Lesley Bricknell | image made in response to 'Sister of swans', 2010
I have recently made a collaborative piece of work with another artist entirely through the medium of our respective blogs with no face to face contact! I have long admired Marion Michell’s combination of poetry and objects, often knitted or crocheted, on her blog ‘my art grows around me’. She in turn admires my work, predominantly photo images, on my blog ‘Surfacing’ Art Journal.
I took as my inspiration one of this particular artist’s poems ‘Sister of swans’ and made five photo images in a loose visual interpretation of her writing. Marion’s response to this was extremely positive prompting her to respond to my piece of visual work. Whether this is visual, written or a combination of practices remains to be seen. In what I hope will be an ongoing, fruitful collaboration. And we have never met each other!
I am starting to work with feathers again inspired by the phrase ‘broken wing’. A phrase mentioned to me by fellow blogger Marion. Feathers feature in my work from time to time. I am currently working on a sequence of moving images (not yet ready at time of posting). The imagesmade to date, however, are visceral, arresting. Broken, useless. A mixture of red photo dye, nail varnish and wax. Collected and retrieved from pillows, eiderdowns, coastal walks. A loose continuation of my work ‘Cardinal’ at Poplar Gallery.Online last year.
Kate MccGwire ‘Vex’ (2008)
Nothing of my own activities. surpasses the collecting abilities of artist Kate MccGwire. I saw her piece ‘Vex’ (2008) in the City Museum, Plymouth (UK) last year and was completely knocked out by it. Composed of feathers from racing pigeons, each one is numbered, and looks constrained (but great!) within the classical museum cabinet. Other pieces use pigeon feathers, glue, polystyrene, felt. Sensational!
Shane Waltener’s exhibition at C4RD is an exploration of the practice of drawing through needlecraft and lace making. The artist uses textile weaving techniques to create a new series of works. Musical and dance notation, architectural plans, and scientific graphs and models have been used as patterns for making lace. These 2D images and resulting woven outcomes are shown together highlighting the process of reinterpretation of these coded visual languages, and a re-evaluation of the traditional craft of bobbin lace.
Alongside these works, a couple of Garland pieces will be shown in the exhibition. These are interactive installations, a series started at Tate Britain in 2006, where visitors are invited to weave in space using yarn and various needlecraft techniques. The outcome of two of these works will be shown in the exhibition, while a new piece, Garland #22, will be created over the course of the exhibition by members of the public.
Please join us for the reception for the reception for this exhibition 6 – 8pm Wednesday 20 January 2010 or during the exhibition 20 January – 26 February 2010. Centre for Recent Drawing is open during exhibitions 12 – 6pm from Wednesday to Friday at 2 – 4 Highbury Station Road, Highbury Islington, London. C4RD is a Registered UK Charity 1123530, and would particularly like to acknowledge the support for this exhibition of ARTUPDATE.COM/.
I’ve recently come across British artist Richard Wright winner of the prestigious Turner Prize. And by the skin of his teeth as he is only 6 months off the deadline of 50 years old. Whilst the Turner prize has sought to address the balance of male and female artists represented in its nominees the age restriction has remained the same at 50 years old. One of my former tutors now in his 80s said to me recently that his best work began in his 60s. There are numerous instances of artists working way past this restriction. Louise Bourgeois for example who is way into her 90s and making robust artwork albeit with an assistant.
Anyway I digress Richard Wright, previously unknown to me, has produced the most exquisite piece for Tate Britain which in turn secured him the award. Masses of gold leaf in a tracery, dare I say, delicate wallpaper effect on a huge expanse of white wall. Intended as a temporary piece, as indeed is most of his artwork, the piece is destined to be painted over with white paint at the end of the show. On camera Richard Wright said he might consider leaving the fresco intact but my own preference is that it should be covered leaving only the memory (and inevitable documentation.) Whilst the idea of a temporary piece is appealing to me I hope the artist has given permission to reproduce postcards so that I may have a record!
Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3… is an exploratory surgery on the intangible remains of meaning. Chosen objects are employed as malleable locations from which to treat and extract notions of value and meaninglessness.
Featuring work by Charlotte Patton, Holly Stevenson and Sunshine Frere
November 5-11, 2009, Vernissage November 5, 6-9pm
CA Halpin Gallery, 44 Redchurch Street London E2 7DP
Garland #21 (stepping and stitching), a new piece commissioned for the exhibition Taking Time: Craft and the Slow Revolution will be kick started with a performance on Friday 23rd October at 7pm, at the Waterhall, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.
Garland #21 is the latest in a series of interactive installations started in 2006 by artist Shane Waltener, involving members of the public in weaving, knotting and stitching. With his new piece, a series of choreographic sequences have been developed, linking movements associated with stitching and dancing. These are the basis for the performance which stands as an invitation for members of the public to contribute to the piece, and reflect on crafting as a ritualised and communal activity. The piece was devised by the artist in collaboration with dancer and choreographer Cheryl McChesney Jones.
'A theory of entanglement' or the giant knitting machine!
I recently had the pleasure of meeting artist Bernie Lubell at Fact (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology) in Liverpool. Prior to my visit to Fact I had no knowledge at all of Bernie Lubell’s work. He seemed delighted to learn, however, that it was the title of his show ‘A theory of entanglement’ that had attracted me. The artist is very keen on meaningful titles, words. phrases. His titles are chosen with great care and deliberation. He is a fascinating guy. One who loves being with his work and chatting with visitors.
'Aphasiogram'
How to describe Bernie’s work? Large constructions of soft, sustainable woods built to the width or in sections in his garage in San Francisco. Decidedly low tech constructions operated by levers, pulleys and interactive. Interactive is the operative word here as they simply will not work without human intervention! For example one of my favourite pieces was ‘Aphasiogram’ (1999) which reflects the artist’s interest in language. Also “Cheek to cheek’ (1999) which works by your bodily movements on the stool. Sinister looking, I agree, but great fun!
'Cheek to cheek'
And a great venue for his work. Fact puts on an impressive array of related workshops and talks. ‘Flying flappers’ was Bernie Lubell’s offering. Build your flying flapper (bird) from re-cycled materials. I just wish I had taken part.
Tenderpixel is pleased to present Eric Ayotte and Etan Ilfeld’s first collaboration, Breaking Point, which explores the meta and microcosmic synthesis of computer-creativity, mathematics, optics, art history and painting. Breaking Point relates to riots, tear gas and general societal conflicts within a landscape: At any given point in society when equality or injustice reaches a certain point there is a universal language or action that occurs. READ MORE…
Artist Tara Bursey’s show ‘paperwork/foodwork is currently on show at Poplar Online. One of my favourite pieces is ‘shrimplace’ pale pink shrimps enmeshed together like a doiley. It seems to me to hint at craft practices once traditionally associated with women. Crochet, lacemaking – repetitious, labour intensive, domestic. Tara’s choice of food as artworks is an interesting one. Surely the refusal or rationing of food is a position of power and control. Manageing the ‘unmanageable’? A British artist who appears to have similar concerns is Kirsty Hall.
‘Quiver’ Kirsty Hall shown at ‘Prick Your Finger’, London (2009)
In her work she also deals with repetition and obsession using pins, knots, burnt matches. Her ‘Pin Series’ began in 2001 as performance and is ongoing in such sculptural pieces as ‘Scatter’ and ‘Quiver’ (2006) in which the sheer weight of pins affects the fabric which supports them. For me there is a fine dividing line in the work of both these artists. When, exactly, does an interest, idea or concern become an obsession or evident as obsessional or obsessional compulsive behaviours? As creative people I feel we all have obsessive traits otherwise how is the artwork nurtured, sustained or finalized? I have no immediate answers just a fascination with these artworks.
Poplar Gallery.Online
CARE Canada
