Exhibiting at Rutland Open 2014, Oakham

I am delighted that one of my works has been accepted for the Rutland Open art exhibition, in the beautiful country town of Oakham. I am particularly pleased since only two framed photographs have been selected for this exhibition and all other works are oil or acrylic paintings. There is also a wonderful selection of hewn stone sculptures and delicate pottery items.

The exhibition runs for 6 weeks.

Rutland County Museum, Catmos Street, Oakham, Rutland, LE15 6HW

More details on my Exhibitions page HERE

Mayor Boris Johnson & Comedian John Ryan auction art for Bethnal Green Memorial, Forman's Gallery, London

Mayor Boris Johnson taking bids for Duffy's David Bowie picture, used as the cover for Bowie's Aladdin Sane album.

            

The auction at Forman's Gallery in London raised considerable funds for the Bethnal Green Tube Disaster Memorial, with all proceeds going to the charity. Mayor Boris Johnson and the comedian John Ryan did a superb job of auctioneering the pictures and 
photographs, including photography by Duffy, Terence Donovan and Mike Pattison.

The main auction wall, prior to sale, with work by Ben Eine, Rupert Goldsworthy, Terence Donovan, Peter Brookes, Stephen Davids, Mary Swan and Maria Bragoli.

Described by the organisers as having an 'ethereal quality', I was also delighted that my picture was very well received in the auction, so adding to the Memorial funds. 

          

'When the Last Tree  . . .'  by Maria Bragoli, auctioned by comedian John Ryan at Forman's Gallery, London, for the Bethnal Green Tube Disaster Memorial Fund.



The auction not only raised awareness and funds for the memorial, but was also a chance for many of the original inhabitants of Bethnal Green, now spread out around different areas of London and elsewhere, to come together to reminisce about the past, with a mixture of poignant memories, nostalgia, reflection on the social and economic changes over the decades, as well as future hope. 

Forman's Gallery itself is indicative of such changes.  With stunning views of the newly built Olympic Stadium just across the river, Lance Forman has transformed a family business into a venue of the highest calibre, with a superb restaurant on the first floor and the imposing interior of the gallery on the second floor. The heritage of the original business is maintained, with smoked salmon still prepared in the traditional manner on the ground floor, both for the restaurant and delivery to venues across London. 

More details about the auction are on the Bethnal Green Memorial Charity's website HERE

Bethnal Green Tube Memorial Charity - Month-long Art Photography Exhibition, London

A selection of my work is currently on display at Forman's Gallery, London until Sunday 16th June 2013. Apart from the Wednesday auction, entry to the gallery is free and you can also view the poignant exhibition of personal records and newspaper cuttings of the disaster. There is also work for sale by a number of other artists and Mike Pattison's superb East End photographs. All sales from the exhibition will see a contribution going to the Bethnal Green Tube Disaster Memorial fund.


More information about the Stairway to Heaven Memorial is on the Facebook Bethnal Green Memorial 
page   HERE

Bethnal Green Tube Disaster Memorial - Charity Art Auction Preview, Formans Gallery, London

Tomorrow evening, Wednesday 29th May 2013, at Forman's Fish Island Gallery, London, there will be a special charity auction to raise more funds to complete the memorial to those who died and suffered as a result of the Bethnal Green Tube Disaster of 1943.

Bethnal Green Tube Disaster of 1943 - Personal records & newspaper cuttings at Forman's Gallery, London

It has taken decades for a memorial to be planned and funded, as a central point to commemorate the disaster. Until then, stones were sometimes used to commemorate the dead. However, not all survivors could afford such a stone, if  for example, austerity prioritised feeding their family and children. The memorial is part completed. Fewer survivors now remain. Called Stairway to Heaven, the aim is to have the memorial finished for next year.

The photographer, Mike Pattison, has a superb selection of 1970s East End images on display, some for auction, some for sale, showing a way of life and a range of characters which have all but disappeared, now that the area is being regenerated.

Mike Pattison's record of a bygone era - photographs of 1970's London East End 

I have donated one of my fine art pictures, 'When the Last Tree . . .' The organisers have described the picture as having an 'ethereal' quality, and it will be auctioned on the night. There will also be the iconic Aladdin Sane album cover image, by David Bowie's photographer, Brian Duffy, as well as fine art work by Terence Donovan and other artists, all going under the hammer.  Mayor Boris Johnson will be there to get things moving, so it promises to be a spectacular night!

 Wednesday 29th May  Viewing 6.30pm
                                    Auction starts 7pm   £20 to include 2 drinks & canapes
  Forman's Fish Island Gallery
  Stour Road, Fish Island, London E3 2NT

More information about the Stairway to Heaven Memorial is on the Facebook Bethnal Green Memorial 
page   HERE

Exhibition at Quinns Gallery, Market Harborough & Art House

A selection of fine art work is on show there. For details, please see my  Current Exhibitions page
Also Art House Leicester

The annual weekend event, plus one extra day on Monday, of "extraordinary art in ordinary houses". Ten locations in Clarendon Park and Stoneygate, Leicester, open up to exhibit the highest quality local art. I am delighted that I have been asked to take part again for my second year at this event. 

