Posts Tagged ‘photography’

Blank Media January Sale

Friday, January 27th, 2012

I’ve donated this work to Blank Media www.blankmediacollective.org for their January sale which is happening on Saturday 28th of January. I exhibited for the first time last year in their group show Blank Expression. Blank Media are a fantastic organisation doing a massive amount of work to support artists in Manchester and beyond, and bringing a huge amount of energy to the arts scene in the city.

The work I’ve donated – ‘Danger’ (Edition 1 / 5) is a photographic digital print from the series Walking Holme, a commission I worked on last year for the Holmfirth Arts Festival. The main piece of the commission was a multi media installation in the parish church, which was created, with artist Dan Fox during a four day walk from the source to the confluence of the river Holme. This work was exhibited as part of a series of still photographs at Back Lane Art Space, also in Holmfirth.

Please get along to the sale / auction tomorrow to pick up some great contemporary art and support an excellent organisation.

Numbers of trees

Thursday, January 12th, 2012

Another project that has been flitting around for a while. Some time ago I noticed the numbers on plastic tags attached by a nail to each of the trees in the local parks. Again, with the starting point of a simple visual image, had the idea to document these photographically. Having just been out this afternoon to do a quick test (partly because the sun is shining, and the sky is blue) realised that I’ll at the very least need a step ladder, plus someone to hold it. I kind of like the contrast in textures, and can visualise a whole load of these images grouped together, as quite graphic B&W images. Anyone fancy coming over to hold the ladder?

Boxhead

Friday, January 6th, 2012

I thought I continue drawing onto photographs, based on how i felt about the last Minotaur drawing. Not exactly sure where he appeared from, and I find him ever so slightly scary. Maybe there are other people waiting….

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…..

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…?