The newly refurbished St Augustine’s Centre has been playing host to a huge variety of shows and events: artists working on their pieces live, plays and music performances, screen-printing classes, and even yoga – many of which take place inside the new three story building which has been constructed inside the church.
Bright colours and fun, modern art are offset nicely by the decor of the newly refurbished St Augustine's Centre
The artworks on show are by semi-established artists from Brighton and the South. Their bright colours and fun, modern style are offset nicely by the neon-lit organ pipes above the main door, the colour saturated stained glass (really, it’s beautiful) and the giant helix-like mobile which hangs from the high ceiling beside it.
Sinna One’s work is instantly recognisable. A well-known graffiti artist in Brighton, his cartoony works include a grinning Axolotl that looks more like a Pokémon than an amphibian, he did a great job capturing its weird cuteness in graffiti style.
Embroidery also has a platform, unlike in many mainstream art galleries. Mazcan and Jane Cordery have reclaimed this traditionally feminine form. Cordery’s works are an abstract exploration of connection and disconnect, of distance despite closeness. The changing nature of human ties in the context of the digital age is a hot topic at the moment, and her approach to this is lucid, intelligent, and surprisingly relatable despite abstractness. Mazcan’s detailed satin stitching shows the expressiveness of women’s faces through a fascinating blend of pop art and comic-esque images rendered with rich and faintly iridescent thread colours. She experiments with light and shade using geometric blocks of colour. With titles like Seduction, these are a feast for the eyes despite their small size.
Fox Fisher’s work is also a recognisable style. His Pharmacy of Dreams is definitely a highlight. Neon colours screen printed onto a wood block, making the inky outlines of medicine bottles that would not be out of place in Alice in Wonderland (in fact, there will be a performance of Alice in Wonderland in this space in the final week of the Fringe). Labels like Happy Oil, Time Tonic and Organic Creativity would definitely make some people’s mouths water.
Other artists include Rue Asher, Patrick Turner Lee and Euan Roberts. The long walk up London Road was worth it for the Arts Cafe and great artwork at the end of it. Would recommend the journey – and you might catch a screen printing workshop!
