Wednesday 18 December 2013

blackfoldexhibitingevil

I’ve been invited by Sarah Bodman from the Centre for Fine Print Research, UWE Bristol, on behalf of the International Association, Moscow Book Arts to be part of an exhibition in Russia. It’s from the 13th March – 18th May 2014 at the State Historical, Architectural, Art and Landscape Museum-Reserve, Moscow.  It’s an interesting group –
Angie Butler, X =, 2012
Anwyl Cooper-Willis, The Elsewhere Necktie Archive, 2011
Barrie Tullett, A Poem To Philip Glass, 2011
Charlotte Hall, Insectapolis, 2013
Christopher Robinson, La Chamade, 2009
Craig Atkinson, Preston Bus Station: Lost and Found, Craig Atkinson, 2013
Elizabeth Willow and David Armes, Hanging Valley, 2013
Guy Begbie, Black Cross Channel, 1998
Hazel Grainger, Digital Doesn’t Make Me Happy, 2013
Helen Douglas / Thomas Evans, Pivot, 2003
Jackie Batey, Future Fantasteek!, 12, 14 and 15, 2012-2013
Jeremy Dixon, Some Like Awesome American Soldiers, 2011
John Bently Liver & Lights No 40 My Ancestors, 2008
John McDowall, Atramentum, 2012
Julie Johnstone, ten skies, 2007
Les Bicknell, blackfold, 2013
Nancy Campbell, Doverodde, 2012
Otto, Dance, 2013
Pauline Lamont-Fisher, teastains, 2013
Philippa Wood and Tamar MacLellan, Mr Craggs’ left-over type, 2013
Sarah Bodman, GM Future, 1999
seekers of lice, quot, 2008
Simon Goode, Various Small Cookies, 2011
Simon le Ruez, Elsewhere, 2013
Sophie Loss, Swinging Susan, 2010
Stephen Fowler, White Heat, 2010
Susan Johanknecht, moments of forces, 1997
Theresa Easton, Thrifty Tips, 2013
Tom Sowden, Fortynine Coach Seats Travelling Along The M4, 2003

I’ve also got a small show at the Centre for Fine Print Research, UWE Bristol from Mon 7th April - Sat 31st May 2014. It will be nice to show the folded 'smocking is evil' sculptural paper pieces to a wider world
Meanwhile my proposal for Cley14 has been accepted so I need to focus on that to firm up some logistics – the statement – proposal for Cley14
the book - a space of debate – a place for the storage and dissemination of information – an exchange – a position – a settlement.
The work takes the form of structures that are created from joining (binding) two or more book structures together. The arrangement of book forms joined together enables reflection on the notion of conversation. It is a comment on the books that are in all of us, a response to the idea that when a person dies it is as if a library is burnt. It is a reflection on our negotiation with ageing and death.
I would like to make an intervention into the graveyard. I would attach at least 2 and possibly more books to every grave. At the moment I am considering working with rope/heavy twine to ‘fix’ the work, although I also like the idea of holding the books down with a large stone collected from the beach, referencing the Jewish tradition of placing stones on graves as a sign of remembrance and a symbol of the permanence of memory.
The books would be very simple handmade and blank. They would act as a symbol of narrative, of story, of conversation. The audience filling in the blanks. The piece would actually be the connection of the books with the stone of the grave, highlighting the text cut into the stone.
The work would change over the time of the exhibition, deteriorating with the weather, but they would be secured so as not to litter the space.

I would also like to display a limited editioned bookwork within the church; it would support the thinking and engage with the ideas behind the intervention outside. 

ruralsmockingandtheKlan

At the moment I have become fascinated by the Klan photography of Andre Serrano. It may seem trivial but the Klan ‘costume’ photographs illustrate the poverty of the owner’s sewing skills which appears to reveal their poverty of imagination. I have started to revisit some of the images from the unpicking and rebinding project and have been struck by the similarity that occurs between the smock and the so called "glory suit". There is a project in here somewhere which conflates the two ideas and possibly examines the position of control, power, ownership, sense of place and entitlement in rural areas.

