It is all rather uncomplicated, a simple group exhibition out in the beautiful grounds of the Wanstead Quaker’s Meeting House, a show called Freedom, part of the Leytonstone Arts Trail. The outdoor shows, curated by artists Brett Banks and Mark knight, always in the peace and quiet of the woods behind the meeting house have been part of of the Trail for a number of years now. Freedom really is a simple thing, artists simply invitedt oinstall pieces out in the grounds.

The artists taking part in the grounds this year are William Stok, Tracy Ward, Emily Driver, Leonardo Lee, Sean Worrall, Emma Harvey, Julia Maddison, Helen Porter, Emma Barnard, James Blackburn, Brett Banks and Mary Knight. The grounds will be open from 1pm until 5pm on both Saturdays and Sundays of this year’s Trail and from 10am until 5pm on week days, The Arts Trail itself runs from Saturday 2nd until Sunday 10th July with art happening in pubs, shops, houses, libraries, churches, the Leytonstone and Wanstead Synagogue as well as artist studios and some of the more conventional galleries and spaces of the Leytonstone area. And yes, that’s my name that just went past there, more of me blowing my own trumpet and hey, I can’t critically appraise something I’m a part of, all I can say is that there’s some rather exciting art in the grounds, one or two pieces that might have upset the hosts a little (really not sure why), there’s Julia Maddison’s embroidered slip hanging there on a tree branch in the wind, Emma Harvey’s now almost trademark red ribbons completely wrapping that tree stump in such a powerful way, do like Mary knight’s eyes, do like finding pieces that really aren’t obvious hanging in the trees or hiding in the undergrowth, do like the way things are evolving as new pieces appear as artists work in the space.  The exhibition goes on until Sunday afternoon, there’s a bag loads of flavour down there with the photos, it really is worth taking a walk in the grounds, as much as everything else the exhibition sounds so good with all the birdsong and blowing your own trumpet is never a pretty thing, I shall quietly park all this here and go throw some paint at whatever I’ve found to throw paint at today (sw)           

Explore what this year’s Leytonstone Arts Trail has to offer via the official website, there’s rather a lot going on.

Freedom is found in the grounds of Wanstead Quaker Meeting House, Wanstead, Bush Road,London E11 3AU. The grounds will be open from 1pm until 5pm on both Saturdays and Sundays of this year’s Trail and from 10am until 5pm on week days, The Arts Trail itself runs from Saturday 2nd until Sunday 10th July

The David Watkins exhibition at Stone Space is well worth your Trail time – ORGAN THING: David Watkins, Sensing Precarity at Stone Space Gallery, Leytonstone, East London, the spikes of life…

Previouslt on these pages – ORGAN THING: Installation in the trees, sculpture in the shadows, Wild is probably the most engaging exciting outdoor art show to open in London this week…

Do as always, click on an image to enlarge and see the full photograph or to run the slide show