Shelagh Cluett 'Caesura' with single shadow

One of the curatorial concepts for the exhibition Shelagh Cluett Sculpture 1977 - 1980 was that both the black and white photographs of the sculptures and the sculptures themselves might be read as ‘drawings in space’ - a series of lines or cuts across the walls of CHELSEA space. In order to highlight this idea and not visually confuse visitors trying to view such slight sculptures, it was important to light each sculpture with one spotlight each which would create … More To Follow: Read The Full Text Here

Shelagh Cluett 'Nullah' 1980 - detail

The final visitor to the Shelagh Cluett exhibition at CHELSEA space was the artist David Medalla who had known Shelagh since her student days at Hornsey and had taught with her at Chelsea School of Art. Medalla, resplendent in brightly clashing striped tie and scarf said that in the late 1960′s/early 1970′s, Shelagh had danced as part of the Exploding Galaxy, the multi-media arts group that Medalla had formed in 1967. The monograph on Medalla by Guy Brett is called … More To Follow: Read The Full Text Here

Lisa Le Feuvre, Head of Sculpture Studies at the Henry Moore Institute and curator of Avalanche 1970 -1976, stopped by CHELSEA space to see Shelagh Cluett’s work on Monday 6th December. Lisa was good friends with Shelagh and found her inspirational, which led to Lisa generously writing the introduction to our publication for the … More To Follow: Read The Full Text Here

Barbara Elting takes notes from Stephen Willats whilst Donald Smith and Gustavo Grandal Montero watch and learn

Stephen Willats recently visited CHELSEA space to see Shelagh Cluett’s work and to discuss his exhibition with us which opens on March 8th, 2011. Willats’ show has the working title of Public Monitor and will be a contemporary re-presentation of his West London Social Resource Project made especially for CHELSEA space. With forthcoming projects in the UK and internationally, including MOMA Oxford, and a new studio project in New … More To Follow: Read The Full Text Here

Chelsea School of Art's Manresa Road building photographed by Donald Smith in 1996

After Donald Smith included some of his archive photograph’s of Chelsea School of Art’s Manresa Road building in CHELSEA space #32 Don’t Do Any More Henry Moore he was approached by Lucy Howarth, a researcher from Tate, to be interviewed about his time at the school for an ambitious Tate Research project entitled ‘Art School Educated’: Curriculum Development and Institutional Change in UK Art Schools 1960 - 2000.

[caption id=”attachment_342″ align=”alignnone” width=”500″ caption=”Bruce McLean … More To Follow: Read The Full Text Here

CHELSEA space Assistant Jo McGaffin emerses herself in Stephen Farthing's epic painting of the Atlantic Ocean

Stephen Farthing RA, artist, writer, and co-curator of The Life Room at CHELSEA space has opened a magnificent exhibition entitled The Back Story at the Royal Academy of Arts as part of their ‘Artists’ Laboratory’ series. The brilliant centrepiece of the exhibition is a 10m (30ft) long painting of the Atlantic Ocean entitled Painting The Atlantic which coincidently was commissioned by CHELSEA space Director Donald Smith for the inaugural exhibition … More To Follow: Read The Full Text Here

Mick Jones plays 'Should I Stay or Should I Go' at CHELSEA space

Paul Gorman in conversation with Mick Jones at Tate Britain

After helping CHELSEA space at the opening for Shelagh Cluett: Sculpture 1977-1980, Ade Sabini will now be looking forward to getting back to Mick Jones who will be performing with the Gorillaz at London’s O2 on 14th and 16th November as part of a world tour which … More To Follow: Read The Full Text Here

Nobby Graham and Virginia Whiles

The private view for the late Shelagh Cluett was held on the same night as the opening of ‘Le Cabinet de Curiosites de Mademoiselle Clouette’ - objects collected by Shelagh Cluett on her travels, particularly in the Far East. The ‘Cabinet’ was curated by Shelagh’s friend and Trustee of the Shelagh Cluett Trust, Virginia Whiles.

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Jo Garrad consults the archive photographs

Installing the work was aided by using the black and white photographs taken in Shelagh Cluett’s Wapping studio in 1979/80 as a reference for positioning, angles, etc. Whilst this worked well on the whole, it was important to remember that these were 2D photographs of 3D sculptures and as such they were not necessarily taken ‘straight on’ but were sometimes taken at oblique angles to the wall.

These sculptures are held in tension between a point on the wall and a point on the floor, … More To Follow: Read The Full Text Here

Jo Garrad inspects the contents of the crate

Shelagh Cluett’s work arrived in one of the large crates made for storing her work in the studio. Whilst the crate is fairly light it is also fairly large and it was a close thing getting it through the doors. All of the sculptures were carefully packed within the same box, reference photographs were made of the packing and then Jo Garrad, archivist for the Shelagh Cluett Trust, inspected the condition of the work. It was a tense … More To Follow: Read The Full Text Here