Our Vence Studio – StoryHands Tate Labs Workshop May 2014

Screen Shot 2014-06-23 at 23.22.50

June Sees illustration on Tate Website

FOREWORD: June Sees


I was so proud and excited that my collective, StoryHands has been invited to run an Artist’s Workshop at Tate Modern for their Young People’s Programme this May.

I had to create a proposal in response to an exhibition or an artwork at Tate Modern. It was only natural that we chose Matisse Cut-Outs. The workshop wasn’t about imitating Matisse cut-outs and create our own collages.

It’s about Why Matisse created the Cut Outs during his time when he was physical ill and on the brink of death after emergency operation. He was bedbound and dreamt of shapes and colours, he started to experiment with scissors and started to cut.

His Jazz Book was filled with his favourite subjects: jugglers, sword swallowers, circus, magicians, botanic leaves. There is an immediacy and fierce emotions from his cut outs because it is so experimental and editable. He does not have to commit the paint onto the canvas.

Our aim was to get the participants to use materials and colours they would not normally use and limit their colour palette and resources. Encourage them to experiment and explore materials to create a subject that inspires them.

We had such great feedback and positive atmosphere from Tate and the young participants. It was so motivating to inspire and encourage young people finding their creative identity. I would do it again.

Read more about it here. Written by Jenny Robins, Co-Founder of StoryHands.

// Illustration Collective //

IMG_0179

IMG_0024

Recently Storyhands was invited by Tate Collective to run a workshop at Tate Modern in response to a current exhibition. The Matisse cut-outs exhibition seemed like a perfect fit to Antonia, June and I – and you’ll see why as I continue.

StoryHands Powerpoint Presentation StoryHands Powerpoint Presentation

Jenny talking about her work Jenny talking about her work

IMG_0011 June talking about her work

Antonia talking about her work Antonia talking about her work

It was an honour to work at Tate and to be inspired by such a great exhibition – definitely worth checking out if you have the chance – open until the 7th September. Matisse had such an epic influence in the modern art world, in large part through his use revolutionary of colour (of course a subject close to our hearts) but it is with his later paper cut works collected here, that he really found the fluidity of process that created some of his most iconic art works…

View original post 533 more words

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.