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spending time at the moment on an application to grants to the arts to undertake work with 3 museums and collections in the region – meetings with all parties have been really exciting and productive and if i/we get the money it will make for a really positive 12 months.

the work on the lost books project is almost finished and i continue to read around the subject and am captivated by how contemporary Gerard Manley Hopkins poetry feels, there is a knowledge of and an inherent interest in the idea of context and the importance of connectedness.

the images are of a performance of landscapist from the opening at the Camberwell space of bookmare. 

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well latitude had some high points - the sub bass from metronomy - battles harshness, eventually - the wit of john cooper Clarke - an informative Marcus Kwint discussing the brain with and Hannah McGill - the intelligent sound of SBTRKT is still with me but if I get a chance I’ll be seeking a night out with skittles again – fantastic collective sound with astute, biting words – get to them live soon. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36tnx71FtAA

so back to work and this week its creative carers - the next session is in a care home in Lowestoft – the whole project is giving me space to rethink a lot of the ways in which i work with people and obviously i’m also reflecting personally on a lot of the ideas that are being brought up within my own practice – meanwhile and looking forward to the world orchestra at snape http://www.aldeburgh.co.uk/events/world_orchestra_1

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bookmare is/was a great success - the show has a number of marvellous moments when the works are in dialogue with each other and in my case with the space itself. the illustrated presentations were most excellent - the event was tweeted live - if interested - @ccwgradschool #bookmare. stack 665 given by arnaud desgardin focused on his piece in the show which explored the idea of book choice and re presentation as art piece and talked with passion on both the selection of books, the idea of the book and the mediation required for this kind of work.  claire louise staunton curator of flat time house gave the most eloquent presentation of the ideas behind john lathams work I have ever heard - truly informative, thoughtful and entertaining - lots to think about around the idea of the time/moment before an action, an action and a repeated action -  and the role that the objects play in his practice - meanwhile I talked about my historical proximity to a factory building and the men who worked in it, its relevance to my practice both now - some huge ideas such as skill, revelation and testimony were covered by anecdotes whilst also throwing in references to an interview with the lead singer of the dirty projectors, a possible role for the artist in society exampled by the show next door at the south london gallery (stephen willats) and a piece of work I had just seen at invisible - the show at the hayward - a text piece by robert barry - A GREAT CONCERN TRANSMITTED TELEPATHICALLY all in all a good experience  http://www.slideshare.net/l.bicknell/bookmare-presentation-with-notes . now onto latitude!

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on train home – only an hour and a half late due to incompetence on train companies part but this is  nothing new – anyway gaining access at the weekend to areas on Orford Ness usually unavailable to the public was most excellent – all thanks to Commissions East and the untrue Island Project http://www.commissionseast.org.uk/html/casestudies/Untrue_Island/Untrue_Island.htm

the afternoon working in the care home on Monday in Harwich was really rewarding with all the ideals of the project – supporting and developing the creative work that carers are involved in with the residents they work - in place http://www.suffolkartlink.org.uk/creative-carers.htm

today was all about developing the final show at Camberwell for the MA Book Art course and then helping to hang the bookmare show in the Camberwell Space – when I left it all looked full of potential and very exciting with many dialogues happening between the work in the show and the space itself - the marvellous folding of the printed matter undertaken by the students will enhance the whole thing http://www.camberwell.arts.ac.uk/camberwellspace/futureexhibitions/bookmare/

meaninglesswarfolding

well after the appalling corporate meaningless non thing that was the ticketed torch party in the park it was a joy to walk down to Ipswich town hall and enter the world of http://www.switchfringe.co.uk/ the fire night was an alternative – and it was - ypsmael http://ypsmael.com/ and tonesucker http://www.onoma.co.uk/tonesucker.html    were highlights. tonesucker felt like all-out music as war – most excellent.

the event in the park really was bad – i am struggling to remember something so insidious. it was devoid of anything meaningful - this was apart from the interventions of real people presenting real experiences – Aldeburgh music and Dance east – this session stood out as having something to say about or at least connect to Olympic ideals - how is it possible to get something so wrong?

anyway today is all about digital folding - I have managed to secure TESS funding from nuca to support smocking is evil research and I’m working on the images for the windows for the imago gallery show in September.

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a day at home after a lot of meetings, workshops and teaching. Some highlights were Matthew Bourne at Ipswich – the show is a touring triple bill of acclaimed early works celebrating 25 years of the companies work. Spitfire is very very funny even after all this time – there is a moment in the Town element of Town and Country where a potential lover expresses his angst – chillingly awe inspiring – for me the infernal gallop is too close to a west end musical but even in this there is a wonderful element when the dancers fall into a repetitive sequence that takes your breath away – if you get the chance - http://www.danceeast.co.uk/whats-on/592/New-Adventures-presents-Matthew-Bournes-Early-Adventures/   

symposium 2 at Camberwell was a truly positive day – comprising the work of students on the book art course – my job is to chair and give an overview and to enjoy the presentations, which I did. It was excellent to see the journey they had been on, the engagement with the teaching on the course and a general air of academic professionalism. Discussion ranged from the book as a transitional object, controlling the means of production, the role of audience in the work of artists, the seduction of consumption, consumerism and capitalism and possible alternatives. I am looking forward to a possible show-reel of artists who work with the book but who have also worked with moving image, either as final pieces or in the research towards an understanding of practice.

the printing for bookmare came from the printers, really pleased with it - the folding starts here, only 499 to go. http://www.camberwell.arts.ac.uk/camberwellspace/futureexhibitions/bookmare/

tonight its doctor who with punchdrunk in Ipswich http://www.ip-art.com/what's-on/the-crash-of-the-elysium.aspx and sunday is orford ness with  commissions east http://www.commissionseast.org.uk/html/casestudies/Untrue_Island/Untrue_Island_about.htm working my way slowly to latitude via creative carers and tutorials at nuca – who said the summer was quiet?