Midge and My Dog Sighs - Together in Solitude exhibition

Lucky dip, reasons to be cheerful, artwork by Midge and My Dog Sighs

This evening Together in Solitude, an exhibition of collaborative art by Southsea artists Midge and My Dog Sighs, opened at the Coastguard gallery, Clarendon Road, Portsmouth.  Each piece is painted in acrylics on old, weathered sheet music paper and features a figure in Midge's distinctive style with a face by My Dog Sighs.  

Alice, Midge & My Dog Sighs, 2014

In the run up to this exhibition most of this week's Corn Poppy posts have featured My Dog Sighs. However Together in Solitude is not a My Dog Sighs exhibition; it is very much a joint venture.  These pieces depend on both My Dog and Midge equally.   Most visual artists work alone (unlike musicians who like to play with each other).  To collaborate there needs to be a high level of trust - you really don't want someone mucking up your masterpiece.  But here we have two artists complementing each other's work, creating synergy, something that is more than the sum of its parts.  

Love's Young Dream, Midge & My Dog Sighs, 2014

 A Soldier and a Man, Midge & My Dog Sighs, 2014

Birds' Awakening, Midge & My Dog Sighs, 2014

The third element, after Midge and My Dog, is the paper.  It is both  a backdrop to each painting but also the inspiration for each painting.  On another medium the paintings would be missing something.  Like this they are complete.

 Remembrance, Midge & My Dog Sighs, 2014

 Akice, Midge & My Dog Sighs, 2014

Cradle Song, Midge & My Dog Sighs, 2014

Spot the artist.  Some of the best street artists around were present including a big showing from SSOVA who are going to be remembering Ben Naz this weekend (more on that later).

With such a selection on view how could you choose one, just one?  Well, sometimes something just stops you in your tracks.  It's like falling in love.  Hard to explain but you know it when it hits you.

Angels, ever Bright and Fair,  Midge & My Dog Sighs, 2014

It's this one.

The Exhibition is at Coastguard Studio, Clarendon Road http://bit.ly/11eaSPZ PO4 0BY until November 19th, open Saturday to Tuesday 10:00 until 6:00 and Wednesday 10:00 until 2:00.

And finally, thanks to The Agent . . .

 Free Art Friday, My Dog Sighs, 2014

Glass

photo by @danblahblahlah

Philip Glass Ensemble

November 12th

Basingstoke

Awesome

Philip Glass buys a loaf of bread

by David Ives

Barcelona

Philip Glass
Spaceship

for Philae

My Dog's Eyes - My Dog Sighs (3)

I think the first My Dog Sighs wall art that I noticed was this piece.  In the forecourt of Holloway Motors off Albert Road (just down from the Kings Theatre) a pair of eyes surrounded by things that I guess you might find lying around Holloway Motors, a spark plug, a wrench, etc.

The whole thing seen from a distance is awe inspiring but when you get up close it's even better.  Just look into those eyes . . .

It took a while to decipher the signature. It didn't make a lot of sense.

After that I started noticing other pieces by My Dog Sighs.  A couple of Everyman pieces.  And more eyes.  The ones above are from the skatepark.  Look in the eyes.  See the reflection.  Its the band stand below.  Which is what would be reflected from that spot.

Here's another one from Albert Road.  At Chilli Tattoo, a colab with Chicago's JC Rivera @JCRivera

 Again, look into the eyes.  What do you see?

A tower?  Look behind you . . .

That'll be the King's Theatre.

 In Chilli Tattoo I noticed this one day . . .

 

. . .  which seemed to be a canvas of this:

You might notice another My Dog Sighs trademark here, the water drop.

 These eyes, a colab with Los Dave, are round the back of the Theatre Royal.

Location, location, location

Finally, two more recent sets of eyes, outside Portsmouth.  The first fill a doorway of an old factory building in Bristol (just down the road from Upfest)

and these are part of a National Trust restoration at Croome Park.   

All art by My Dog Sighs, all photos are mine except for the last one which I lifted from @mydogsigh's twitterfeed.  Tune in next time for the return of the can men.

My Dog Sighs (2)

Portsmouth artist My Dog Sighs has a number of signature pieces. There's the can man, there's the eyes and there's Everyman.  Everyman is deceptively simple, deceptively complex, sometimes happy, sometimes sad, sometimes small and overlooked, sometimes large and looking over, sometimes lost and sometimes found.  He travels round Southsea on the back of this van (although when he stops to unload Mrs Everyman can be seen)

Here's a little Everyman, pizzabox sized.  This one is special because its mine.  It came with a t-shirt, you want to see?  OK, here it is.

Here's a couple painted at Portsmouth Street Games earlier this year.

And that's Mr Sighs there.  

My Dog Sighs spent October painting BIG.  There were some eyes for the National Trust (next time, next time) but also this for Somerstown Hub, deep in the heart of Portsmouth.  A spectacular building with great community facilities helping to rebuild a run down area.  Just needed one thing to finish it off.  That's right: Everyman.

Look at the size of them feet!

 Everyman by My Dog Sighs, all over Portsmouth

Xenon:  I must go on.

Estragon: Haven't you people got anything better to do?

Vladimir: I'm going to do the washing up.