Metamorphosis 7
14th May 14th June 2013
Curated by Eleanor Pearce
Artists: Henry Blackshaw, Fanny Chan, Nicolas Feldmeyer, Richard Goold, Fabienne Hess, Abigail Lipski, Juliette Losq, Conall McAteer, Zemer Peled, Joella Wheatley

Islington Arts Factory is proud to present Metamorphose, the latest exhibition in a series that draws together outstanding new Fine Art graduates from UK based institutions.
 
In style and approach the artists represent a diverse cross section of the emerging art scene as it stands in 2013 and a showcase of excellence in drawing, painting, installation, sculpture and video.
 
The differing approaches of each talented individual are united in the unique atmosphere of Islington Arts Factory’s gallery space, a converted church. The gallery sits within a space that is both used and visited by the public, and the artists have been invited to propose work that is appropriate to, or inspired by the context of the space.
 
Devised and curated by IAF’s Director of Art Eleanor Pearce, the Metamorphose exhibition has been offering opportunities to new graduates since 2007. Thanks to a recent grant from The Foyle Foundation the project has now developed to include a new residency opportunity for one of the exhibiting artists to be announced in June 2013.

Metamorphosis 6
4th - 25th November 2011 
Curated by Eleanor Pearce
Artists David Cutts, Kristian Evju, Joseph Goody, Jonathan Kelly, Jessica Piddock,        Chloe Precey, Jennifer Price, Dylan Shields, Katharine Tolladay, Simon Veis

You are invited to join us for an inspiring display of contemporary art from some of London and the South East's most talented graduates. Islington Arts Factory’s sixth Metamorphose exhibition will present works in drawing, painting, site-specific installation, large-scale print, photography and sculpture.
 
The unique nature of Islington Arts Factory has inspired site specific installation work from Katherine Tolladay, as she references the multi arts nature of the centre in a new collaboration with performance artist and choreographer Antje Hildebrandt and Simon Veis will create a new drawing installation inspired by the fascinating history and architecture of the building.
Sculptor Dylan Shields has created a new large scale cardboard piece based on The Incredulity of Saint Thomas by Bernardo Strozzi. Also on a grand scale is Jennifer Price’s mono print of a shopping trolley on to fabric.  
Just-Us is challenging series based on Jessica Piddock’s correspondence with criminals awaiting execution on death row in the USA; from this she has developed an installation especially for Metamorphose featuring a portrait of Steven Woods who was executed on the13th September this year.
David Cutts presents key works from his series exploring early childhood memories of the Fairground. Kristian Evju has created two new drawings for Metamorphose, working. His enigmatic imagery evokes limbo states, where animal and human protagonists are frozen in dramatic juxtaposition.
Other exhibitors include Chloe Precey, Joseph Goody and Jonathan Kelly who will exhibit highlights from their degree show presentations.

Metamorphose 5
12th - 26th November 2010
Curated by Eleanor Pearce
Artists: Giles Bunch, Louise Folliott, Karen Garratt, Angela Goodwin-Day, Tessa Lloyd, Joe McElroy, Heather McReynolds, Olenna Mokliak, John Richert, Catherine Thomas

What do you do when you graduate in a recession?
What if your degree is in Fine Art? Is there any hope?

Yes! Says Islington Arts Factory, who are dead set on maintaining their reputation as supporters of high quality art practice no matter what.
With significant financial support from The Fenton Arts Trust, IAF is able to offer new graduates a lifeline at this critical time. Curated Eleanor Pearce recognises that these opportunities are few and far between. She has developed Metamorphose exhibition series to nurture support talented new graduates from BA, MA and Post Graduate Diploma courses in Fine Art.
Artists have been selected from top educational institutions including Byam Shaw College of Art, Middlesex University, UCA Canterbury, Wimbledon, Winchester and The Royal College of Art.
The exhibition demonstrates the best new work happening now in a variety of media and approaches. Participating artists have the opportunity to work in the gallery for ten days in the lead up to the exhibition. This gives them a chance to create site specific work in response to the fantastic converted church interior that forms IAF's main gallery space. The community art environment is always diverse and inspiring. Artists are encouraged to interact with our audience to demystify their art practice for the general public. Join us to celebrate their considerable achievements. 

