START STUDIO

BCAF 2024

START STUDIO — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 12:33:59 +0000

BCAF - Bath Contemporary Artists' Fair September/October 2024

Following a successful and fun few days selling my work at Bath Contemporary Artists’ Fair back in September and October 2024, you can see me again on Sunday 13th April, and Sunday 11th May 2025 in Green Park Station, Bath, BA1 1JB, UK, 10am – 5pm where I will be selling original artwork as well as limited edition prints.

Getting to BCAF

Travel and Accessibility

Bath Contemporary Artists’ Fair is in Green Park Station (next to Sainsbury’s) and is less than a ten minute walk from Bath train station and bus station.
Green Park Station has step-free access. The closest toilets are found in the Sainsbury’s Information for accessible parking can be found here via the Bath and North East Somerset Council website.

Bike parking can be found outside and inside the station. There are some fantastic cycle routes in and around Bath. I would recommend the Bristol-Bath Railway path, and the Bradford-on-Avon-Bath route along the Kennet and Avon canal. Both of which are very scenic.

Urban Aesthetic Commission

START STUDIO — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 17:46:00 +0000

I was recently commissioned to create a personalised Urban Aesthetic piece for our friends Louise and Ollie. They wanted something that would work with their interior design and that incorporated content that was personal to them.

The brief was fairly simple; Urban Aesthetic style, in black and white, and that incorporated lyrics from Dog Days are Over by Florence and the Machine. However, for someone who mostly works with bold colours, particularly for my Urban Aesthetic series, undertaking a commission in black, white and grey was a bit out of my comfort zone. I was able to sneak a bit of colour in by using some collage material from a Florence and the Machine tour booklet, which can be seen in the collaged panel on the top row.

Throughout the process I consulted Louise and shared preliminary sketches to ensure I was on the right track, we also discussed the positioning of the lyrics and the collage material I would use. Louise was the perfect client, and very clear about what she wanted from the start, which makes commissions so much easier.

I was pleased with the result, and I’m glad it met Louise and Ollies’ expectations. I think it looks great in its new home.

If you are interested in a personalised commission, please get in touch.

URBAN AESTHETIC no.30

(Dog Days Are Over)

Urban Aesthetic Collection

58 x 47 x 5.3 cm (Framed)

Painted wood blocks, acrylic paint and collage on board

Centrespace Exhibition 2024

START STUDIO — Sat, 15 Jun 2024 08:54:59 +0000

This is My World / Urban Aesthetic (Edition 4) Centrespace Gallery, Bristol, UK, 2024

In April 2024 I hosted a double exhibition at Centrespace Gallery in Bristol. The exhibition featured the full series of This is My World collages, and a new collection of Urban Aesthetic pieces.

This Is My World

This is My World is a collection of 48 collages which were completed in 2019, but due to the pandemic did not get a public showing. It was always my intention to show the collection in its entirety, so although several years later than planned, it was very satisfying being able to display the collages as they were intended.

The turnaround for set up was about 24 hours so hanging needed to be done quickly, particularly as I also had an installation to build. The real challenge was installing the 48 individually framed This is my World collages in a grid on the wall, but with some professional help from my friends, and a lot of time and effort, it was achieved and looked just as I imagined.The turnaround for set up was about 24 hours so hanging needed to be done quickly,
particularly as I also had an installation to build. The real challenge was installing the 48 individually framed This is my World collages in a grid on the wall, but with some professional help from my friends, and a lot of time and effort, it was achieved and looked just as I had imagined.

Urban Aesthetic (Edition 4)

Alongside the collages I hung a new series of bold and colourful Urban Aesthetic pieces. This new collection titled Urban Aesthetic: Edition Four, focusing largely on philosophical and aesthetic concepts, explores the visual language of colour which is juxtaposed against collage material from literature, comic books, and philosophy.

This Is Our World

In addition to the paintings and collages, I included a large installation titled ‘This is Our World’. The installation featured painted wood blocks and collage material that included several front pages of national newspapers alongside other paraphernalia that I have collected throughout my career; the oldest piece of content was from a 2001 copy of the Daily Mail. Having the space and freedom to work on such a large installation was a joy and reminded me of my student days, the piece was undoubtedly the talking point of the exhibition, and it contrasted well with the two other collections on display.

