James R Ford's inaugural solo with Gisborne dealer PAULNACHE

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James R Ford in conjunction with PAULNACHE, Gisborne, NZ presents... 

lol·ly·gag

• intransitive verb \ˈlä-lē-ˌgag\
• : to spend time doing things that are not useful or serious : to fool around and waste time

Forever playfully exploring the intimate relationships between physical media and everyday life: James R Ford’s investigations into, and reflections on, existential nature and the use of conventional materials and modes of presentation reveal countless nuanced contradictions as well as a fascination with process and the filling in of time. While mostly a creator of laboured drawings, well considered objects and videos, Ford also provides us with scenarios that have us pondering over the mundane and/or acting out the absurd as he invites us to look deeper into his works and what is taking place around us.

There are several strands to the concept behind these works, but all question the nature of the artwork and our perception therein. The exhibition title, Lollygag, was chosen as the works on show may appear to be foolish or useless on first glance. The idea here is to look at how we spend our time, what is considered a waste of time, and how thought alone can bring worth to something seemingly “worth nothing”.  Nothing as in empty, or the act of doing nothing (being idle, waiting, worrying), or the relative importance of an gesture or the worth of the artwork itself (nothing to offer, waste of time, pointless).

Bertrand Russell, from the essay  “In Praise of Idleness”, says “Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.” This can be applied to the time spent producing the artworks, or the time used by the viewer in looking and contemplating them. Where do “wastes of time” sit in your hierarchy of needs? Maybe we all need some things we don’t need for the subsequent virtue or pleasure they can bestow. The exhibition will consist of a new body of work including film, drawing and object assemblage. With Hat Stand (Waiting for Godot) Ford invites viewers to try on and swap the hats on display, assuming other identities or personas, especially if you find yourself waiting for something. 

• Opening: Friday, 4th of July, 6:00PM at PAULNACHE Upstairs 89 Grey St Gisborne,  NZ
• Exhibition: 4th-26th July 2014

James R Ford (b. 1980, UK) studied at Goldsmiths College in London and currently lives and works in Wellington. He has exhibited widely throughout New Zealand and overseas and in 2013 was winner of the inaugural Tui McLauchlan Emerging Artist's Award from the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts. In 2014 Ford published a book of selected works, with accompanying texts, interviews and essays from 2008-2013, entitled Fail Better.

The Cultural Currency of Matthew Couper

Matthew Couper, Limbo of the Journeyman, 2013, Oil on canvas, 358mm x 161cm, Private Collection USA

Matthew Couper's 2014 solo 'Limbo Of The Journeyman' centers around a large oil painting on loose canvas of the same title, painted in the artist’s Las Vegas studio. It continues Couper’s interest in developing art as a ‘cultural currency’ while showing autobiographical features of his life in the USA and his ongoing dialogue and relationship to anachronistic art practices. Couper’s association with the notion of a journeyman (the artistic development between an apprentice and a master) is brought to the fore, singling out his context, journey – both physically and intellectually – and the trials and tribulations of his career path since immigrating to the USA in 2010. 

Slug und Lettuce

Upon recent return from Europe, artist Matt Arbuckle will be exhibiting works produced in Germany. Matt is based in Berlin, however will be showing throughout New Zealand during early 2014. His solo exhibition ‘Slug ind Lettuce’ opens at PAULNACHE 3 January 2014. Film shot and cut by Motif films and the artist.

Tools of the Trade grand opening in Gisborne

Justin Jade Morgan. Photo courtesy of Paul Nache

We are excited to officially welcome Auckland based artist Justin Jade Morgan into the ‘Family’. Morgan’s practice dovetails between group collaborations, individual pieces and extended projects. Developing performative pieces, installations, drawings, audio and photographic works that explore the relationship between physical objects and life as performance. His personal projects have featured in the Govett Brewster Art Gallery, The Dowse, Lopdell House Gallery (NZ), the Border Museum (Slovenia), Digital Fringe 08 (Melbourne), 3rd ‘Arhipelag’ International Contemporary Arts Festival (Solvenia & Italy), International Museum of Collage, Mexico and ‘ArtColle’, France with residencies and other temporary projects taking place in France, Germany, Slovenia, Australia and New Zealand. Morgan’s inaugural exhibition ‘Tools of the Trade’ opens at PAULNACHE on First Friday 7 March 2014, 6:00PM. He plans to attend the opening. 

Introducing Heidi Brickell

Heidi Brickell (left) pictured with 'O', a 2013 oil on linen work. Photo courtesy of artsdairy.co.nz

Heidi Brickell completed an MFA at Elam in 2011. She has exhibited in solo and group exhibitions at Artspace, Rm Gallery, Ferari Space, Window Gallery, George Fraser Gallery, The Audio Foundation, Cross Street Studios, and has had writing published in Gambia Castle’s Reader #11 ‘Field Trips in Artificial Weather’ , Papakura Art Gallery’s ‘Animal Incarnations’ in accompaniment to the exhibition of the same name, and is awaiting the release of another written piece in Auckland art publication ‘Magasine #4: Interviews’. This is her first solo exhibition with Gisborne dealer Paul Nache.

NO MORE LOL·LY·GAGGING

James R Ford, Twiddling My Thumbs (still a), 2014, HD digital video transferred to Blu-ray, silent, 1 sec (looped)

James R Ford was born in 1980 in the United Kingdom. He studied at Goldsmiths College in London and currently lives and works in Wellington. He has exhibited widely throughout New Zealand and overseas and in 2013 was winner of the inaugural Tui McLauchlan Emerging Artist's Award from the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts. This year, Ford self-published a book of his selected works, with accompanying texts, interviews and essays from 2008-2013, entitled 'Fail Better'. After featuring in several curated exhibitions, PAULNACHE is pleased to announce his upcoming inaugural solo exhibition with the Gisborne Gallery, opening Friday 4th of July 2014. The artist will attend his opening.