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"Boatseat Drawing" Charcoal / Collage on paper A2 1999
by Brenda Oakes
Artists Statement:
"My desire is to challenge, to push my own thinking and that of my audience, whilst expanding the capabilities of my work materials. I try to avoid preconceptions when choosing methods and media; these will be dictated by the requirements of each project, whether it be a small drawing or a new promenade.
Having trained as a sculptor, my art practice has expanded in several directions to include architecture, landscape, urban and graphic design, as well as many community and public art projects. In my public role my aim is to empower the users of communal spaces by giving them the confidence, through consultation and participation, to take responsibility for their own environment. I am particularly interested in using renewable energy and recycled materials.
My private practice, manifested through sculpture, digital and 2D media, allows me to investigate meaning via both formal concerns and experimentation."
Brenda Oakes
(January 2002)
Brenda was artist-in-residence from 1999-2000 in Barrow-in-Furness working on the design and implementation of a number of new public spaces in collaboration with residents, the community development team and landscape architects. This project was funded by the Arts Lottery.
Brenda has been a visiting lecturer to the art and design degree courses at Swansea Institute. She was recently invited to design a solar-powered street light for one of Britain's leading photovoltaic research companies and in addition, she has collaborated with a remote power specialist on designs for a new sculptural wind turbine. An arts lottery funded commission to create a gable-end artwork for Swansea Environment Centre is underway in collaboration with the architect of the building's new extension, Robin Campbell.
"Short Round Hull" Percent for Art Feature for Housing Development, Hopkins Lane, Newton Abbot by Brenda Oakes and Peter Osborne. Mild steel / mirror polished stainless steel / paint. 2m high - 2001.
Working with travellers and residents on a Sure Start scheme early this year produced graphic designs for the exterior of a double-decker play/resource bus in Pontypool. Brenda recently initiated a design project on the Sandfields Estate in Port Talbot, working with young people from the area. Two sculptures incorporating work by children with special needs for the entrance to the new Sure Start building in Llandarcy, Neath were opened in December 2001.
Teignbridge District Council has appointed Brenda to work as lead artist for the redevelopment of Newton Abbot, Devon. Similarly, New Sandfields Sustainable Regeneration Company will be hosting an artist's residency where Brenda will be focussing on the regeneration of Aberafan Seafront. This project is funded by the Arts Council of Wales as a development pilot for its "Arts in Targeted Communities" scheme.
"Odin's Eye and the Hammer of Thor"
Mixed Media and collage - A1 1995.
Aarhus International Art and Craft Symposium, Denmark.
Brenda continues to exhibit and has just participated in a major international sculpture exhibition in Seoul Art Centre, South Korea in December 2001. She is represented by Si-Art, Spilling Art International, Windsor, England.
SELECTED C.V.
Brenda Oakes has exhibited extensively and it would take many pages to cover her career to date. Here we have selected a small number of examples in each category. A full C.V. is available (6 pages) directly from the artist or by accessing her personal website
(currently under construction).
"Shrine" 2m high Oak and Copper 1997
5th International Wood Sculpture Symposium, Hojer, Denmark.
AWARDS:
1984 Welsh Arts Council Setting-up Grant.
1988 Welsh Arts Council Masterclass Grant.
1997 Arts Council of Wales Travel Grant - "Street Design 1997 Pedestrian Environment Category Winner" awarded to Castle Square, Swansea.
1998 Kyeng-Gi Do Governor's Award, Republic of Korea.
2000 Honorary Citizenship of City of Pusan, South Korea.
CONSULTANCIES:
1998 - 2000 Art and design consultant to AIR Architecture.
DESIGN PARTNERSHIP:
1997 - 2000 apART Design Partnership with Robin Campbell architect.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS:
small selection of 31 entries...
1981 Northern Young Contemporaries.
1982 Manchester Academy.
1984 Manchester Artist's Studio Association.
Wrexham Open (prizewinner).
1985 - 1986 Tyne Tees Northern Open (touring).
1987 - 1988 Working Women 1 (touring).
1989 & 1990 A.A.D.W. Wrexham Festival.
John Holden Gallery, Salford.
1991 Slaughterhouse Gallery, London Amnesty International, Coventry (touring) Wilson Stephens Fine Art at Stephen Bartley Gallery, London Sites, Cywaith Cymru, Cardiff Old Library.
1992 National Eisteddfod, Aberystwyth.
1996 Cheltenham Open Drawing Exhibition.
2000 Symposium Exhibition, San-Chung, South Korea.
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS:
1982
Leicestershire Schools Collection.
1983 Town of Cervenykostlec, Czechoslovakia.
1985 Margam Park, West Glamorgan.
1987 Buckley Royal Town Band.
1990 Huddersfield City Art Gallery.
1995 & 1999 County of Aarhus, Denmark.
