Black & Red - The Cards for the Future

My latest piece, A 78” x 73” textured abstract created for the reception area of a commercial office building has been finished and is being installed into its new home this week.

This marks an exciting point for me – the painting, entitled ‘The Beginning’ is significant not only to me, but also to all the businesses that will look at it as they enter their new office. It symbolises the creation – the start of something new. It is an exciting piece of work with movement and passion – vital ingredients for a new business to grow and succeed. I am sure it will feel right at home in it’s new home of Cornwall House, Slough and I hope it brings inspiration and thought to those as they enter the building each day.

The name also signifies the relationship I have with the wonderful commercial interior design company www.greyinteriors.com . In a world that is not just black and white, Grey Interiors provide all the shades in between with their vision and turnkey approach to commercial interiors.

Finally, I hope this painting exposes Joanna Gilbert art into the office, hotel, restaurant and bar industry - I loved creating art of this scale and I would love the opportunity of creating a series of paintings for a specific area / building in these areas. 

I ask that if anyone knows of anyone who can help me fulfill this dream please email me on info@joannagilbert.com

So, let’s begin. Are you ready?  

Windmills of My Mind Exhibition

All 12 paintings for the exhibition are complete and varnished. With 2 weeks to go, invites gone out and RSVPs coming back there is not much more I can do apart from wait!

The exhibition will be held in the beautiful atrium of the Hodge Jones & Allen LLP office during the week of the 18th October – 21st October. The opening night is open to the public so if you like art or know of any sad looking empty walls then please come and join us for a drink!

The paintings will then be moved to the lavish Home House for an exclusive  'Cultured Pearl' networking event brought to you by ‘The Oyster Club’ on the night on 21st October.

If you would like to attend any of these events please RSVP to info@joannagilbert.com

Social Media Inspires Artist Joanna Gilbert for her Touring Exhibition

An artist is using the phenomena of social media as the inspiration for her latest exhibition.

Joanna Gilbert is exploring our growing use of social media – on sites such as Twitter and Facebook – and how we bare our innermost thoughts to friends and colleagues with Windmills of My Mind, which begins touring this September.

Indian-born Joanna, who describes herself as “very much the modern working mother”, said she was fascinated by how much time adults spent immersed in one another’s thoughts and wanted to probe the trend deeper.

A specialist in pop art portraits and modern abstracts, she uses digital technology to create hand-painted works of art at her studios in London.

The collection of pieces – including NObama, about the American President’s first year in office; Painting Peace, done to remind us that everyday there are soldiers praying for peace in Israel; and Stay at Home Mum, illustrating the pressure on women to “have it all” and still look glamorous - are akin to status updates on Facebook and Twitter, but in tangible art form, she says.

Each canvas takes between ten and 15 hours to paint and is worked from digitally-enhanced photography.

“Art is an expression of inner self,” says Gilbert said.

“I’m trying to reflect the diversity of ours lives now, in this generation, by building a collection that will reflect what we think about what is happening now.

“My exhibition tells the story of a happily married mum of two. Perhaps it doesn’t sound particularly interesting, but isn’t that point? Through social media and blogs, we have all become obsessed with the minutiae of daily life.

“Think of it as a real life tangible blog, with each painting telling the viewer about a snapshot of a mind. It is status updates in art.

“My paintings are like blog entries – a snapshot of a moment or a day.”

Joanna, who has been commissioned by companies such as House of Fraser, Marks & Spencer, Sports Direct and B&Q as well as by private collectors, draws inspiration from pop artists Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Allison Lefcort, as well as younger artists such as Kris Hardy.

After attaining a BA (Hons) degree in retail marketing at Manchester Metropolitan University in 2000, she furthered her qualifications by studying graphic design and photography.

She began painting in 2005 and started to experiment with mixed media on canvas, using metallics, gold leaf and other media to create 3D pieces of art.

In 2007, Joanna started to produce portraits.

“There are always going to be fine artists who can create paintings like they are photographs,” she says. “I like to turn photographs into paintings and add a little pop!”

Gilbert’s friend and patron, Michael Maslen, said: “I have watched Joanna go from strength to strength over the last year and really become an artist with great creative presence and one to look out for. This exhibition will give people the chance to see her talent up close.”


ENDS



For further information, interview requests or image requests please contact:

Monique Lester

London Digital PR

Tel: 07958411653

Email: info@londondigitalpr.com



Notes to editor:

• To find out more about Joanna please visit http://www.joannagilbert.com/

• Please note locations for the tour are yet to be confirmed.

Behind the Art – Second in the Series of Joanna Gilbert’s Art Stories

Part 2 -What Came Next

May 2010

This is the second in Joanna's series of blog posts talking about the inspiration behind the art.


This is called “NObama”! When Obama was voted in as president of the USA, I decided to paint him as part of the celebration of a new era. Like many, I was inspired by his charisma, his speeches and his personality. Like many I hoped that he could help us through the troubles of 2009.

NObama - by Joanna Gilbert

I had originally called the piece “Obama Rocks” but when I released my show reel there was such an outcry against him that I gave it a new title.

Now, several months into his presidency, his speeches, his charisma and our hopes have all changed.

“Magic & Sparkle” was a commission developed to celebrate the proposed (now approved) flagship M&S development in Cheshire Oaks.

Magic & Sparkle - by Joanna Gilbert

This will be the company’s biggest store outside London and is being described as the ‘Marble Arch of the North’. Work on the 150,000 sq ft store, which includes a 950-space car park, begins early next year and is due to open in spring, 2012. This was an exciting project for me for one of the UK’s leading names in retail.


“B&Q – New Malden” was a commission for the giant DIY brand in celebration of its most energy efficient store, featuring the largest wind turbine yet installed on a building in the UK.

B & Q New Malden - by Joanna Gilbert

The DIY chain said the 159,000 square foot store in New Malden, South London, would emit 50 per cent less carbon emissions compared with a traditional store of similar size. It will also stock the largest range of green products under B&Q’s One Planet Home brand.


“Painting Peace” is very close to my heart. I get so frustrated about the one sided anti Israel propaganda, saying Israel fired missiles here, and killed Palestinians there, without explaining the whole story. Because we only hear what the news want us to hear, I hoped that my painting would send a message that every day the Israeli soldiers, who fight to protect Israel, pray for peace.

Painting Peace - by Joanna Gilbert

This painting was sold on eBay. I decided to use the concept to create a charity auction, with all proceeds being donated to UK Friends of AWIS (The Association of the Welfare of Israeli Soldiers). The piece has received a lot of positive attention and many have been very moved by the idea of young boy soldiers praying in full uniform at this holy site.

For your own original art work by Joanna Gilbert contact her here: info@joannagilbert.com