Bothy Ballads presents experimental, collaborative new works by Paul Westcombe (Studio TB-127) and Gusty Ferro.

Paul Westcombe's large wall painting contains three QR codes which take you into another world of 3D-animated ‘spectres’ drawn by Gusto Ferro and animated by Westcombe which weave in and out of the video works. See if you can find the small scupture also on display by Gusty Ferro. At the opening event Westcombe's animations were projected with Ferro performing new sound works exploring the slippages between the work and their concerns with the body and the architecture of the space.

About the artists:
Paul Westcombe is originally from the Highlands of Scotland. He graduated from Royal College of Art (MA Painting) and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (Post Grad Diploma Scenic Art). He has exhibited widely throughout the UK and internationally. Group exhibitions include PAPER, Saatchi Gallery (2013); The London Open, Whitechapel Gallery (2012); Summer Breakdown, Bobinska Brownlee New River Gallery (2022) and solo exhibition Just Food for the Midgies, Jerwood Space, London (2009).

Westcombe’s practice deals in part with fantasy worlds of the imagination as a means of alleviating boredom and confinement. He started this project whilst working as a car park attendant in an attempt to relieve the tedium of a 12 hour shift. This mechanism is a complex part of human desire, the capacity to construct the grotesque and phantasmagorical in moments of sensory deprivation. This forms a decentered practice, which involves, expansive wall painting and installations. Recently he has moved towards animation and theatre, working collaboratively with performers; opera singers, and writers.

Gusty Ferro is a Brazilian artist currently studying at the Royal Academy Schools in London. In the last few years they have been living between Glasgow, Blackpool and São Paulo; experimenting with different approaches within their practice in collaboration with other artists and specific contexts. Gusty’s work is rooted in the idea of displacement, navigating between drawing, electronic music, printmaking, sculpture and site responsive installation.

A former student from the fine arts roaming programme School of the Damned, Gusty participated in international residencies, group and solo shows in Scotland, England, Spain, Ecuador, Argentina, India and broadly in Brazil. In 2020 Gusty was recipient of the Arts Council England, National Lottery Project Grant to develop research and a new body of work in Blackpool; and in 2016 they participated in a residency at Glasgow Sculpture Studios followed by a solo show at SWG3 Gallery, as part of a project supported by the British Council and Creative Scotland.

Thames-Side Studios Viewing Room is located on the ground floor of Unit 8. Entrance to Unit 8 is via The Atrium. Turn left upon entering the main site, walk through The Atrium turning to the left, to find the exhibition located between studios TB-10 and TB-09. For more information email [email protected]

Viewing Room, Unit 8
Thames-Side Studios
Harrington Way, Warspite Road
Royal Borough of Greenwich
London SE18 5NR