This exhibition is the fifth in the Metamorphose exhibition series which was developed to recognise and support new artistic talent and to provide the opportunity to exhibit in an established and unique arts environment. 

Metamorphose 4
13th - 27th November
Curated by Eleanor Pearce
Artists: Beverley Bennett, Katie Bracher, Ginette Fiandaca, Emma Harnett, Oliver Honeywill, Christopher Johns, Natasha Kiddle, Susannah King, Ariadne Kritonos, Suvi – Maria Salonen, Toni Pilgrim Ward, Polly Saunders, Zoe Sua Kay, Sarah Watts, Philip Weiner 

Islington Arts Factory is proud to present Metamorphose, the fourth in our successful exhibition series showcasing new work by emerging artists from the London art scene.
 
Fifteen artists from Middlesex University’s Fine Art department will work intensively for 10 days using the IAF Galley as a project space. Metamorphose showcases the results of this developmental process and promises to give an enlightening window in to these artist’s methods and responses. They will have the opportunity to collaborate, experiment and re-contextualise their varied working practices. The exhibition will highlight the transformative processes that artists undertake at this pivotal stage in their career.
 
Metamorphose offers theses artists the opportunity to create new work within the uniquely inspiring environment of a community arts centre. The project space will be open to the public who use the centre giving them the chance to engage with the artists during their creative process. The dialogues that evolve within this space will inform the working process, giving the artists the chance to test run ideas outside of the studio environment and the educational context.
 
Join for the opening to celebrate their efforts and the creative transformations that have taken place. 

Metamorphose is generously supported by The Fenton Arts Trust.

Metamorphose 3 
22nd May - 12th June 2009
Curated by  Eleanor Pearce
Artists: Lucia Alvarez Borrajo, Hannah Blunden, Esther Caplin, Briony Clarke, Cotton Disco, Allie Furlotti, Rachel Garrard, Alys Jenkins, Amal Kaawash, Julie Kilminster, Sarah Knill-Jones, Margaret Koval, Jasmina Metwalya, Ana Oliviera MArtins, Javi Martinez Pino, Grevil Quinn, Fernanda Rappa, Angharad Redman, Terrace A Williams

True to its guiding principle of supporting emerging talent, Islington Arts Factory is about to open the third in its successful Metamorphose series of exhibitions showcasing the work of talented new artists.

Twenty students from the Postgraduate Diploma course at the prestigious Byam Shaw School of Art will exhibit their work individually and collaboratively in a show exploring the theme of Memory. The students have drawn inspiration from the galleries at IAF, a converted Victorian church. Work on show will include a washing line hung between the magnificent church pillars and spanning the length of the gallery. This collaborative piece will be the focal point of the exhibition which features a wide variety of media including drawing, painting, textiles, installation, video, photography, print, sculpture and book art.

The artists have been invited participation from children on IAF's MAkeArt programme to produce a mini washing line featuring picture postcards to absent friends. Helium balloons with the children's Wishes, small pouches made of fabric and grain, will be released to sail up into the galleries 60  foot high interior.

The opening night features performance artist Grevil Quinn's live piece cymbal role - a sonorous prelude to the exhibition.

Metamorphose is generously supported by The Fenton Arts Trust.

Metamorphose 2
17th May - 6th June 2008
Curated by Eleanor Pearce
Artists: Tasha Aulls, Fran Crowley, Tobi Deeson, Matthew Duffy, Annie Hemond-Hotte, James Ferris, Justin Gainan, Jason Underhill

Metamorphose explores parallel realities, psychic phenomena and questions of belief.
Never have the supernatural and alternative perspectives been so prevalent, so relevant to us as a society right now. Alternative thinking and the need to connect with our fellow human in a broadly secular society is a major theme in our culture and an area that attracts a lot of cynicism; Metamorphose looks at this dichotomy.
 