Sunday 15 December 2013

timedamagethinking

frequently asked questions about time travel http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0910554/ is a film which starts out as a pub conversation and ends well with multiple narratives and a lot of apocalyptic thinking in the middle – not bad. The damage from the storm led to several thousand pounds of beach hut devastation but one person was organised and boarded up early.
I ran an experimental book folding session in Colchester for year 1 Design and The Book MA. some of the thinking was led by the recent unpicking and rebinding project. meanwhile I await the editors comments on my text for The Bright Lights journal. see an extract below.
When does a bend become a fold?
Within the project a consideration of a practical aspect of categorization that of the description on the paperwork attached to the object led to thoughts around the use of labels. Each object would have to have a unique set of these labels or tags to be able to distinguish it from any other object and then of course to search for it within a collection. Eventually you would have to have so many categories and sub-divisions of categories that you would have a direct copy of the object and then you would in effect have the object mirroring a pre-linnaeu world of polynomical phrases, the long descriptions that attempt to identify individual species. Thinking about ordering within archives and collections and rethinking how to access them sometimes delivers a lack of trust in the objects themselves. This reminded me of the Borges short story On Exactitude in Science. 

Monday 9 December 2013

floodedbyfilm

A couple of interesting ‘odd ball’ films this weekend – a wonderful rites of passage film - The way way back http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1727388/  you will cry, you will cheer! And from Chan-wook Park, the director of OldBoy, 

 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0364569/?ref_=nv_sr_2 which is also recommended if only for the eating of a live octopus scene comes Stoker http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1682180/?ref_=nv_sr_1 twisting and turning all the way to its warped conclusion.

Meanwhile some flooding damage.

Friday 6 December 2013

coveredbutexhibited

Well Gravity http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1454468/is all that you would want from a film - it really is most excellent and I recommend everybody to see it. From the extraordinary ‘special effects’ (so special that the film could be a documentary)! - to the range of emotions that Sarah Bullock conveys – all wrapped up in 90 minutes of suspended belief. Meanwhile Alpha Papa http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0469021/?ref_=nv_sr_1 mines a particular version of embarrassed bitter humour that had me cringing with knowing laughter – in a good way. Elizabeth 1st and Her people - the show at the National Portrait Gallery http://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/elizabethi/exhibition.php is stunning. A spectacular show with some real gems from the dynamic portraits (the representation of cloth and costumes is all subsuming) to the actual artefacts – one cannot help being moved by the tiny knitted glove.
We held the group MA Book Art Camberwell dissertation tutorials on the 4th floor of the Festival Hall. Teaching doesn’t get much better with the added spectacle of the view of north side of the Thames. Afterwards we visited Annely Juda who have a show by Suzanne Treister - http://www.annelyjudafineart.co.uk/artists/treister/treister.htm In The Name Of Art a dense and layered show which requires a nuanced knowledge of 20th century art history, a working understanding of recent cultural cold war history and a newspaper to fully understand the work (it is supplied). Moving on to the beautiful Frith Street Gallery http://www.frithstreetgallery.com/shows/ which has a body of work by Anna Barriball. The pieces work with the space as they both have a sense of being in the process of becoming.  
While working on the MA Design and the Book at the Minories I popped into the show at Firstsite which has a retrospective of Agnes Denes http://www.firstsite.uk.net/page/agnes-denes. There are some very delicate drawings which are underpinned by smart thinking around philosophical, environmental and sexual politics. The show at the Minories, Mr Eighty http://www.colchester.ac.uk/art/minories/event/mr-eighty has an intriguing range of works, my favourite is the piece created from 4 pins and sellotape – the catalogue description – ‘The edges of the works are reduced to such an extreme that they seem to question their own existence.’ Is a great starting point to thinking about the work.

An image of porta-cabins covered in the image of a building and a collection of velvet ropes behind the scenes at the National Portrait Gallery.

Sunday 1 December 2013

mirrorfilmmirror

Well movember is over– pleased with the result but am now smooth faced. Assisted on a photo shoot this afternoon – mirror suit and landscape. The lecture for the Open College of the Arts went well – it really is the future. http://www.slideshare.net/l.bicknell/research-for-year-1-2013-com the presentation looked at the role of research within an art practice – its pivotal position in supporting creative thinking and enabling the making of work. Pecha Kucha’s with year 2 textile students at NUA went very smoothly – their introduction delivers another strand of professionalism which is now embedded in the course. The Thursday lecture by Lee Lapthorne was quite beautiful – mirroring what we talk about in terms of seeking out collaboration, the need to enjoy working on things you are unsure about, failing wonderfully and learning and multi-tasking as a glorious necessary   http://www.leelapthorne.com/ - we really are good at delivering a positive learning and teaching experience to the students.