Centrespace Gallery, Bristol, UK

Centrespace is an artist run gallery in the centre of Bristol that is available to hire on a week-by-week basis. I have exhibited at the gallery before, as part of group shows, so I know the space quite well. It is a big space and, in the run up to the show I was a little anxious that my work might get a bit lost against the huge, white walls. However, once we began hanging the work my concerns were allayed and I could see that my bold three-dimensional paintings and colourful collages looked perfectly at home in the space. Up to this point I’d only seen the work in my studio and on display in my home, so it became a great pleasure seeing them come to life in the gallery.

Centrespace helped promote the show and featured content on their website, newsletters and social media channels. Here is what they had to say about the exhibition:

“Stephen Tribbel, a mixed media artist renowned for his collage work, unveils a dual exhibition featuring his “This is My World” and “Urban Aesthetic (Edition 4)” series. “This is My World” presents 48 vibrant collages crafted in 2019, a homage to Tribbel’s passion for collage and collecting. These eclectic pieces, never before publicly displayed due to the pandemic, offer a colourful glimpse into Tribbel’s two-decade-long career. Concurrently, “Urban Aesthetic (Edition 4)” explores philosophical and aesthetic themes through three-dimensional artworks that blend collaged texts with painted compositions, inviting viewers into a bold visual dialogue. With both series available for purchase, visitors can delve into Tribbel’s diverse inspirations, influenced by his global experiences and admiration for artists like Robert Rauschenberg and Kurt Schwitters.”

The response to my show was incredible, and I am very grateful to everyone who took the time to visit, it was great to see so many familiar faces and lots of new ones too. Exhibiting in this way was a great opportunity to meet my audience and discuss my work and I had many wonderful conversations with visitors and customers.

One interaction in particular sticks in the memory; the gallery is a popular stop on Street art tours and on one afternoon an art lover from New York who was on one of the tours came into the gallery and was very taken by an earlier mixed media painting of mine titled ‘The Local Time is Now’. As she was on a tour, she asked for me to hold it back, promising to come back. When she returned, she said that the work really resonated with her and explained that she wanted to hang it in her Manhattan apartment. As the 1960’s New York scene was a big influence on me as an artist, the idea of one of my paintings living in Manhattan made me very happy. Selling work is always a satisfying experience for an artist and to know where it will start its new life is a bonus.

I am indebted to my friends and family, particularly my wife, who helped with the
organisation and set up of the exhibition, so my biggest thanks go to them.
Did you come to the show? Please share your feedback via info@startstudio.org.uk

URBAN AESTHETIC: Beyond Good and Evil

START STUDIO — Sun, 14 Apr 2024 12:38:47 +0000

URBAN AESTHETIC: Beyond Good and Evil Collection

This collection features five pieces that were inspired by literary concepts of good and
evil, and how characterisation of these concepts is developed in popular culture. In
literature, moral concepts are often represented through characterisation, and no
more obviously is this done than in comic books, particularly early versions of some
Marvel Comics.

As much a visual medium as a piece of literature, early comic books employed
rudimentary colour designs for their characters to ensure easy differentiation
between the good guys, and the bad guys. The formulae was fairly straightforward,
heroes are pure of heart and thus appear in primary colours – the ‘pure’ colours. For
example, Ironman is yellow and red, Spider-Man, blue and red, Thor, red, yellow, and
blue, whereas villains, conversely, often appear in secondary colours, purple, green,
and orange.

The manipulation of colour is a simple but effective tool, and remains a common
practice which is often used in politics, by sports teams, artists, the media, and
advertisers, to attract our attention and influence our thinking.
For these pieces I wanted to combine this colour practice with complimentary works
of famous literature that would further explore the power of language and art.

Inspiration was taken from the Medieval Icelandic anthology, Edda, Beyond
Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche, The Virtue of selfishness by Ayn Rand, La Morte
de Artur, attributed to Thomas Malory, and Homer’s Odyssey.

Art Workshops at Vine Schools in Wiltshire

START STUDIO — Sun, 07 Apr 2024 13:12:33 +0000

Vine Schools Workshop

As Head of Programme development at Creative United, I was invited to present to three classes across the Vine School network in Chippenham. The network includes three primary schools which fall under the Diocese of Bristol Academies. The schools have a hands-on approach to visual arts and in recent terms the pupils in years 3, 4, and 5 have been studying colour theory, experimenting with large scale drawings, learning about different artists and artistic styles including the sculpture of Barbara Hepworth, and about Cubist paintings by Picasso. My presentation focused on how creativity plays a part in many jobs. I talked about the many creative jobs involved in theatre and film production, where artists get their inspiration from, and how creative skills can be applied across many disciplines.

