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Writer's pictureStuart Jarvis

Grime Scene: no. 9. Transforming Brutalism into Beauty - July 2024



Dear Art Enthusiasts,


You can be forgiven for feeling rather misled by the opening image and the title of this blog. Stick with me for a minute.


Sorry for the delay in this edition of the newsletter. The past few weeks have been hectic as I’ve been preparing for the school's Speech Day – an end-of-year celebration that includes an exhibition. This event took place on Friday, 28 June, and demanded my full attention and energy. Each year, I'm amazed at how intensive this period is, but it’s incredibly rewarding to work with such talented young people.


It's been quiet on the art front, which is fortunate given the circumstances. However, I took the chance to create new works inspired by our boarding houses' architecture—a bit of a side step from Brutalism. These framed charcoal drawings were displayed in the boarding house gardens for parents to admire during Speech Day lunch. I also made prints available through a new online shop I set up on Shopify.



Despite the frenetic pace of preparation and online shop building, see www.stuartjarvisprints.com the results were disappointing, even disastrous. I didn’t sell any of the original drawings and only managed to sell a few prints. This experience was a harsh reminder of the challenges artists face, especially when presenting to what feels like a captive audience. Although this was a departure from my usual style, it left me feeling somewhat compromised in terms of my artistic integrity. Nevermind


It's not that I don’t enjoy other architectural styles, but I long for continuity and to stay true to ugly architecture. Selling more mainstream or historic architectural drawings is practical, but I hope for a future where I can focus entirely on my true calling. My ultimate goal is to become the "go-to" artist for brutalist structures—the one who reveals beauty in perceived ugliness. - But you know this already.


Even with this temporary setback, I remain determined because I know there's no substitute for hard work. Stay relentless and as Anthony Hopkins says - 'Believe, Believe, Believe, never give up.'


On a brighter note, I did receive one commission from the exhibition, which is a glimmer of hope.


Looking ahead, I’m excited for a productive summer dedicated to developing new work from a series of newfound places.


Additionally, I want to announce a name change for this newsletter. It was previously known as "Concrete Chronicles," but I discovered another artist on Instagram using a similar title long before I started my newsletters. To avoid confusion and out of respect for their work, I’m changing the name to "Grime Scene: Transforming Brutalism into Beauty"—'Grime Scene' for short.


Thank you for your continued support. Stay tuned for more artistic adventures and updates!


Stuart

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