It’s a busy week coming up with teaching in Norwich for 2 days (mainly assessing) and then London and Colchester. Managed to see a bunch of quite poor films this week......Wild Target - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1235189/ a nice enough jaunt with raft of English luvies doing their thing, The Worlds End - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1213663/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 ok – but the funniest moment was the list of pub names which was Very funny, Real Steel - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0433035/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_11 well what to say – boxing robots – it was my own fault that I chose and then watched it and finally Fearless - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0446059/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_13 – relentless but impeccable fighting from Jet Li.  

Tuesday 26 November 2013

Monday 25 November 2013

pechakuchatechnoblitz


organising Pech Kucha presentations for year 2 textiles students 

Sunday 24 November 2013

electrohair

Working on a piece of writing for an academic journal based on the ‘manual’ for unpicking and rebinding whilst listening to a lot of electronic music
Meanwhile the facial hair look is not for me and can’t wait till Dec 1st but enjoying the conversations that the hirsute look gets and trawling the internet for images  http://selvedgeyard.com/2009/11/04/chosen-few-east-bay-dragons-americas-black-biker-set-revisited/

Sunday 17 November 2013

1981tonow


I’ve been playing a lot of vinyl from the collection this week – as well as wallowing in Talking Heads I’ve been reappraising Yello – was it really 1981....
Managed to see the wonderful film – Jesus Henry Christ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1393742/ and spent most of it beautifully distressed – a gorgeous looking film exploring the idea of childhood – you will weep.
Caught the latest faster than sound event at Snape Maltings is a site specific installation called nocturnal. http://www.aldeburgh.co.uk/events/britten-centenary-weekend-faster-sound-nocturnal  It’s a very beautiful piece using a camera obscura to show a film twice. It’s on till next week if you’re passing it’s worth a look/listen.
Already bought tickets for the next faster than sound event in February Place: Occupation. http://www.aldeburgh.co.uk/events/place-occupation and am already looking forward to it, especially the new commissions.

The New Wolsey Studio is showing the latest work by Robin Brooks Britten’s Got Talent http://www.wolseytheatre.co.uk/shows/brittens-got-talent/ its very funny and has an irreverent tone that picks up some of the interesting lesser known traits of Benjamin Britten I saw the read through so am intrigued to see how the music and songs have been integrated.

Sunday 10 November 2013

busyfirebusy

Two busy weeks both in the past and also the upcoming one. Three interesting embedded book seminars at Camberwell explored aspects of the book in interesting ways: structure, materials and diary, run by the students they bring a wide range of approaches and content from around the world to the themes. I have also been accepted to write a paper for the first Bright Light journal Implicit Geographies. I managed to see the excellent show at the Gagosian the show is over - The exhibition is about abstraction and the end of painting and some excellent work is shown, its worth a look and is on till nov 30th. http://www.gagosian.com/exhibitions/the-show-is-over--october-15-2013

The week coming up has Pecha Kucha’s from year 3 at Norwich, holding an on-line seminar with the Open College of the Arts http://www.slideshare.net/l.bicknell/unpicking-and-rebinding-talk-27241570, running a workshop with Nigel Aono-Billson www.nigelaono-Billson.co.uk on the Graphics course at Norwich http://www.slideshare.net/l.bicknell/revelation-in-folding, attending an interview at UCS for the Exchanges 2 artist residency, deconstructing textiles at Norwich with year 1 students http://www.slideshare.net/l.bicknell/09-008-extending-textiles-a, and then looking at work related learning with year 2 but the latest obsession with fire in the booth and Charlie Sloth has led me to Mic Righteous – most excellent

Sunday 3 November 2013

deathinmovember

An interesting evening at Snape Maltings on Friday night – Britten’s Death in Venice. I've been playing the original 3 disc LP recording made at Snape in 1973 conducted by Britten, sung by Peter Piers and with all the Sutherland artwork in order to get into the mindset. I also skimmed the Thomas Mann novel! http://www.aldeburgh.co.uk/events/death-venice-first-performance 
The music and voices were excellent but the direction a little clunky – it was almost a period piece as it was the recreation of the 2007. Although I did enjoy the flooded stage. Meanwhile its Movember http://uk.movember.com/  and have decided to go for a 70s biker look – shaved head, extended side burns and trucker moustache. We shall see how this look goes! 

