Laura Reeves

Bouquets

Laura Reeves employs a process of collecting, researching and reviving histories from the recent past, creating idiosyncratic archival materials that aim to give them new relevance, drawing them out into the present.

Found images such as photographs, 35mm slides and postcards – either from her personal and family collections, or else discovered by chance or unearthed, often in charity shops –are brought together with segments of autobiographical narrative and personal observation. Themes of nostalgia, origin and veracity are explored with a mixture of humour and pathos as she foregrounds the intimate, personal and domestic, revealing small moments of commonly shared experience.

Her work often teases at the nature of creative practice, exploring the cusp between the hobbyist, the amateur and the professional artist. She prods at her own chosen career, sometimes setting it against a sense of wistful, thwarted artistic ambition in her own family.

Accompanying Text

Over the course of the exhibition, writer Sarah Williams worked with Laura to respond to the show through a text. This text, titled The Time We Spend Living and the Time We Spend Remembering, is available to download here >>

Laura has also selected a series of excerpts from five fictional and auto/biographical texts that she feels offer insight into her motivations and artist’s practice, which will also inform an artists writing group hosted during the exhibition. The excerpts are available to read in the Café Bar magazine racks during the exhibition and to download using the links below:

• Truman Capote
• Cookie Mueller
• Viv Albertine
• Raymond Carver (1)
• Raymond Carver (2)

Associated Events

Exhibition Opening

Thu 14 Jul | 6 – 8pm | free

Join the artist for a glass of wine and a preview of her new exhibition.

Artists Talk

Sat 16 Jul | 2.30pm | free

Join the artist for an informal tour of the exhibition to discuss her practice.

Artists Writing Group

Thu 21 & Thu 28 Jul | 7pm – 9pm | free, but booking essesntial

Laura Reeves hosts a small writing group. Discuss a text supplied by the artist, share your written responses and discover more about how writing can inform an art practice. Find out more here >> 

VENUE: PHOENIX GALLERY

Our main contemporary art space, exhibiting new work from regional, national and international artists.