It Was the Best of Times, It Was the Worst of Times

And so, after months of preparation and four weeks on display, 'The Inimitable Dickens' is no more. In taking down the work to make room for the Art Centre's September show, I have reflected on the show as a whole, from its conception to its final execution; it has been quite an experience.

   Preparing the show was no small feat. With a few exceptions (detailed below), creating the exhibition has been entirely on my head. Aside from creating every piece of work on display, I had to organise everything from securing the venue to designing catalogues and arranging refreshments. I won't go into every detail of the work I put into it, but I can say it's among the greatest tasks I have ever undertaken, and it was incredibly stressful, time-consuming and exhausting.

   However, from the moment the show opened, all the blood, sweat and tears payed off. The opening night was a riotous success; the turnout was great, there was a lot of keen interest and several pieces sold straight away. Shortly after, the Portsmouth News printed a double-spread article promoting the show, which attracted yet more visitors. Perhaps the peak of the month, however, came when the Dickens Fellowship attended. Although I couldn't be there to greet them, it was an honour to have them see my work, and I was left several messages from various members in the visitors' book.

   Now the show is over, but this is not the end for my work with Dickens; I will be taking my illustrated book series 'When Dickens Met...' around London with a view to publishing them, at least for the purposes of selling within Dickens-related establishments, if not general distribution. I still also have several pieces of work left from the show which are still up for sale (if anyone is interested, please contact me at zephaniah@hotmail.co.uk)

   Finally I would like to thank everyone who helped me make this show happen, and for their support throughout the process. Particular thanks to Jane Leech for supplying the venue, to the 3rd Floor Cafe staff for handling gift shop sales, to Bal Stephenson for assisting with hanging, to Sarah Porter for helping out on opening night and supplying a delicious cake, to Justine Bryant for fashioning miniature clothes, to Alex Judd for promoting the show for me, to Ollie Dowber-Hawkins for driving the work to the venue, to Khalid Hassan for technical support, to Errand Jervis for their printing services and, above all, a massive thank you yet again to Kiki Eggers for supporting throughout in a multitude of ways despite not even being in the country. I'd also like to thank everyone who attended the exhibition, without whom it would have been a waste of time.

   I hope you all enjoyed the show, but for those who couldn't make it,
   here's a few photos of the work on display.

The End is Nigh...

And so, as August draws to a close, the end of 'The Inimitable Dickens' is fast approaching.

Tomorrow marks the last chance to see the work on display, as it will be shortly taken down.

FEATURE in PORTSMOUTH NEWS

Following a small and partially misleading article on Wednesday 1st (which, of course, I am still thankful for), yesterday The Portsmouth News have printed a fully illustrated, double-spread article about the exhibition! This is not only great local publicity, but a huge honour being pretty much the first time I've seen my name in print like this. It's already had some impact, as that very day I spoke to a visitor who had come to see it almost immediately after seeing the article. 

Thanks go out to whoever was directly responsible for printing the article, to Rob Porter for speaking with them, and finally again to Alex Judd, who has been promoting the show for me despite his busy schedule, going so far as to spend his lunch-breaks calling around on my behalf - Cheers Jundlebudd!

Online Portfolio

My online portfolio is now also up and running, and looking great - credit again to Kirstin Eggers. If you're interested in my work then please have a look - www.szs.org.uk

Thanks Ki x

Opening Night

'The Inimitable Dickens' is now up and running! The opening event last night was a triumphant success; great turnout and everyone was suitably impressed with the work. Managed to sell quite a few images too, certainly more than I'd anticipated - a good omen of things to come I hope. Thank you to everyone who came and supported me, it makes all the hard work and stress worth it. A massive, massive thank you also to Kirstin Eggers, my most beautiful and wonderful girlfriend, for all her help and encouragement - the exhibition wouldn't have been possible without her; it's a crime she couldn't be there to see it. That in mind, here are some photos of the opening, more to come...

Well, good news and bad news following yesterday's update:

The bad news is that after assurance that a feature would be published, the Portsmouth News have failed to deliver on today's article - apologies to anyone who bought it expecting to see it. There is still a distinct possibility of a feature in the near-future; watch this space.

The good news is that a representative for the Dickens Fellowship came to greet me personally today and has added my show as a part of their conference, which is fantastic publicity as the Fellowship comprises of keen Dickens enthusiasts from around the globe!

WELCOME TO 'THE INIMITABLE DICKENS'

       Having grown up in Portsmouth, Dickens’ influence has always been present, and I have long since respected his work for its fascinating characters, combination of serious social comment and dry wit, and its strong moral values. His body of work is almost incomparable in its significance to English literature, with Shakespeare his only real equal; however, this exhibition deals with Dickens as a person, as I feel his works have been explored extensively enough.

       I have investigated both his divided character, so often misinterpreted, as well as his iconic look and powerful presence, as he has risen to be viewed more a symbol of virtuous ideals than a real man. I have also looked into his connections with Portsmouth; though, having only lived here in his infancy, this is not the central focus. Essentially I have tried to interpret Dickens the man in as many ways as possible, to create a fulsome and varied portrait.