Buzz Around the Bare Bone Gallery
By Helen Murphy
Bare Bone is a relatively new Hastings gallery; it opened in October 2021. The project is the brainchild of the dynamic couple, Maddie Peterson and Josh Carr, ably assisted by Tim the PR man and Bean, their border Collie pup.
Josh amusingly defines himself as both ‘Down from London’ and ‘Over from Brighton.’ A double whammy of gentrifying sins. But his mother has lived here for many years and so his Hastings passport is all in order. Josh’s background is in stage lighting, theatrical productions and large scale events. Skills which underpin their Graphite Design company located upstairs. He is a self-effacing young man but I should add that he learned his design talents at RADA.
Maddie might be described as ‘Up from Chicago,’ if that makes any geographical sense. She has worked in costume design in New York and recently completed a Master’s Degree in Performance Art. She is also a practising artist. The two of them are passionate about their venture and their diverse skills clearly give them a considerable range of strengths.
The gallery stipulates that any artists who exhibit must put one piece in for £50 or less. Josh and Maddie both feel that art should not just be for the well-heeled art cognoscenti. They have some background in what used to be called ‘alternative’ art venues and fringe events.
Lockdown put the brakes on their initial energies but now they are regaining their momentum. They have all manner of plans for workshops, life drawing and social events. Their whole building, like their various projects, is distinctly multi-layered. Upstairs there are nine arts studios, available for a relatively affordable rent. Also under the same roof is their Graphite Design Company which specialises in creating exciting environments for events, festivals and all manner of arts-oriented spaces. The ground floor gallery is overseen by the exuberant Tim and features a wide range of styles. There are also unique handmade artefacts for sale.
Downstairs there is an amazing bare-bricked crypt-like space and this can open up to the garden area. This basement feels ‘underground’ in more ways than one. It is in some ways, a more flexible area in which almost anything can happen: socially engaged gatherings, film and performance, diverse workshops and arts classes for all ages. Clearly, Maddie and Josh are open to ideas about how this space will be used in the future. (If I was being pretentious, I would suggest that this would be the perfect environment for gatherings that embody Nicolas Bourriaud’s Relational Aesthetics. But I am not, so I won’t.)
Maddie and Josh explain that there is a symbiotic relationship between their studio space and the gallery below. The studio rentals fund the gallery and the gallery can give a forum to the artists. The next exhibition is a solo show of the work of Susan Diamond. It is entitled D.N.A. and will be shown over the two floors of the gallery. Intriguingly, her work has been described as ‘Punk meets Picasso.’ It begins on February 11. Most artists using the gallery are local, but Josh is of the view that attracting artists from further afield is also good for the town. Hastings should never be insular. Although Josh and Maddie agree that it is in some ways a world unto itself. In a good way.
Evidently, the building at 3 Cambridge Gardens is a hothouse of creativity. Maddie, Josh and Tim, are full of ideas and energy. Who knows how the gallery will develop, the future is obviously unwritten, but whatever happens, judging by the enthusiasm and drive of the people involved (and Bean, the dog), I expect it to be memorable.
• For information about children’s and adult workshops go to barebonegallery.co.uk/workshops
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