Tuesday 29 October 2013

listemingfortomorrow


listening to darkstar whilst organising tomorrows hang at the Gallery in Norwich. The culmination of 2 years work. The show is on for one day - thursday - the private view is wednesday 5.30 - 7.00

Sunday 27 October 2013

brittensgotrecommendation

An excellent morning at what is a great venue - my local arts centre - The Cut in Halesworth - a read through of the latest play by Robin Brookes – Britten’s got Talent. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Brooks  It’s both a comedic romp and a clever exploration of Britten the man whilst gently referencing the research that must of gone into the work. A meditation on what drives creativity, looking at the role of beauty and challenging a few stereotypes along the way. Simon Butress read superbly the part of Britten, bringing life to the words on a page! I can’t wait to see the play when it’s on at The Wolsey in Ipswich late November. http://www.wolseytheatre.co.uk/4859/shows/brittens-got-talent.html

Wednesday 23 October 2013

drawinglanscapes

A busy week so far – 2 days in N Norfolk staying in a holiday camp with year 1 textile students – a time to get together .......drawing outside and bonding. There are some really extraordinary landscapes to work out on the coast - its a great experience which stays with the students and they build with on throughout their practice within the years to come.

Sunday 20 October 2013

carpetlandscapes

a day out photographing and drawing - returned to the jumps at Sudbourne after a gap of 2 years - it still looks very odd with its interesting use of carpets in the landscape.

Sunday 13 October 2013

techofolkconnectingthepasttothefuturefromnow

one of the tightest, most professional faster than sound events so far – a game of two parts with the seemingly very 'famous' working together and the ‘young ones’ going all experimental and off-piste. The focus of the evening and their residency was rethinking/reimagining the Britten folk songs. http://www.fasterthansound.com/  I have always felt that he had hijacked and in some way ‘un-folked’ them. The discussion held before the event and chaired by Jonathan Reekie was an affirmation that the folk songs are not overtly loved by all. For me the evening re-established and re-contextualised them within a folk tradition, even or specifically that there was a large electronic presence - techno-folk.  Highlights were a drumming duel/duet with South London Ordinance, Alex Thomas and Sam Wilson – a reinterpretation of Widow.  Although less dangerously experimental and closer to the original, Alexis Taylor and Green Gartside gave a very intimate performance although quite mournful it was as if they were in your living room – quite beautiful, Lemady was truly sublime? Listening to Green Gartsides voice took me straight back to 1983 and got me thinking how Scritti-Politti was a folk band for the 80s.

Meanwhile – some film recommendations – for a brainlessly stupid film experience I recommend a double bill of Pacific Rim http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1663662/  (large robots crashing with larger monsters – the script not troubling a sheet of A4 paper and white house down http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2334879/ (just unnecessary but it will be all okay). 

Wednesday 9 October 2013

reflectingandlookingforward

A day at Camberwell yesterday – as is becoming more usual the trains were a disaster – ‘only’ 2 hours and 3 minutes LATE getting into London! so a long frustrating day but it was the first crit and a chance to see what people are making – some thoughtful starting points and ways of approaching both the world/life in general and making in particular. This led to some exciting work and considered conversations – i look forward to the rest of the year.  Met Matthew Tyson for lunch at the South London Gallery – he has a show at Gogoyoga - London E2  7RG http://imprints-galerie.com/newslist (see work above) the new year at NUA has started in earnest  - day 1 – the first presentation for year 3 textile students started with the slide above – yes there are only 228 days left till they leave. Looking forward to the upcoming faster than sound at Snape Maltings at the weekend - http://www.fasterthansound.com/ it has to be a good one with Alexis Taylor from Hot Chip and Green Gartside of Scritti Politti in the mix. Meanwhile enjoying 

