3000 SQUARES Work in progress Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Photographs by Eduardo Aigner
NICKRANDS.COM
Nick Rands, b. 1955 Chester, UK.
Studied Fine Art at Reading University and Art Education at Bristol University/Bristol Polytechnic.
Taught art in UK and Botswana before working as art-gallery education officer. In 1992 he was Southern Arts-Brazil Exchange artist to Porto Alegre, Brazil. Moved to Brazil in 1998, and in 2016 moved to Caunes-Minervois, France.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2022
3000 e outras terras
Galeria Gestual, Porto Alegre RS Brazil
Line by Line Peintures / Dessins 1992 - 2022
La Table des Vignerons, Trausse, France
Rue Joseph Sicard, Caunes Minervois, France
Ausência
L’anciennne boulangerie, Caunes Minervois, France
Hillfield/Arborizada
Rue Joseph Sicard, Caunes Minervois, France
2021
Dix terres a la recheche d’un système perdu
Rue Joseph Sicard, Caunes Minervois, France
Greencat gallery, Caunes Minervois, France
2018
Lost Rivers Mosaic Paintings
8 Melior Street, London, UK
Horizontes Terrestres revisited
Galeria Gestual, Porto Alegre RS, Brazil
2017
Horizontes Terrestres
ESPM, Porto Alegre, Brazil
2016
Ausência
Galeria Gestual, Porto Alegre RS, Brazil
2015
Neckinger River Levels
Bermondsey Yard, London
2012
Um Quadrado no Rio Grande do Sul
Museu Júlio de Castilhos, Porto Alegre, Brazil
2011
Um Quadrado no Rio Grande do Sul
Museu de Arte de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil
A Gente
Museu do Trabalho, Porto Alegre RS, Brazil
2009
ChromaLife
Galeria Gestual, Porto Alegre RS, Brazil
2008
ChromaLife
The Brick House, Brick Lane, London
2007
Obras Fotográficas
Galeria Gestual, Porto Alegre RS, Brazil
2005
…and still counting…
Bermondsey Street Studio, London
Galeria Gestual, Porto Alegre RS, Brazil
2004
Painting by Numbers
Galeria Gestual, Porto Alegre RS, Brazil
2003
Where the sea meets the sky
Fotogaleria, Porto Alegre Brazil
2001
Mud Works
Espaço Cultural Sérgio Porto, Rio de Janeiro, RJ Brazil
Fundação Cultural de Criciuma, Criciuma SC Brazil
Pinturas
Fundação Cultural de Curitiba, PR Brazil
Casa de Cultura Mario Quintana, Porto Alegre RS. Brazil
Earthly Spheres
The Winchester Gallery, Winchester, UK
2000
Pinturas
Pinacoteca da Feevale, Novo Hamburgo, RS, Brazil
Eye Levels
Galeria Iberê Camargo, Usina do Gasômetro, Porto Alegre,
1999
Esferas Terrestres
Torreão, Porto Alegre, Brazil
1998
Earthly spheres
Warehouse, Norwich, UK
Watching the waves/Sowing the seed
Windsor Arts Centre Windsor, UK
1996
Grizedale Forest Painting residency
Gallery in The Forest, Grizedale, UK
Line by Line
Evreham Iver, Bucks, UK
1995
Line by Line
Isambard Brunel School. Portsmouth, UK
1994
Line by Line
The Peveril Centre. Eastleigh, UK
Atrium Gallery. Bournemouth University UK
Windrush Leisure Centre, Witney Oxon, UK
Bridgemary Community School, Gosport, UK
South Hill Park Arts Centre. Bracknell, UK
1992
Staying in Line
Bedales Gallery, Petersfield, UK
Upstairs Gallery, Upton Park. Dorset, UK
Instituto de Artes UFRGS Porto Alegre, R.S. Brazil
1982
Photographic Pieces/Timed Activities
Axiom Centre, Cheltenham, UK
GROUP SHOWS
2022
Haverá consequências
Fundação Vera Chaves Barcellos, Viamão-RS Brazil
Digital graffiti 2022
Alys Beach, Florida USA
2020
du neuf à Caunes
Caveaux de l’abbaye, Caunes Minervois, France
2019
Ailleurs
La Tuilerie Saint Joseph, La Livinière, France
2017
Paintings from somewhere else
Youngblood, Cape Town, South Africa
2016
Digital Graffiti 2016
Alys Beach, Florida USA
2015
Ocupando Lucas 21
Galeria Gestual, Porto Alegre RS Brazil
