Neale Howells
'urban art development' - U.A.P 2003
June 7 - July 5, 2003
Phoenix Arts Association - 10–14 Waterloo Place - GB - Brighton BN2 9NB – T +44 (0) 1273 - 603700

urban art development is a project that brings together the best of contemporary art practice and explores the way it can be exhibited. this project was initiated by artist neale howells who found ways of finding an attention for work in a refreshing new way. these urban areas were subjugated to the showing of paintings at a place that would have been left unnoticed and unrealised...

this project was conceived when it became obvious to me that our galleries were becoming the detriment of art. for me art was being trivialised by the monotonous four walls of our galleries; they don't examine or even explore what art actual is or reflect why artists help to make art. this means that for galleries to exist in our times there needs to be more rationalisation, 'ART NEEDS TO PROCEED OR DIE'. where we belong in contemporary art is a hundred years form when collage was being introduced, an art form that my art teacher ian wagstaff once quoted as 'an art form that hasn't been bettered'. how many art pundits still use the term 'MODERN ART' to reference work being produced now. this I could assume is because art perception hasn't really changed in the last century, this may be true, but for a lot of us this is our new century. for the first time in over a hundred year a new generation of people will experience and make this century they're own. they may be the ones that will start the new 'terms' and be referred to further up the timeline.. art for me has become stale, maybe it is the way it is shown here or perhaps the way it is accommodated by technicians or maybe it just doesn't speak loud enough. as I have mentioned before art galleries were once feared as a corrupted force on society yet now our outside world is that force and the galleries the safe place. taking art into the new aesthetic or 'urban decay' we can now re-approach exhibiting art, recreate its excitement and revalue the intensity that it may have lost. 'urban art' resembles what this generation want and perhaps need. the breed that lives in a world that has beauty in death, that has aesthetics in decay; art is a celebration of life that is all, don't let anybody tell you different. if you are fighting the elements like the rain and wind then believe in yourself. if you are fighting the destruction of work by elements beyond your control then embrace them.. distinguishing what is real for some people is realising that we all perceive things differently and unclear. it is our brains that sorts out the information into universal thoughts for all of us to share. when promoting this project people have the chance to exchange in the extraordinary world we call art, I believe to let them succeed where before they would fail. the introduction of such projects not only promotes our urban development but our cerebral one as well.. the difference we should make in viewing art is instead of asking 'what is it' we should be saying 'why am I looking'...

'urban art project' was carried out by artist neale howells working in Briton ferry of neath, s.wales. sites found and used varied from underneath the new bridge linking the M4 over neath river, neath council funded workshops that were vandalised and exterior factory walls.. project date are from 1st march to 1st June 2003. the U.A.P will be documented and exhibited at the Washington gallery tel 02920 712100 in the near future details to be confirmed ...

1 - www Neale Howells
2 - www Neale Howells