MEZZ #06

Edwina Ashton

7.00pm / Thu 22 April 2010 / SVA / £4

In her videos and animations, Edwina Ashton brings a number of dreamlike creatures to life. Through a mixture of slapstick and pathos, she explores the allure of eccentricity and idiosyncrasy, often through the use of insects and bugs given human attributes to ridicule British politeness. Known for her performance videos, drawings and costumes, Edwina created a float for the 2009 Frome Carnival for which she manufactured a small army of bizarre insect costumes for performers, creating an alternative society of insects as parallel residents of that small Somerset town. For Mezz #06, Edwina will be showing videos and drawings, including her latest animation ‘Mr Panz at Lake Leman, notes on m, (notes on mammals and habitats)’, before a short talk and discussion on her intriguing work.

Mezzanine (www.mezz.info) is a series of artists’ talks, screenings and performances organised by Louisa Fairclough and Simon Ryder. Each artist shows a number of works or a single installation followed by a talk with a distinct focus: in Mezz#03 David Cotterrell discussed what it meant to him to take on the role of War Artist and Nick Laessing (Mezz #04) described how his research into the Free Energy Movement informs his practice. Mezzanine is an artists-led project. Our aim is to share our enthusiasm for screen-based and performance art within an informal environment of experimentation and dialogue, which is away from urban centres of art production and consumption. Mezzanine is hosted by Stroud Valleys Artspace.