2013
Magmart | international videoart festival
Casoria Contemporary Art Museum, Naples, Italy
Digital Graffiti 2013
Alys Beach, Florida USA
7 Billionth Citizen
Townhouse Gallery, Cairo, Egypt
Solent Showcase Gallery, Southampton, UK
Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK
Mamute Galeria, Porto Alegre, Brazil
2012
Des | Estruturas
Fundação Vera Chaves Barcellos, Viamão, Brazil
2011
8th Mercosul Biennial
Porto Alegre/RS Brazil
2010
Digital Graffiti
Alys Beach, Florida USA
DIGIT 2010
Narrowsburg, New York, USA
Silêncios e Sussuros
Fundação Vera Chaves Barcellos, Viamão, Brazil
2006
Um olhar fotográfico
Fundação Vera Chaves Barcellos, Porto Alegre, Brazil
2004
Heterodoxia
MASC Florianópolis – SC Brazil
1+1+1
Museu da Gravura, Bagé, RS Brazil
2003
1+1+1
Galeria Gestual, Porto Alegre RS Brazil
Um território da fotografia
Galeria dos Arcos, Usina do Gasômetro, Porto Alegre,
III Salão National de Arte de Goiás
Goiania, GO Brazil
24º Salão de Arte de Riberão Preto
Riberão Preto, SP Brazil
2002
III Salão de Porto Alegre
Usina do Gasômetro Porto Alegre RS Brazil
II Salão National de Arte de Goiás
Goiania, GO Brazil
II Salão de Arte
UNI-BH, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
Forest
The Southern Arts Touring Exhibition Service, UK
2000
Bah-zart
Obra Aberta Porto Alegre RS Brazil
II Salão de Porto Alegre
Usina do Gasômetro, Porto Alegre
1999
Chart
Angel Row Gallery, Nottingham, UK.
Coletiva
Obra Aberta, Galeria Chaves, Porto Alegre
1998
Sticks
The Southern Arts Touring Exhibition Service, UK.
1997
The Space of the Page
Henry Moore Institute, Leeds, UK.
1996-7
Repetition
Corn Exchange Newbury, UK
Winchester Gallery, UK
The Gantry, Southampton UK
Milton Keynes Crafts Guild UK
Artsway, UK
Nuova Icona, Venice, Italy
Cacco Zanchi, Aalst, Belgium
1995
Words
Aspex Gallery Portsmouth, UK
Artspace
Square Tower Portsmouth, UK
1994
Art Kites
Milton Keynes Kite Festival. Milton Keynes, UK
1993
On Paper
Contact Gallery, Norwich, UK
Repetere
Solar dos Camara, Porto Alegre RS Brazil
1992
East End Open Studios
Deborah House, Hackney, London, UK
1990
Artists in Botswana
National Gallery of Botswana. Gaborone, Botswana
1984
R.W.A. Annual Exhibition,
Royal West of England Academy, Bristol, UK
1982
Group Photography 2
Axiom Centre, Cheltenham, UK
1978
Wessex Artists
Southampton City Art Gallery, UK
3000 SQUARES Work in progress Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Photographs by Eduardo Aigner
LARGE PAINTINGS
1998 EARTHS, Earth on paper on canvas, 100 x 150 cm, 2020
2000 EARTHS Earth on paper on canvas, 100 x 150 cm, 2022
4000 FINGERPRINTS Earth on paper on canvas, 100 x 150 cm, 2022
3000 EARTHS Mud on paper on canvas,
25 x 25 cm. 2020
4000 FINGERPRINTS Mud on paper,
19 x 19 cm. 2020-2022
4000 EARTHS Mud on paper on canvas,
25 x 25 cm. 2020 - 2022
÷9 Earth on paper, 11 x 11 cm. 2020 -2022
EARTHLY SPHERES, 4000 spheres of earth, 1998-2020, installation at caveaux de l’abbaye, Caunes Minervois, 2020
ESFERAS TERRESTRES
Three thousand hand-formed spheres of earth, 1999. Shown at: Torreão, Porto Alegre, Brazil, 1999; Centro Cultural de Criciuma, Brazil, 2001, Espaço Cultural Sergio Porto, Rio de Janiero, Brazil, 2001
ESFERAS TERRESTRES
Three thousand hand-formed spheres of earth, 1999. Shown at: Torreão, Porto Alegre, Brazil, 1999; Centro Cultural de Criciuma, Brazil, 2001, Espaço Cultural Sergio Porto, Rio de Janiero, Brazil, 2001
ESFERAS TERRESTRES
Three thousand hand-formed spheres of earth, 1999. Shown at: Torreão, Porto Alegre, Brazil, 1999; Centro Cultural de Criciuma, Brazil, 2001, Espaço Cultural Sergio Porto, Rio de Janiero, Brazil, 2001