The artists have worked closely together to produce an exhibition specific to the setting, a converted church. Using a variety of media and unexpected interjections the group are consistently fresh in their approach.
 
The space's influence is felt as echoes in the work on many different levels, be they physical or psychological. Jason Underhill’s collaboration with psychic medium Eos Yolanda from Arizona clarifies and examines this connection. Eos will be reading the space via an internet connection, exploring the influences that the building has on those who exhibit, work or visit there. Underhill presents two video installation pieces that present her responses without judgement, leaving the viewer to ponder the outcomes.
 
As part of 'Global Unity Project: Countdown to Doomsday' looking at the Mayan calendar, Matthew Duffy will be launching the work into outer space. His largely conceptual practice looks at the hysteria, scepticism and ignorance around perceptions of religious beliefs. Duffy’s performance-based video 'My Catholic Father' examines 'the grand complicated epic that is growing up an American Catholic'.
 
The shadowy church 'spirit-garden' in Tasha Aulls's paintings reflects the atmosphere of the space. One wonders where the paintings really come from, what are the forces behind the imagination at work here? Annie Hemond Hotte's personal surreal world, populated with metamorphic creatures is fed by a practice of improvised spontaneity and a connection to 'the dream' or 'ghost' of our waking world.
 
Tobi Deeson's sculptural event pieces focus the viewer's attention in to the present moment, as black gloss paint drips through layers of taught white fabric. Deeson elevates the mundane with a sense of the sacred while the clash of materials imparts a lurking undertone of unease.
 
 Fran Crowley's expertly crafted textile based sculptures looks at the container in its broadest sense, questioning the nature of boundaries. A sharp contrast is offered by Justin Gainan who interjects in to the gallery space; ‘top’, a large wooden wedge that displaces the viewer and draws attention to the nature of looking.
 
James Ferris's live works infuse and confuse the viewer, his musical interjections distil a sense of new perspective as he plays the role of meddler - expect the unexpected!
 
Metamorphose, curated by Eleanor Pearce for the Islington Arts Factory,
 is the second in a series of exhibitions for emerging artists, kindly supported by
The Fenton Arts Trust. All of the participating artists are currently studying on the
Goldsmiths Fine Art MA.  

Metamorphose
2nd - 23rd November 2007
Curated by Eleanor Pearce
Artist: Alex Ball, Ben Blackhouse, Katherine Hucker, Christpoher May, Hiromi Owen, Laura Stocker

Metamorphose brings together the talents of six contemporary artists with differing approaches to Painting and Photography.
 
In Alex Ball’s intriguing paintings, hives, furs and the male subject coexist upon ‘fertile grounds’ of sproutings and detritus in carefully chosen arrangements. Allegories in the style of the shorter works of Kafka, his works are devised of haunting image associations too unstable to be limited by definite readings.
 
Ben Backhouse’s evocative photographs explore the urban nocturnal world and its place in our psyche. Artificially lit landscapes, bereft of their daytime crowds, demonstrate their beauty from their proximity to the unknown.
 
Katherine Hucker’s abstractions look at the relationships between space, objects and context in the structural and architectural world. She seeks to make sense of the world through visual representation, using different perspectives and a process of drawing, re-drawing, painting and collage.
 
Christopher May’s paintings depict abandoned spaces reconfigured by time and memory. Themes of disintegration and the abstract familiar, inevitably and inexorably linked, underpin this collection. The work’s fundamental discourse concerns how we view spaces, respond to them and relate to them in the time we have with them.
 
Hiromi Owen’s projects constitute a process of testing and establishing identity. Taking documentation to a necessary extreme, she photographs every meal, every drink and every toilet she uses for a year, mapping the pattern of her life in an objective, tangible sense.
 
Laura Stocker’s arresting pieces, constructed entirely from matchsticks, reference Op Art, crafts, pattern making and Geometric Abstraction. The structural qualities of the matchstick, denying the edge of the canvas, mean the pieces are on the verge of being sculptural.
 
This Exhibition was made possible with kind support from the Fenton Arts Trust.