1998 City of Ichon, Republic of Korea Cultural Institute of Peru and North America, Lima, Peru.
1999 Lysbo Tileworks, Silkeborg, Denmark.
2000 Remise Akademi, Brande, Denmark. Saeng-Cho Sculpture Park, Sang-Chu, South Korea.
2001 United Nations Memorial Park, UN Cemetery (Korean War), Pusan, South Korea.Sagadi Manor, Estonia.
You can contact the artist directly by sending an E-mail to:
Website:
www.brendaoakes.com
(under construction)
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Brenda Oakes
received her M.A.degree in Fine Art from Manchester Polytechnic in 1990. She was appointed as Artist/Designer in the Planning Department of Swansea City Council during the same year. In the eight years she spent in Swansea she created works of public, environmental and community art, in addition to designing urban landscape schemes and street furniture for the city centre. Projects included the layout for a major city centre space in front of Swansea Castle, the design of which has been acclaimed as "a highly effective piece of urban design" (Western Mail). In 1997 Castle Square was judged to be the best public space in Britain, winning the
Street Design Pedestrian Environment Award.
During the nineteen years since Brenda first graduated, she has exhibited widely throughout Britain and abroad. Her work is to be found in collections as far afield as Czechoslovakia, South Korea, Denmark, Estonia and Peru, as well as the Leicestershire Schools Collection and Margam Park, amongst others in the U.K. Aside from her public art role, Brenda continues with her studio work and since 1995 she has represented the United Kingdom in symposiums and workshops in many countries around the world. In 2000 she was invited to create a large granite memorial to commemorate the British soldiers who died in the Korean War. This sculpture was inaugurated in the United Nations Cemetery in Pusan, South Korea in October last year.
"Column of Hope" 3.2m Sculpture of white granite 2000 by Brenda Oakes.
United Nations Memorial Cemetery, Pusan, South Korea.
Brenda has chaired the Council of Cywaith Cymru - Artworks Wales, the public art commissioning body for Wales and is a founder member of the Welsh Academy of Design, set up in 1998.
Close up of Hopkins Lane Installation - entitled "Short Round Hull" 2001.
ApART (appropriate art), the design partnership which Brenda established in 1997 with architect Robin Campbell, was shortlisted in the 1997 'Construction Tower Competition' launched by Emap Construct Magazine and 'A Projection Tower for Batley', part of the 1998 Year of Photography and the Electronic Image. In 1998 their proposal for two foreshore buildings at Saltburn-by-the-Sea was one of three finalists in a national architectural competition. Their work has been illustrated in the Architect's Journal, New Civil Engineers, Construction News and Building Design Magazine as well as several books on public art and urban design. ApART is currently lead artist for the Durngate Triangle, Dorchester, an innovative public art and urban design scheme for the centre of the town. ApART was invited to submit a public art strategy for the new National Botanic Garden for Wales and has recently been commissioned to draw up a public art strategy for the new Baglan Energy Park, Port Talbot.
EDUCATION:
1958
- 1964
Notre Dame High School, Liverpool.
1964 - 1965
Millbank College, Liverpool.
1972 - 1973
Open University Humanities Foundation Course.
1978 - 1979
Wrexham College of Art Foundation Course.
1979 - 1982
Manchester Polytechnic - B.A. (Hons) Fine Art (First Class with commendations in Art History and Complementary Studies).
1984 - 1985
Newcastle Polytechnic - M.A. Fine Art (first year).
1989 - 1990
Manchester Polytechnic - transfer and completion of MA
Solo and Two-person Exhibitions:
1984
-
1985
The Brick Studio,
Manchester
1986 - 1987
Cefn Saeson School, Neath
1987
Oriel Theatr Clwyd
, Mold
1990 - 1991
Architectural Ceramics, Cywaith Cymru Gallery, Cardiff
1993
City Centre Public Art,
Guildhall, Swansea
2001
Digital Prints at Verdi's,
Mumbles.
COMMISSIONS:
1982
Painting for Midland Bank Plc.
1983
Painting for Alyn & Deeside District Council.
1985
Sculptures for Walker Art Gallery exhibition, Liverpool.
1986
Brick murals for Delyn Borough Council.
1987
Sculpture for Clwyd Arts and Exhibitions Service.
1988
Brick murals for Carlisle City Council.
1996
Trophy for Woman Composer of the Year, Liverpool Festival of Music, Speech and Drama for Liverpool City Council.
1998
Sand sculptures for cover of annual report for Hyder Plc.
2000
Gable end artwork for Swansea Environment Centre.
"Sposon Panel" - Swansea Maritime Quarter. Steel / glass fibre 3.5m wide 1992-5
A FULL C.V. IS AVAILABLE FROM BRENDA OAKES:
Tel:
Fax:
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BRENDA OAKES