ESFERAS TERRESTRES
Three thousand hand-formed spheres of earth, 1999. Shown at: Torreão, Porto Alegre, Brazil, 1999; Centro Cultural de Criciuma, Brazil, 2001, Espaço Cultural Sergio Porto, Rio de Janiero, Brazil, 2001
ESFERAS TERRESTRES
Three thousand hand-formed spheres of earth, 1999. Shown at: Torreão, Porto Alegre, Brazil, 1999; Centro Cultural de Criciuma, Brazil, 2001, Espaço Cultural Sergio Porto, Rio de Janiero, Brazil, 2001
ESFERAS TERRESTRES
Three thousand hand-formed spheres of earth, 1999. Shown at: Torreão, Porto Alegre, Brazil, 1999; Centro Cultural de Criciuma, Brazil, 2001, Espaço Cultural Sergio Porto, Rio de Janiero, Brazil, 2001
ESFERAS TERRESTRES
Three thousand hand-formed spheres of earth, 1999. Shown at: Torreão, Porto Alegre, Brazil, 1999; Centro Cultural de Criciuma, Brazil, 2001, Espaço Cultural Sergio Porto, Rio de Janiero, Brazil, 2001
ESFERAS TERRESTRES
Three thousand hand-formed spheres of earth, 1999. Shown at: Torreão, Porto Alegre, Brazil, 1999; Centro Cultural de Criciuma, Brazil, 2001, Espaço Cultural Sergio Porto, Rio de Janiero, Brazil, 2001
ESFERAS TERRESTRES
Three thousand hand-formed spheres of earth, 1999. Shown at: Torreão, Porto Alegre, Brazil, 1999; Centro Cultural de Criciuma, Brazil, 2001, Espaço Cultural Sergio Porto, Rio de Janiero, Brazil, 2001
ESFERAS TERRESTRES
Three thousand hand-formed spheres of earth, 1999. Shown at: Torreão, Porto Alegre, Brazil, 1999; Centro Cultural de Criciuma, Brazil, 2001, Espaço Cultural Sergio Porto, Rio de Janiero, Brazil, 2001
ESFERAS TERRESTRES
Three thousand hand-formed spheres of earth, 1999. Shown at: Torreão, Porto Alegre, Brazil, 1999; Centro Cultural de Criciuma, Brazil, 2001, Espaço Cultural Sergio Porto, Rio de Janiero, Brazil, 2001
ESFERAS TERRESTRES
Three thousand hand-formed spheres of earth, 1999. Shown at: Torreão, Porto Alegre, Brazil, 1999; Centro Cultural de Criciuma, Brazil, 2001, Espaço Cultural Sergio Porto, Rio de Janiero, Brazil, 2001
ESFERAS TERRESTRES
Three thousand hand-formed spheres of earth, 1999. Shown at: Torreão, Porto Alegre, Brazil, 1999; Centro Cultural de Criciuma, Brazil, 2001, Espaço Cultural Sergio Porto, Rio de Janiero, Brazil, 2001
ESFERAS TERRESTRES
Three thousand hand-formed spheres of earth, 1999. Shown at: Torreão, Porto Alegre, Brazil, 1999; Centro Cultural de Criciuma, Brazil, 2001, Espaço Cultural Sergio Porto, Rio de Janiero, Brazil, 2001
EARTHLY SPHERES. Four thousand hand-formed spheres of earth, 1999. Shown at: Warehouse Artists’ Studios, Norwich, UK, 1998; Angel Row Gallery, Nottingham, UK, 1999; The Winchester Gallery, Winchester, UK, 2001; Caveaux de l’abbaye, Caunes Minervois, 2020
EARTHLY SPHERES. Four thousand hand-formed spheres of earth, 1999. Shown at: Warehouse Artists’ Studios, Norwich, UK, 1998; Angel Row Gallery, Nottingham, UK, 1999; The Winchester Gallery, Winchester, UK, 2001; Caveaux de l’abbaye, Caunes Minervois, 2020
EARTHLY SPHERES. Four thousand hand-formed spheres of earth, 1999. Shown at: Warehouse Artists’ Studios, Norwich, UK, 1998; Angel Row Gallery, Nottingham, UK, 1999; The Winchester Gallery, Winchester, UK, 2001; Caveaux de l’abbaye, Caunes Minervois, 2020
EARTHLY SPHERES. Four thousand hand-formed spheres of earth, 1999. Shown at: Warehouse Artists’ Studios, Norwich, UK, 1998; Angel Row Gallery, Nottingham, UK, 1999; The Winchester Gallery, Winchester, UK, 2001; Caveaux de l’abbaye, Caunes Minervois, 2020
SIERRA CABRERA
11 earths from Sierra Cabrera region, Almeria, Spain.
