thanks to Lemn Sisay
Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
How to feel miserable as an artist…..
Friday, January 6th, 2012Minotaur drawing 1
Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012
First day back attempting to work, and a fair bit of futility floating around. Have been trying to picture what the Minotaur looks like, before I can meet with Stephen (who will BE him) and we can look at what we need in terms of costume and the like. Feeling pretty positive after producing this towards the end of today. It feels like I’m getting somewhere, and wondering if making more drawings will actually inform the finished work, or if they are just of themself. Either way, this feels like a small step forward.
Minotaur
Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011
Over the last month or so I’ve been thinking about my next solo project. Prompted partly by seeing “Equus’ at Oldham Coliseum I started thinking about the Minotaur, as a visual starting point rather than a classical or mythological reference. My thinking has moved on a fair amount, but an interesting part of the process has been that I’ve recognised that the work has as its starting point a really specific visual image, rather than as a way of making a statement about something. It feels like the story / narrative / content is there for the viewer or audience to fill in, according to what they understand they are seeing.
A couple of times in the last few months I’ve used the idea of drawing around my body whilst trying to film the drawing. Somewhat awkward and jerky, but the last results seem to have informed this project in some way. I’m continuing to play with the film which hopefully will give me some kind of idea or suggestion of what HE looks like. More to follow…..
The Polari project
Friday, October 14th, 2011
Having not posted anything (again) for ages, I’m now pretty stuck into The Polari Project (working title) looking at Polari and using it as a starting point for research. We are still really at the beginning of the research process, looking for funding, and thinking about what the outcome(s) is / are. Looking at the picture above, the research looks like its going to be fun!
PROCESS IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN OUTCOME……..
Friday, September 16th, 2011I’m reading ‘Drawing Projects’ Maslen & Southern – Black Dog publishing, which combines thoughts and ideas about drawing, interviews and discussions with artists about drawing and how it forms part of their practice, with a series of practical drawing exercises. I’m still trying to make myself do more drawing (well, ANY drawing really) following a couple of earlier failed attempts. Browsing the book I found this quote which I liked:
“Process is more important than outcome. When the outcome drives the process we will only ever go to where we’ve been. If process drives outcome, we may not know where we are going, but we’ll know we want to be there.”
Bruce Mau
Having no idea who Bruce Mau was, went straight to Google and his beautiful site. He’s head of a design and innovation studio in Toronto. I especially liked his ‘Incomplete Manifesto for Growth’Incomplete Manifesto for Growth – Bruce Mau
Quoting John Cage: “Begin anywhere”
And now….?
Tuesday, July 26th, 2011
Odd, unsettled, unsure, nervous…. And probably many other ways of describing how I feel at the moment. So, bar the final bits of evaluation reporting, the Creative Partnerships programme comes to a close. Its been a major part of my working life for so long now, no wonder I’m feeling unsettled. My five years at Accrington Academy also come to a close. An emotional farewell last week (one which I, stupidly, wasn’t expecting) despite the fact I’ll be continuing to work with them from September onwards, although to what degree, is yet to be seen.
I strongly suspect that work will undoubtedly become harder to find in the post CP world. Maybe not wholly a bad thing, and certainly I’ll have more focussed time to concentrate on developing my own work.
For now, that last bit of evaluation, then finalising the portraits for the ‘Mythologies’ show.
Mythologies
Thursday, June 30th, 2011
Hectic few weeks again. The Holmfirth project – Walking Holme, now done, dusted, and (almost) put to bed. We need to think about how we give it a life beyond the initial festival showing. The growing stacks of artwork in my office is also making me think that a studio / workspace is becoming somewhat more imminent.
I feel as though I’ve now got a bit of a start on ‘Mythologies’ (my preferred title to the original). The photo comes from me shadowing Lee Baxter’s shoot last Saturday. I’m happy with the result, and feel as though we are getting somewhere. Yesterday met with Pam, one of the models (although I don’t really like the use of the word in the context of this project). Great discussion, and it made me realise what a responsibility I have as the artist portraying people in what will be a very public way. I also need to find some way of ‘recording’ the conversations with people, as if the rest are anything like yesterday, there is a sense of personal revelation which goes alongside the creation of the portrait. Interesting stuff.
This week also met with Joe from UHC to discuss the progress of the ‘Polari’ project, which needs (for reasons explainable later) to remain under wraps for the time being…..
Interesting times indeed…..
Tuesday, April 12th, 2011
So trying to get to grips with my new camera (Canon 60D) bought last week. Although fairly similar to my last camera (Canon 45D, and still for sale!) there are enough differences to make the learning curve pretty steep. Especially considering we start the walk down the river Holm next Monday. Artist Dan Fox and myself are spending next week mostly walking the course of the River Holm, running from the source at Holm Moss, to just outside Huddersfield, and a bit less than ten Miles. The idea being that we document the journey through film, sound, twitter, blogging etc. The combined ‘documentation’ becomes the content for an audio / visual piece installed in the parish church of Holmfirth for the duration of the festival.
Once again I wonder, why don’t I give myself an easier life…?
Strange times
Thursday, March 31st, 2011
So, an update. I’m still feeling somewhat bruised after yesterday’s ACE NPO announcements. All of the companies I work with did well, especially Curious Minds as the new RDA for the North West for children and young people, as did The Coliseum. B.Arts very sadly, who’s board I chair will receive no ACE core funding from April 2010. The axe had to fall somewhere, but still I was surprised by this decision.
With this, and a few other exceptions I really think that ACE on the whole made the best of a bad job. I suspect that it was way past time that some of the organisations made way for the new, but still the impact of yesterday will be felt throughout the country in many communities….
Meanwhile, still a lot going on. Maybe too much. I’m REALLY excited about finding a venue for Lee Baxter and my joint exhibition, made possible by a grant from Manchester Pride. The Hive, Lever Street, Manchester, completely looks the part, and has given Lee and I the next burst of enthusiasm to carry us through planning the project. I’ll be putting a page onto the main website to cover the detail of the project and exhibition.
Planning for Holmfirth Arts Fest. moves on, but has brought me to the decision that I need a HDSLR with which to film. This will also be good for the Pride show, where we think we’ll also include video with the photography.
The pic above is from a seminar today at which I did a presentation about work I’ve done around community cohesion. I really like the style of visual minutes, but do I REALLY look that much like Rolf Harris…?
Inspiration
Monday, March 21st, 2011I remembered this photo from a version of RoseLee Goldberg’s “Performance Art” from 1979. For a whole combination of reasons, I re – looked it up. Buckminster Fuller as Baron Meduse and Merce Cunningham as the mechanical monkey from The Ruse of the Medusa in 1948.
What a couple of guys.