Thursday 17 November offers the first chance to see a new exhibition of paintings by Stephen Earl Rogers, as part of the Ikon Gallery’s Autumn Almanac. A reception will be held from 6 – 7pm in the 2nd floor galleries.
This series of paintings has its origins in a 1980’s Reader’s Digest self-help, family manual. The book, entitled ‘What to do in an Emergency’, contains information and illustrations ranging from first aid, to self-defence and survival tips. Independent artists and producers from the cultural industries, based in or associated with Birmingham, were invited to appear in the paintings. T
he practitioners featured are Ian Francis and Pip McKnight of 7 Inch Cinema, artist duo Juneau Projects, Kerry Thomas and David O’Coy of Fused /Area Magazine (pictured below), writer and curator Matt Price (pictured above), artist Tom Ranahan, the Founding Directors of artist-led space Eastside Projects and a self-portrait.
The monochrome paintings are transcriptions and re-enactments of the illustrations found in the book. The book’s role is to inform the reader of how to be self-sufficient in difficult circumstances, an important quality for anyone involved in the cultural industries.
Area Culture Guide 