Second Chances

27th July - 24th August

Private View: 27th July 6-9pm

Claire de Lune
Harry Pye
Gavin Toye
Twinkle Troughton
Jessica Voorsanger
 

What is a second chance? Is it a new start? Could it be to learn lessons from old mistakes? Would an act of forgiveness give people the chance to try again? Or perhaps to some it’s a fresh opportunity.

For many artists moving to or setting up studios on the Kent Coast, their second chance has been to leave behind the faster paced uncertainties of city life, and, for some to even find somewhere to call home. As solid new networks are formed and bigger and brighter studio spaces are utilised, new roots can take hold, work progresses and ideas branch out further afield.

Second Chances is an exhibition featuring two works from the following five artists, each of whom has a special connection to Thanet.

Claire de Lune
“Making art makes me feel alive. Getting my hands dirty with clay and paint, spilling gold leaf on the floor… making a colourful mess with my friends. For me art is about love and connection; tiny love letters to the world, to myself, to friends, and lovers… the songs we sing late at night are always love songs! My childhood summers were spent at my Grandparents house in a Scottish fishing town called North Berwick. My Uncle was harbourmaster there, and would take us out on his boat to bring the lobster cages in. My partner Rufus and I moved back from Berlin to Margate, and already had family and friend connections here, but I fell instantly in love with all the warm, open and creative people I met, and felt at home back by the water. The sea makes my soul sing.”

Harry Pye
"I've always loved Pop Art. On some days I like to pay tributes to my art heroes or collaborate with my friends. On other days I like to experiment with colour and on some days I just like being silly. Making art sets me free and makes me happy. I liked Ramsgate from day one. I love the boats in the harbour and the sand on the beach. I feel safe in Ramsgate and it feels like home."

Gavin Toye
“My work is very difficult for me to put in words: Painting; Problems with painting; Problems in general and how to solve them. I love art. I would say ‘economic circumstances’ brought me to Thanet.”

Twinkle Troughton
“I’m very much drawn to creating work that explores the society within which I live. I love painting, and am conducting my own investigation in to how paint works while I think about my ideas, and use paint to convey the thought. I moved to Thanet as London was no longer affordable, I was never going to have a home bigger than a shoe box there. The vibrancy of Cliftonville and a feeling of freedom in Thanet captivated me immediately.”

Jessica Voorsanger
“My practice has engaged with a range of media over the last twenty years. I trained as a painter although my relationship to painting has been one of rediscovering my relationship it from one intention to the next. My time in the studio has allowed me to create a way of incorporating painting, collage and popular culture. We came to Thanet for several reasons, my Mother-in-law was originally from Margate and I have been teaching in Canterbury at UCA for ages. I have always loved Ramsgate for its quirky architecture, history, the beach and the harbour!"

You are invited to the Private View on July 27th at 18:00

We will be talking about developing ideas, movement, and the joys of making work. Jessica Jordan- Wrench will also be writing a text piece to accompany the exhibition

Click HERE for the Facebook event

64a Gallery
64a, Oxford Street, Whitstable, Kent CT5 1DG