Monday, 26 August 2019

Press Release: You Know More Than I Know exhibition at The Art Academy opening 11/09/19

Press Release For You Know More Than I Know
Image above by
Steve Gullick 
Image above by
Corin Johnson 
Image above by
James Johnston
Image above by 
Harry Pye 
Image above by
 Aleks Wojcik
Steve, Corin, James, Harry, and Aleks invite you to an exhibition featuring photography, painting, drawing and sculpture.
For more info click: here
 Here are 40 Facts about the exhibition:
1) You Know More Than I Know is a song written by John Cale, who was a founder member of The Velvet Underground. The song appeared on his album, Fear. Cale was born in Wales but lived and studied in South London.
2) Aleks Wojcik is the only artist contributing to this exhibition who is under 40. She was a Scout for 5 years and absolutely loved it. Her first time in England was when she was 13 and she had a day trip to Dover. When Aleks left Poland she moved to south London and lived above the Pineapple pub (near Lambeth tube).
3) Steve Gullick’s first resting place in London was at his friend Neil's flat which was above a chicken shop on Stockwell road in 1987. They worked as ushers at the Odeon Cinema on Haymarket.
4) Harry Pye was born in Lewisham. His first job after graduating from Art School was as a doorman at Catford Theatre during the pantomime season.
5) Aleks  Wojcik is quite  superstitious : She will never walk under the ladder, she will never open an umbrella indoors etc.
6) Harry Pye is allergic to red wine and never learned how to ride a bike. He has never been superstitious or religious . He has been described as being, “sooo London”,  “sooo sensitive”, “a dark horse”, “a hoarder”  (as someone who) argues like a lawyer” (as being like) Prince Myshkin and “(as someone who) can’t accept love”
7) When James Johnston sees a magpie he clicks his fingers as his Mum and Gran used to do it. James Johnston's Gran was a self-taught painter.
8) Harry Pye is a descendant of Sir Henry James Pye (1745–1813), who was an unpopular Poet Laureate.
9) Aleks always wanted to be a painter and she believes that it will happen one day.
10) James Johnston and Steve Gullick were in a band called '...bender'
11) Harry Pye once collaborated with the composer Francis Macdonald on an album of songs and stories. Mojo magazine gave the album 4 stars and said it was “odd but good”
12)  James Johnston started a band called Gallon Drunk and grew up near Guildford - which is famous for virtually nothing.
13) There was a time in 1992 when Harry Pye went through a phase of feeling he'd just walked into a cobweb but when he wiped his face, nothing was there.
14) James Johnston still has records but no record player.
15) Steve Gullick is from Coventry and he often wore eyeliner in his youth. His favourite John Cale album is, Fear.
16) Harry Pye often loves a handful of John Cale songs like; Been There Done That,  Faces and Names, Hallelulah and You Know More Than I Know,over and over again but there aren’t any John Cale albums he likes from beginning to end.
17) Corin Johnson saw John Cale give a talk about his life at, The Green Man festival. Corin is a fan of the music Cale made with Nick Drake.
18) Aleks Wojcik doesn’t know who John Cale is. For a while Roxette were her favourite band. Her first dance with a boy was to The Scorpions.
19) Steve Gullick is married and has three adult sons all of whom were born in East London.
20) Corin Johnson was born in Warwick very near the castle. He used to get peacocks flying into his garden.
21) Aleks loves having a garden and is proud of her tomatoes. Her biggest enemies in the garden are squirrels and snails. She likes it when is a sunny day and I water it with a hose because I can make small rainbows! 
22) Steve Gullick is still friends with his school art teachers, Chris Lock and Pete Hillier.
23) Corin Johnson’s art teacher came from Liverpool and was called Mr Skiffington.
24) Aleks misses her 8 pet rats. The names she gave them were; Marcel, Fidel, Stefan, Jack, Klex, Boris, Muffin and Shadow.
25) Steve Gullick has constant tinnitus.
26) Corin Johnson has an older sister and a younger brother.
27) James Johnston lived in a bedsit in Earl's court when he first moved to London to go to university, it had very thin walls as was a bit sleazy. He was studying philosophy at King's and was asked to leave. His favourite place in London is Lambeth North.
28) Steve Gullick has only ever painted on paper.
29) Newington Library was officially opened on Thursday 13th March 1975. The building next to the library caught fire on March 25, 2013. 100 fire-fighters were needed to put out the blaze and there was much water damage. In September 2017 Southwark Council granted the Art Academy use of the former Newington Library, Walworth Road
30) Corin Johnson’s mother had a print of Picasso’s Sylvette on the wall.
31) Harry Pye was born in Lewisham hospital and he went back there a few years ago to have his appendix out.
32) Aleks Wojcik has never had anything broken apart from her heart. Twice.
33) The last book James Johnston read was The Power and The Glory by Graham Greene
34) Aleks Wojcik knows how to make great pancakes, and a very nice apple pie. She loves spinach which she was never fed as a child.
35) Corin Johnson’s first sculptures were bought by Peter Snow who was a professor at The Slade.
36) During his art degree, Harry Pye did an artist’s placement with the sculptor and Slade professor Bruce Mclean.
37) Aleks believes all cool people smoke
38) Corin Johnson, James Johnston, and Harry Pye all contributed work to an exhibition called, Push The Boat Out which took place at The Art Academy last year. The title came from a  song James had once recorded with his band, Gallon Drunk.
39) Corin’s Mother’s family are from Newcastle upon Tyne and they used to sing Geordie songs and rhymes. He owns a dog called Charlie who likes bananas.
40) This exhibition features a photograph Aleks Wojcik took of her mother.  Aleks says her parents names are Krzysztof and Czeslawa and that they were both employed as art restorers. 

The opening party for, 'You Know More Than I Know' is on Wednesday the 11th Sept from 6pm till 9pm.
On Thursday the 12th and Friday the 13th the gallery is open from 10:30am till 6:30pm. On Sat the 15th and Sunday the 16th the gallery is open from 11am till 5pm. 
The Art Academy used to be Newington Library The address is: 155 Walworth Road S.E 17 1RS
It's 5 minutes from Elephant & Castle tube.