Maria Bragoli - Abstract fine art photography - Orange Light

A full range of my bespoke framed work will be on the walls at Ellerington Fine Art Gallery, from The Wistow Trees Collection, to abstracts and cityscapes, such as Curve Blur. My work will be in the front room on the first floor. I will be at 190 Clarendon Park Road throughout the three days and look forward to meeting past collectors and buyers and have the chance to also show my work to new viewers.

There is also breathtaking large size oil on canvas work by Louise Ellerington, female figures in oils by Rosemary Clements, art photography by William Diaz, cows and other animals by Ian Stewart, to name but a few. 

Saturday 8th June, Sunday 9th June, Monday 10 June 2013

14/48 Leicester Festival

The World's Quickest Theatre festival has come to Leicester at The Y Theatre and promises to be an amazing event. 

A picture from the 1448 Leicesterfest of theatre, where I am taking promotional, arty type (of course!) shots of the event.  Jodi Paul Wooster, over from Seattle, on stage, explaining that anything and everything can happen - 48 hours to create 14 plays!

A wider selection of images can be viewed      HERE      documenting the story of the 1448 Theatre Festival in May 2013.        

Maria Bragoli at the Y Theatre, Leicester

As part of the 'Y' Theatre's 14/ 48 Theatre Festival in Leicester towards the end of May, I was invited to exhibit a selection of my work, mainly abstract and semi-abstract. The festival mixes a variety of artistic forms, from theatre and music to fine art, promoting artistic and creative freedom and cross-fertilisation. From this brief, came a new abstract work from me, Hope, symbolic at both an individual and a collective level. This new work forms part of my ongoing series, Contemplations on Darkness and Light, which already includes images such as Blue Planet, Orange Light and Skal.


See the  Current Exhibitions page for venue and my exhibition details

The 14/ 48 Theatre Festival itself takes place on Friday 24th and Saturday 25th May, 2013. Originating in Seattle, USA, the festival at The Y Theatre in Leicester promises to be an improvised, spontaneous alchemy of theatrical creativity and performance. Throwing together a range of actors, directors, scriptwriters, musicians and other crew, both from Seattle, Leicester and elsewhere, they will have 24 hours to create and deliver 7 plays to a live audience. On the second day, the process starts again, with the creation of 7 new plays, performed to the second night's audiences.

Not only was I delighted to be asked to exhibit my work as part of this festival, I look forward to being around that weekend to record these creative improvisational sparks.





...

New exhibitions

I believe that it is important to display my work in an appropriate setting and, if in galleries, to know that my work will be promoted effectively and that it will be a pleasure to work with the gallerists concerned.  This has been the case in all the exhibitions that I have done so far.

I am in the process of discussing exhibitions with some new venues, allowing my work to be seen by new viewers. Combined with the galleries' promotion, I let my work speak for itself, thereby allowing  me to devote my time to creating 'intriguing' and 'enigmatic' images, as quoted by a gallery curator.

The first of these exhibitions will be in May and so I am busy preparing new work as well as selecting from some of my existing images, both landscape and abstract, and look forward to displaying my work for the reaction of  viewers, previous and new.

Sunday 7th April - last day for Leicester Museum Open 24 exhibition

The Open 24 exhibition at New Walk Museum and Art Gallery finishes tomorrow, Sunday 7th April.

New Walk Museum & Art Gallery
53 New Walk, Leicester LE1 7EA          
        Sunday 11am - 5pm

Selected for Leicester Museum Open 24 Exhibition

I am delighted that one of my images has been selected for the Leicester Museum Open 24.  This is the first time I have submitted work for this long-standing and prestigious annual exhibition.   (This image has since been sold.) 

My Open 24 submission is a digital C-type print, and so, archival quality. It is large size, 39 cm x 61.5 cm (approx. 15.5 inches x 24 inches), and professionally framed with acid free mount and solid tulip wood frame. Other sizes and different framing options are available from me directly or through selected galleries, still within the limited edition of 150 in total. 

Maria Bragoli - When the Last Tree at Leicester Museum Open 24

Although the image was created in Leicestershire, the title, 'When the last tree . . . ' is based on the Cree Native American proverb urging an awareness of the actions of our environmental impact - an idea from centuries ago which is even more relevant today.

'Only when the last tree has died and the last river been poisoned and the last fish been caught will we realise that we cannot eat money,' (Cree Native American proverb).

Another connection with my image is that tulip wood, as a native North American tree, was extensively used for dugout canoe building by the Native Americans, since it was light yet with a fine grain, allowing it to be carved and worked easily.  The frame used in my Open 24 image has a hand painted wash bringing out the beautiful, fine texture of the wood and further enhances the delicate lines and colours of the image itself.

Open 24  (free admission to this area)
2nd February – 7th April 2013

Monday - Saturday  10am - 5pm
Sunday 11am - 5pm

New Walk Museum & Art Gallery
53 New Walk
Leicester LE1 7EA

.

