The Windows Project;  Edgar Allan Poe Posters, The Fox, Stoke Newington

2010        Chicago Calling

2009        The Windows Project, Bankley Studios and Gallery;  491 Gallery, Leytonstone, London ‘Screamers’;  Lamprey Watercolours, The Foundry, Shoreditch, London;  Chicago Calling

2008        London Open Rehearsal, Skylark Gallery and Chelsea Arts Fair;  Chicago Calling

2007        Chicago Calling

2006        Chorlton Arts Festival;  Royal Exchange Theatre;  Chicago Calling

2005-1991 – Wendy Levy Gallery, Didsbury, Yorkshire Art Space, Sheffield, Genremelt Chicago, Millenium Project Malta, Gaudi Gallery Chicago, Matthew Gallery Edinburgh, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, The Glassbox Salford University, Dadi Gallery Manchester, Pankhurst Centre, Bishops House Sheffield, Kadomah Free Art Space, Manchester, United Abstract Artists, The Mall Galleries, London, Stockport Art Gallery Solo Show, Buxton Fringe Festival

Research

1998-2003               M. Phil. Fine Art, Artists of Maltese Origin, Manchester Metropolitan University

2013                        Diary Keeping Exercise, Surf, Salford University

2014                        Paper, The Difficulty of Evaluation, Surf, May, Liverpool John Moore University

2014-2015               Arts and Humanities Research Council, Connected Communities Steering Group; Imaginative (Im)mobility Consortium, Presentation on M. Phil. Research, 20th January, Cardiff

Teaching and Residencies

2014 ongoing        Artist-in-Residence The Mustard Tree, Ancoats, Manchester

2011-2013               Artist-in-Residence with The Turnkey Trust, Manchester

2008-2012               Mary Ward Centre Tutor, Queens Square, London

2004 current          Advice and Guidance Tutor HMP Manchester, Distance Learning and Open University, Cover Tutor (also Hindley, Holloway, Altcourse, and Art Course Director Pentonville)

1991-1998               WEA Art Tutor, Drawing Project Sheffield Hallam Fine Art Course, Art Tutor Bretton Hall, Joseph Beuys Free University Malta

Associate/Memberships

2014                        CG Associate, Castlefield Gallery, Manchester

2012-16                   Suite Studios, Salford and 3rd Floor Gallery and Studios, Manchester

2016                        (ongoing Artsmill) Linden Mill, Linden Rd., Hebden Bridge HX7 7DP