bloodandself


looking at my notes - memory is fiction - men are superfluous even in their own lives - cookie cutter characters - writing praxis - looming otherness - shape shifting, writing from the perspective of female gender - haptic quality - transformation gamma - bourgeois mediated discourse - collective deluzean state - creating sense where there is no sense - anthropology is cultural imperialism  - yes I went to listen to Will Self talking with Bernardo Carvalho as part of Flipside at Snape Maltings http://www.flipsidefestival.co.uk/welcome.aspx most excellent, entertaining and informing with just a hint of menace.
meanwhile - late to this I know but have returned to Akala via TED Aldeburgh where I last saw him and have become a fan, founder of The hip hop Shakespeare Company http://www.hiphopshakespeare.com/site/about/ which in itself is wonderful - check out the shakespear v hip hop lyric  at TED  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSbtkLA3GrY and to get a handle on his lyrics the series fire in the booth has to be visited.

Tuesday 1 October 2013

showsandanattitude

my work is in a couple of group shows that are coming up - Resurrecting the Bookin the Library of Birmingham - The exhibition opens on the 6th of November and runs until the 23rd. See the blog - http://thelibraryoflostbooks.blogspot.co.uk/ and go to the conference. The Sheffield International Artists Book Prize opens on the 5th October at Bank Street Arts in Sheffield http://artistsbookprize.co.uk/ there are many events and exhibitions linked to it that are worth checking out. http://bankstreetarts.com/uncategorized/sheffield-international-book-prize-2013-catalogue/ - looking forward to flipside at Snape in Suffolk at the weekend http://www.flipsidefestival.co.uk/welcome.aspx - I’m up for Will Self on Saturday.

meanwhile another ‘I really don’t care about other people’ parking and the question - does the large car or the attitude come first?

Wednesday 25 September 2013

talkandthebooksculpture

A really positive day working at the Colchester Institute http://www.colchester.ac.uk/courses/ma-sculptural-practicewith the MA Sculpture students – morning was a presentation around public art http://www.slideshare.net/l.bicknell/working-with-in-public-art and the afternoon was individual tutorials – it all felt good talking sculpture – discussions ranged from the abject and Kiki Smith to the sublime and Mariele Neudecker via amongst others Bachelard, Jospeh Beuys, Pitt Rivers, ritual, symbolism, skill and witchcraft! Meanwhile the book structure workshop/session at Camberwell for the MA Book Arts students followed by a bookness – what is a book presentation http://www.slideshare.net/l.bicknell/what-is-book-bookness-2013 was really interesting with cultural hiccups left right and centre which is always an interesting thing to reflect on.....language...the digital invite to the show at NUA is out.

Saturday 21 September 2013

somefilmsandasong


i've managed to catch up with one or two films - the art of getting by - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1645080/ a wonderful angst of a film to watch with your teenage children and the place beyond the pines - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1817273/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 - from the initial extended shot from behind Goslings back with the final reveal  - the experiences of parents getting by and how they impact on their children - the flying road sequence a generation apart was wonderful.. and then there is jj barrie!!

Friday 20 September 2013

blackblackblack

a week of organising at NUA - finalising timetables, developing the Virtual Learning Environment and tidying my desk! We are ready and waiting – all we need now are the students. My day at Camberwell was most excellent – with the first symposium under our belts it was good to see the previous work of the students as well as their aspirations for the course. It will be good. I managed to see some exhibitions after – the show at the photography gallery is very worthy – a slice of the mass observation project http://thephotographersgallery.org.uk/ - lots of possible research starting points.  Richard Serra at The Alan Cristea Gallery http://www.alancristea.com/exhibition-117-Richard-Serra-Trajectory was sublime the quality of the black was something to behold and dive into .......................uuuuuuuuuuuuuummmmmmmhhhhhhhh.

Wednesday 11 September 2013

oldskoolandnewstart


day 1 with the new students on the MA Book Art Course at Camberwell – looking at the show from the previous year which is in its last week and talking about the individual students specific journey from initial project proposal to final show. The afternoon was a presentation around the idea of reflective practice and how the journal can be used to support this thinking which in turn will both aid the creation of the students own project proposal and support and map their practice throughout the course.  A link - http://www.slideshare.net/l.bicknell/001-reflective-practice meanwhile ..........back in time

Thursday 5 September 2013

finalbookshow2013

Last night was the Private View of the MAs at Camberwell – the Book Art Show looked very good and the feedback was all positive. I had a really warm feeling whilst watching past present and future students discussing ideas and making connections. 

