Black and white photos of thirty Oxfordshire artists at work in their private studios go on display at Modern Art Oxford tomorrow (17th-29th April) to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Oxfordshire Artweeks, as part of a project that explores the interaction between creators and their work spaces, and the tools that are intrinsic to the making of the work.
Showing the wealth and variety of creativity in the county, painters, potters, printmakers, puppet makers, jewellers and furniture makers, artists working in stone, glass and metal are all pictured, many of whom are preparing for Artweeks in May.
Simon Murison Bowie’s photography is film-based and black and white, and the exhibition will include 150 hand-printed images. His documentary approach seeks to capture instances of the artists and craftspeople absorbed in the process of ‘searching for inventions in their minds’, and will be the subject of book to accompany the exhibition.
Michael Stanley, Director, Modern Art Oxford says “This is a project rooted in an age-old fascination in the place of an artist’s making. Simon’s acute and insightful depictions support the riposte to Beuys’ legendary declaration that ‘everyone is an artist’ with the more telling assertion that ‘all artists are people’.”

The exhibition will be accompanied by a panel discussion on Thursday 19 April a gallery tour with the photographer on Saturday 21 April, and a family activity throughout. It will then tour to The Mill Arts Centre, Banbury for May (venue 1).

The project has been supported by Oxfordshire Artweeks, Modern Art Oxford, The Mill Arts Centre Banbury and Arts Council England.