The arts programme at the Vine schools is headed up by class teacher, Rhianna Wakely who sees the educational value of the visual arts and was very keen to construct a programme that was diverse, interesting, and engaging. Here’s what she had to say about me.

“My class loved the workshop! At break time, I heard one of the boys saying, “I had no idea there were so many jobs for artists!” and at the end of the day we did a recap of the day and one of the girls said, “I want to design the costumes in a theatre”. Steve’s workshop really opened their eyes to the creative possibilities ahead of them.”

The Diocese of Bristol Academy Trust are a mixture of small rural village schools, large inner-city schools and new free schools placed into growing communities across Bristol, North Wiltshire, and Swindon. More information about the trust can be found here: https://dbat.org.uk/

URBAN AESTHETIC

START STUDIO — Sat, 06 Apr 2024 11:37:15 +0000

Urban Aesthetic is principally about physical history, which is explored through geometric, three-dimensional artworks that are made from collage material, and occasionally paint and inks.

Urban Aesthetic as an artistic concept began in 2007 when I created my first two Urban Aesthetic paintings; it wasn’t my intention to create something so abstract. I was working on a large-scale collage with painted vertical and horizontal lines, but I became frustrated with it and began stripping back the collage and paint which revealed something quite different that was visually very satisfying to me. Geometric patterns have played a part in my artistic practice since I was a teen and to see the horizontal and vertical lines revealed in such a way was fascinating; depending on the thickness of paint or strength of the glue, certain sections lifted away to reveal hidden elements while others remained – it was like excavating my art and revealing it’s history. I began to play with colour compositions, applying colour design theory to bring out three dimensional elements within the work, and from this Urban Aesthetic was born.

Over the years I have played with variations, exploring pieces in pure colour and others solely with collage but the horizontal and vertical elements have always remained, as has the subject of history.

URBAN AESTHETIC (SERIES 4)

Urban Aesthetic (series four) focuses largely on philosophical and aesthetic concepts. I have embraced colour theory and explored classical and pulp literature, comic books, and philosophy to create a series of bold, three-dimensional paintings.

In this series you will find collaged texts juxtaposed within painted compositions, each designed to complement or contrast the collaged material. Colour has been used to provide a visual language to accompany the printed text, and, in some cases, other collaged elements have been added to further illustrate the subject of the text.

THIS IS MY WORLD

START STUDIO — Sun, 24 Mar 2024 09:25:17 +0000

About This is My World

This is My World is a collection of 48 collages which were completed in 2019, but due to the pandemic did not get a public showing.

The collection is my homage to the art of collage and collecting (or hoarding, depending on who you talk to). Throughout my career, I have collected and categorised thousands of pieces of material for making collages and other mixed media artworks. In 2018 I began a thorough exploration of this bank of material, with the ambition of using as much as possible in a series of collages, the result is the eclectic and colourful This is My World.

The series features material collected from books, magazines, posters, catalogues, and packaging. When making collages I’m usually quite playful with my compositions and I enjoy exploring the surreal and bizarre. In this collection there are surreal arrangements alongside more literal pieces and a few pieces that pay direct reference to my influences and experiences.

LATEST EXHIBITION: This is My World / Urban Aesthetic (Edition 4)

START STUDIO — Sat, 23 Mar 2024 15:41:12 +0000

Centrespace Gallery

6 Leonard Lane, Bristol, BS1 1EA, UK

Open Daily: Saturday 27th April – Wednesday 1st May 10am – 6pm

In this double show, I will exhibit the full suite of my This is My World series of collages on paper, alongside a new Urban Aesthetic collection.

GALLERY ACCESSIBILITY

The gallery is wheelchair accessible with a disabled access toilet and ramp.

TRAVEL TO THE EXHIBITION

Centrespace is within walking distance from the bus stops in Bristol city centre.

The nearest car parks are Trenchard Street, Queens Square and Nelson Street all of which are less than a 10 minute walk from Centrespace. Please note Bristol City Centre operates a Clean Air Zone. click here for further info.

The nearest train station is Temple Meads which is a 20 minute walk to the gallery. The A1 airport flyer or 9 bus route can take you from the station to the city centre.

Bristol is a bike-friendly destination with cycling routes present on almost all of Bristol’s major roads, and plenty of places to park your bike. Click here for more info.