The fleeting nature of winter mist . . . the Wistow Trees Collection

The Etching Series - Wistow Trees by Maria Bragoli- Limited edition fine art prints

Inspiration and Origin
The images above form part of The Etching Series - the Wistow Trees Collection, images inspired by the extensive snowfalls which occurred throughout most of the UK in early February this year. I remember my joy one morning when I saw the thick envelopping of hoar frost and mist outside my window. When the more sensible course of action would have been to stay snugly wrapped up inside, I triple-wrapped up, packed shovel, Wellingtons and salt grit in the car, (always best to be prepared!), and drove, very slowly, to the depths of the Leicestershire countryside. A gentle silence surrounded the rolling hillocks of the Wistow area, dogs walked, passers-by nodded, visibility was negligible, varying shades of white to grey, walking within a cloak of white-grey mist, with dark etchings of tree trunks, hedges and fences outlined in the near distance. I was in my element, a three-dimensional monochrome haven, feeling timeless, yet fleeting and changing by the minute.

By the afternoon, the mist had lifted. But I had captured the atmosphere of those fleeting moments 

Development
The resultant series of images, The Etching Series, forms part of my ongoing 'painting by camera' concept, which I first described here in December 2011 -

'Painting by camera' is my term for many of the images that I create,
combining my vision of an image, playing with light and using the camera
as both the canvas and the brushes, where the final image is created in camera
as much as possible.'

The Etching Series develops the concept further by adding manipulation in order to combine the initial capture with the concept I had on the day, of clean, sharply detailed monochrome forms.

Perceptions
Images in The Etching Series - Wistow Trees have been very well received from when gallery owners first saw a preview selection in late winter/early spring 2012. However, before delivering to galleries, i wanted time to develop and extend the collection, until I felt happy with the final results. The current set of 4 images were only finalised in late September 2012 and have been only been on show at at high-end galleries from mid to late October. Viewers comment in particular that the images are striking, calm and contemplative. Other comments are that viewers are unsure what media the images are, whether a painting or etching. This is exactly what I wanted to achieve, the crossover and blurring of traditionally distint and separate fine art forms.

Specifics
A special characteristic of this series is that there is a variation within each limited edition of 150. I produce a small batch of each image at a time, and between each batch there is a variation in tint or contrast and sometimes in minor changes to small details within the image. Tints can vary from soft to mid grey to indigo blue, giving an individual character to each image. This is in keeping with the centuries old tradition of fine art etching now updated within my images

The manipulation of the image and professional standard printing produces intensely fine detail, far more than can be seen when viewing the scene for real, and also, far more than can be seen on a screen.

Along with a number of other images in the same style, each image forms part of a limited edition of 150, on photographic art paper with archival quality inks. Each image is signed and certificated. Within each edition, varying sizes are available, starting from 10 inch x 8 inch (mounted) to around A4 and A3 sizes.

Images are available with pure acid-free mounts, or framed and mounted, in off white solid wood frames, or unwaxed solid oak frames. Frames are sealed with acid free materials and come with cord and fittings ready to hang.

Connections
The rich heritage and symbolism of trees is an integral part of timeless cultures and mythologies. I also support the need for rural and environmental protection as essential to the human spirit. I leave this post with the quotation below.

'Only when the last tree has died and the last river been poisoned and the last fish been caught will we realise that we cannot eat money,' (Cree Native American proverb).

More details and images are viewable by clicking 

on the dedicated page: The Etching Series - Wistow Trees

Wistow Trees on show

A selection from the Wistow Trees Collection is currently on display at the West End Gallery in Leicester. The limited editions are produced in small batches, giving a more individual character to the collection.  This means that different galleries have slightly different versions within the same limited edition. Galleries also show a selection of different framing options and these can be changed to suit individual preferences.

West End Gallery - Wistow Trees Collection -  Winter to Spring 2013
107 Highcross Street
Leicester LE1 4PH

Open Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 4pm

Within each limited edition, versions in different tints are available. The limited editions at the West End Gallery have soft indigo tints. Other tints are available within each edition, for example, a soft sage grey, a soft warm woody brown, soft mid-blue, a soft monochrome, or a stronger black and white tint. Please speak to Gillian Geary of the West End Gallery if you wish to see a selection of different tints.

Please note that since each tint is prepared in small batches, if it is not already on display in the gallery,there may be a short wait when ordering to allow me the time to produce a specific tone and size and then to have it professionally printed to my specifications. However, any image which is already in the gallery and in the tint you like, can be purchased immediately from there.
A variety of framing options is also available, including  contemporary off-white framing,  unwaxed, solid oak frames, and a soft cream wash in solid wood.

The Wistow Trees Collection was also on display in other galleries in autumn and winter 2012. These were time-limited shows and have now finished. The West End gallery has more long-term display of my work and this collection, as well as a range of mounted prints of some of my other work is currently available to view in that gallery.