Wednesday 4 September 2013

sunseawinefoodbooksandcardboard

a short break and back from France and straight back to work - so forget the Roman ruins in Vaison-la-Romaine, The Michelin star food at Le Moulin A Huile, wine and sun - the highlight from the break was the cardboard museum in Valeras. http://www.valreas.net/musees.htm I have an interesting double bill of book reconsiderations connected by an internal dialogue triggered by outside events - the reluctant fundamentalist by Moshsin Hamid and the good father by Noah Hawley

Friday 30 August 2013

twoexhibitionstwospaces

2 days at Camberwell working on the MA Book Art - assessing the students final submission. 2 very long days but it was a real pleasure looking at the work, discussing learning outcomes with other members of staff alongside the nature of an Art College (University) education. But also it’s an important time where we really think about the book and the possibilities available within its form. 
The reflective journal is an interesting tool and something that within my practice this blog and my note books take the role of. The two stage – the first thoughts, unintelligible to others one and the edited version connecting and disseminating to others one are essential for the development of a professional arts practice and even more so within an educational context.
Meanwhile

The show at the Museum of East Anglian Life is up. 

Thursday 22 August 2013

lookingatthefutureofart

Two days in London at Camberwell hanging the 2013 post grad Book Art show – this year there is some really professional work on display alongside one or two highly experimental pieces and sometimes they are one and the same – a ven-diagram of wonderfulness. The private view is on the evening of the Wednesday 4 September, 18.00 – 21.00 and includes all the MA subjects – http://newsevents.arts.ac.uk/event/camberwell-postgraduate-show-2013/ it would be a useful/interesting visit to see what is happening now and to possibly find out about the future.

meanwhile thinking about Italy - 

Wednesday 14 August 2013

readingrecommendationsfromthesun

Holiday is always a space to get some reading done – some recommendations from the sun in Italy - The Discomfort Zone by Jonathan Franzen – a personal, yet universal story of how Jonathan has coped with existing in the outside world by writing what happens within his internal world – wonderful, life affirming. Umbrella by Will Self – my most accessible yet challenging Self book so far – I loved the seemingly stream-of-consciousness multiple, time and narrative. It feels and reads like today – allowing information to seep into the consciousness of the page, connecting ideas that are both relevant and initially mad and ‘wrong’. Nemesis by Philiph Roth – such a force of writing – you just believe in the world he creates – it’s of a different time, focused on the brutal self analysis through fear, love and loss. Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan – a real page turning spy thriller that makes you want to know what happens next and just marvel at the craft of writing – how does he do that? The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ by Philiph Pullman – what if............ it makes a wonderful sense and makes one want to go back and reread the ‘original’.

Meanwhile an example of ‘covered stuff in the street’.

Monday 12 August 2013

thinkimngandbreathingartinvenice

 abstract speaking - sharing uncertainty and collective
Israeli Pavilion 
 Odires Mlászho
 Thierry De Cordier and Richard Serra
 Danh Vo
Turkish Pavilion 
Four days at the Venice Biennale and as ever one could be there longer as there is so much to see. I managed to get to more collateral events this time as well as the two main sights. Where to start... I am still reeling as I then went onto Lake Garda for a break and read and read and read – but more of that later. The international aspect of the experience is so excellent, giving the opportunity to see work that is not usually accessible, especially from South America, Asia, Africa and Arabic countries.  Politics is always on the surface obviously, especially as many of the established pavilions have a national flag outside. The Israeli Pavilion was an extraordinary comment on land, ownership, sense of self and place. It was also quite exceptional in its storytelling, how the narrative of the idea was experienced.  There was a lot of‘re-organising’ or re-building pavilions alongside the presentation of process as outcome.  Some other highlights were – the book structures in the Brazilian Pavilion by Odires Mlászho, the whole feel of the Dutch Pavilion - Mark Manders, Room with Broken Sentence, the madness of the Spanish Pavillion by Lara Almarcegui and the wisdom of the Japanese Pavilion - abstract speaking - sharing uncertainty and collective acts which had wonderful answers for questions we are going to have to ask in the future. The Central Pavilion has so much to offer – one example is the beautiful relationship created between the paintings of Thierry De Cordier and the surface of the sculptures of Richard Serra

