Louise Marchal
I'm predominantly a painter and often the decision making of painting informs my practice in other media that I utilise (e.g. assemblage, film, installation). Sometimes this process is reflexive and works in other media inform the paintings.
I work as a conceptual artist in that my work is research based and the concepts for the work arise from these interests. Philosophy, poetry, spirituality and existential issues are under the surface in a lot of my work. Over the past decade my work has presented life in snatches of information, colour and image. It has been said that the "brain delights in fragments" and in connecting them, and my work explores this, through glimpses of images, and in presenting the transient. Moving into printing, film and moving image collage has extended this practice with the flickering image.
Since 1993 my work has consistently dealt with an (often playful) enquiry into the existence of man with various visual languages and systems of signs, often mixing and morphing samples of images from various sources (games, mathematical concepts, doodles or scenes from life). While my research focussed upon the sculptor Frances Darlington (for the biography I published in 2013) these themes became absorbed amid a more localised time and place. As a result my most recent work responds to the values, types, attitudes and styles that have emerged through this research. These works still correspond with my interest in the human contemporary state, but are examined through reference to historic, geographic and cultural resonance, in image and form.
Education
- UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW MA (Hons) English Literature 1990-1995 (including ordinary and higher ordinary passes in History of Art, and ordinary passes in English Language and Medieval History).
- UNIVERSITY OF SUNDERLAND M.A. Fine Art 2007
- UNIVERSITY OF SUNDERLAND M.A. Curatorial Studies 2008
Other courses
- UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS, S.C.E. Foundation course in Philosophy 2003-4
- GLASGOW PRINT STUDIO Etching and Printing 1993
- GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART Life Drawing 1992
Formal Recognition
- Threadneedle Art Prize 2012 Two works pre-Selected. (I Stole the King's Road 2012 & Monument to Obscurity)
- Saatchi Gallery Critic's Top Ten March 2007 Selected by Rebecca Wilson, previously editor of Art Review & now Director of the Saatchi Gallery. (The Illegality of Motiveless Actions 2007).
- Celeste Art Prize 2006, Short-listed (student short list). (Kong Wave 2006).
- Sunday Times Watercolour Competition 1991, (Cherries 1991) Long-listed.
Solo Exhibitions and projects
- Noble Bloods 2014 - an Arts Council funded artwork in response to the First World War Memorial to boys from St. George's Police Orphanage by Frances Darlington held at Ripon Museums.
- Author of Finding Frances, the biography of Frances Darlington (sculptor). Intermittent research 1989-2013. Published November 2013.
- www.louisiem.com ongoing online exhibition / project space 2005-present
- Christmas Print Show The Old Joiner's Shop, Upsall December 2013
- Finding Frances an exhibition made through seeking The Old Joiner's Shop, Upsall, Near Thirsk 9th - 23rd November 2013
- screenplay II ~ latest paintings by Louise Marchal York City Screen, Coney Street, York, 16th August - 16th September 2010
- SCREENPLAY York City Screen, Coney Street, York. September - October 2009
- Trans=send / Transmit Curatorial project: mail art / radio art between two William Etty Holy Trinity churches in Leeds and Sunderland. June 2008 - 2010
- Play|> Pause || (Solo Show) The Fishmarket, Bradshaw Street, Northampton. April - May 2008
- Play|> Pause || Curated Event (An evening of Film, Music and Sound). The Fishmarket, Bradshaw Street, Northampton. May 2008
- Further Reading The Literary & Philosophical Society, 23 Westgate, Newcastle upon Tyne. November 2007- January 2008
- Existenshul York City Screen, Coney Street, York. August-September 2007
- 16/07 University of Sunderland M.A. Final Show, Ashburne House, Backhouse Park, Sunderland. July 2007
- Fluxus T-shirt project multi venue, multi wearer, multi surface, nationwide ever changing print show. February 2007 and ongoing
Group Shows
- Secret 7" exhibition and auction for War Child. Now Gallery, North Greenwich, London 2nd-17th March 2024
- RE Open 2012 Royal Society of Painter Printmakers Bankside Gallery, 48 Hopton Street, London. August 16th - September 2nd 2012
- Salon Show, Patrick Studios, East Street Arts, Leeds. November 2011
- Daylight Saving (with Richard Taylor and Kimbal Bumstead) arts@trinity, Holy Trinity Church, Boar Lane, Leeds. October 25th - November 6th 2009
- The M.A. & Other Post Graduates Contemporary Art Show 2008 The Atkinson Gallery, Millfield, Somerset. February - March 2008
- 16/07 University of Sunderland M.A. Final Show, Ashburne House, Backhouse Park, Sunderland. July 2007
- Communique Sunderland Art Studio. May 2007
- Narrative Adaptation, Group show. Agora Gallery, New York. August- September 2004
- Group Show at Zillah Bell Contemporary Art, Thirsk, North Yorkshire March 2001
Design Work
- 2008 Limited edition cd covers for Fergus Lawrie / Obscure Desire of the Bourgeoisie
- 2007 CD cover for Bonsai Kittens compilation cd Idiot Mittens
- 2006 Design work for Aaron Beatup record Always Anti Something
- 1998 Installations in a Public house (The Auctioneer, Greenwich, London) for sales promotions.
- 1996 Wall banners for Park Life, Mod club night at Rooftops, Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow
- 1995 Painting of 12 large temporary wall panels for Glasgow University Queen Margaret Union's end of term ball, Dafter Friday.
- 1994 Design work (lunch board and proposed murals) for King Tut's Wah Wah Hut (bar, restaurant and music venue), Glasgow.
- 1992 Poster design for Starry Starry Night, Vintage & Antique Clothing, Glasgow, for Glasgow-wide distribution.
- 1992 & 1993 Christmas Card design for The Catholic Stage Guild
Other Experience
- 2009 - Visiting tutor in photographic screen printing at Arts@Trinity, Holy Trinity Church, Boar Lane, Leeds.
- 2009 - Artist talk at Culture Lab, Newcastle University
- 2009 - Volunteer at PSL, Leeds. (Project Space Leeds)
- 2008 - Volunteer researcher for If There Ever Was: Extinct and Impossible Smells, The Reg Vardy Gallery, Sunderland.
- 2006-7 Private painting commission.
- 2004-5 Volunteer researcher for Judith Winter at MIMA, Middlesbrough (prior to its opening in 2007)
- 2002 - 2014 - Single Mother
- 1998-2002 - Married Mother
- 1996-7 Intern / Editorial Assistant (assistant to Jenny Uglow, Alison Samuel and Jonathan Burnham) at Chatto & Windus, Random House, London