1996 edition of 3
SIERRA CABRERA PAINTINGS
Mud on paper on canvas, 30 x 30 cm. 2019
EARTHLY SQUARES PAINTINGS 2019–2022
A simple act. Breathing is often considered a simple act, because for most it takes no thought. The simple act of creating a partial vacuum inside the body, drawing in gases, enabling molecules to pass through membranes, expelling gases; the mechanisms of our very survival. Few acts, it seems, are simple, devoid of implication, associated meaning, inner workings.
I have bought some land. A complicated act. That is, when it is paid for, I will have a share in the land on which the house I live in stands. And how far down does my land go? Someone will know the strict legalities of the matter, but I choose to imagine my property reaches to the fiery core. I am the landlord of an inverted pyramid, my share of the sphere, its molten apex targeted on Australasia.
Land ownership is a process of succession, a cascading performance spanning generations. The succession begins with the staking of a claim and progresses when minds and plans change, or the simple act of breathing falters. Individual ownership seems complicated, but it is truly a simple act of self-deception. We cling to the spinning sphere, pretending it is ours; we walk its surface, scratch its crust, ponder its frightening origins. We measure the sphere with our bodies, and we measure the term of our bodily existence, of our ownership, by the movement of the sphere.
Before Nick Rands went to live in Brazil I wrote of the mud balls he had made that each was “an autographic mark of sorts, a unique object, a hand print in the round, but smoothed off by those hands to look as regular and as much like its fellows as possible.”
That text continues: “In the works of recent years, the same hands have smeared mud to map the movements of the artist’s windmilling arms on a surface. The areas thus described are then filled in by the repetitive accretion of lines made with parallel, echoing movements of a brush. These works, on canvas, on paper, or on the wall, take the simplest materials in their rawest form and harness the body’s natural geometry to create images which refer to nothing more than bodily rhythms and the daily round. They are as light in their effect as they are pure in their means, thanks to the spaces in between the lines, whose dimensions are determined by theuncontrived measurement of the eye, hand and fingers as they do their work. The mud balls represent an even simpler use of raw materials, mud as mud, and their form is a similarly straightforward expression of the hands that make them. In their spacing for the installation the same natural measurement is at work, resulting again in a lightness in the background grid which records the rhythm of production and deployment.”
It was clear to me that in Earthly Spheres, the artist had succeeded better than most in his quest for a simple act. “Most actions,” I wrote, “find their rhythm between the revolutions of the globe and the pumping of the human heart. We have a fundamental, devotional need to answer the call of such resonances: we make things; we exchange things; we collect things; we record things; we lift our voices in song. On a production line, in a workshop or office, work answers the call to rhythm, perhaps more than play.”
Now the artist is far away and the issues seem more complicated. The simple act has been carried out here and there, and the locations for it are linked by the fact as surely as those which were the sources of the materials used. The earth is scooped up, possessed, a claim staked. The number of spheres grows, and the slow evaporation of moisture from the mud becomes somehow analogous to the cooling of the core beneath the mantle. This sphere is comfortingly small, one amongst many. While my friend has bought land out there, settled on it, his conical territory still meets mine at the centre, and above we tread the same crust.
© John Gillett 1999
Chart, Angel Row Gallery, 1999 ISBN 0 905634 38 1
