Katherine Hymers’ new Axis Open Frequency profile is now online.
Axis is an online resource for contemporary art, with a directory of artists and curators, living and working in the UK. Axis Open Frequency presents selected artists each month on their website. Artists are nominated from across the UK by a panel of curatorial advisors to present a broad based view of contemporary practice.
Donna Lynas, Director at Wysing Arts Centre, has nominated Hymers for Open Frequency this month, and has written a text about one of my works, Untitled (Morning Light) 2007, which was shown at Wysing’s re-launch show in January this year. Donna’s text can be viewed online, alongside a selection of images from works made over the past two years, including images from two works currently in progress. To view Hymers’ profile, please visit: http://www.axisweb.org/openfrequency/katherinehymers
There are also a number of other Wysing artists who have artist member profiles on Axis, which can be found using the search facility on the Axis home page.
Both Katherine Hymers and Sarah Evans took the risk of presenting and then talking about their work in a semi - public setting - one artist had created a piece in a short space of time and in a completely new space - Wysing’s window room project space - the other artist had edited and reedited a piece but felt unsure about presenting it as a finalized work to a public or semi-public audience. To undertake that scrutiny and potential critique of an audience is extremely brave and i hope it felt as rewarding as it did for that said audience. The evening was among friends but it still felt a rigorous enough process for the artists to feel justified and proud of themselves for taking those steps.
I enjoyed every minute of the films that were presented and really enjoyed the fact that people new to Wysing felt they too could contribute to a discussion and say just how they felt in reaction to a piece or a presentation. As a space too i felt the window room had enough informality to be friendly and unintimidating but enough challenge as both a space for art and as a serious place to present and host a discussion on their practice.
I will keep the vision of the falling snow and the gently swinging figure - in a secret forest somewhere - with me despite the current summer sun.
The Wysing evenings whether organised informally or formally are going from strength to strength and a real testament to the developing community of artists who are not only prepared to share their work but also to step out of their comfort zone and both organise things for themselves but also to host and present themselves to a wider audience - something not all artists are prepared to do. The more the merrier.
Since graduating from Chelsea College of Art and Design in 2004, Katherine has continued to develop work across video, photography and performance. Katherine was selected for a bursary scheme in 2005 with the Babylon Gallery, Cambridgeshire, which culminated in her first solo show, Embodied Existence.
Katherine was a participant of the Franko B Mentoring Scheme in 2005/06.
Katherine has also participated in group exhibitions, including Suffolk Showcase, Bury St Edmunds Art Gallery; Kettle’s Yard Open, Cambridge: East End Collaborations Platform, London and Artsadmin Summer Season, London.
In February 2008 Katherine will present ‘You and Me and Nothing’ at the National Review of Live Art in Glasgow.