The work in the Arsenale was focused on the theme of the whole Biennale – The Encyclopedic Palace, and is a full on mental experience with excellent thoughtful work at every step and turn. Looking back at my photographs I realise that I have taken more images of National Pavilions at the end of huge building. The Lebanon Pavilion is an extraordinary narrative in print and film, the mesmerising films in the Turkish Pavilion and the Latvian Pavilion is such a magnificent revelation which you have to wait for.  

I am creating a lecture on the use and experience of textiles at the Biennale for NUA so there will be more images later but I have to show the work of Danh Vo.....

Monday 29 July 2013

researchlifeandwork

Life at the moment is cluttered with unpicking and rebinding - but found time last week to research the Venice Biennale – working out which of the many collateral events away from the main sights I’m going to get to and looking at how to get to the exhibition at Palazzo Grassi – a space that I’ve never managed to get into but if its anything like its sister space Punta della Dogana which always has excellent shows within an awesome space it should be good.
Meanwhile celebrating difference on youtube!

Wednesday 24 July 2013

dancedancestance

Recovering from Latitude – Saturday was a 6 hour dance fest starting with the wonderfully raw Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Karen O - what an outfit - followed by Hot Chip who have some tremendous sounds and then the mighty 3D Kraftwerk (a spaceship landed in my brain). The sound was so crisp and the 3D excellent – it would be more difficult for an experience to be so what one expected

Other highlights were Germaine Greer talking about the invisibility of women – and British Sea Power playing the soundtrack to the documentary From The Sea To The Land Beyond

Tuesday 16 July 2013

abstarctspaceandwords

After a day of jointly managing the final show meeting at Camberwell, focusing on the use of space within the show and the relationships between the proposed pieces to develop a layered narrative experience for the audience (it really is going to be an excellent show) I managed to get to Tate Modern to see the Ellen Gallagher - http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/exhibition/ellen-gallagher-axme– it was good to see the actual work as the reproductions don’t really convey the intense materiality of the pieces – both the initial found material, especially the ‘black’ magazines and the repetitive marks created by the artist. My favourite room has to be room 2 - the one full of the ‘yellow paintings’ that are an eccentric example of how to use plasticine although the film using the SF Horror as a starting point was wonderfully disturbing with its fiery hair and empty eyes.
There is also an intriguing and pertinent show in the project space that fronts the river on ground (1st) level. http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/exhibition/project-space-word-sound-power Often the most interesting work within the Tate can be found in this space so it’s always worth a visit. The exhibition is devoted to sound and word - there are a number of really interesting pieces and if you contribute to one of them you get a book!

Meanwhile whilst trawling Google Street View I came across these images and thought – odd but enjoyable watching trying to make sense of reality.

Friday 12 July 2013

reccomendationsfromeachendofaspectum


went over to Bury St Edmunds to hang a show in the record office and popped into Smiths Row to see Caroline Wright's film On tides and Fathom. it was strangely familiar and at the same time other worldly. If you are in the area its worth going to see. http://www.smithsrow.org/index.php/exhibitions/details/the_brothers_elin_hyland_on_tides_and_fathoms_caroline_wright/ 
meanwhile BUG TV is on Youtube and is at least a days work to wade through http://www.youtube.com/user/AdamBuxton/videos?view=0&shelf_index=2&sort=dd&tag_id=

Tuesday 9 July 2013

mixtapedelayandtutorials

It’s the beginning of the end at Camberwell!! - the next three weeks are dedicated to 'show planning' – the session yesterday focused on the work students have made, are making or/and are proposing to make for final show and what it might look like with – individual tutorials with everybody graduating on the Book Art MA led to an excellent day with a number of marvellous revelations - some very exciting solid professional work is going to be shown in a number of interesting way, as ever it’s fascinating to observe a number of trends and ways of thinking/making and to consider the work that has been created on the course over the many years. In another room students had brought in finished work and it was being photographed for the catalogue – all very professional.

Meanwhile a link to a great mixtape to download (Caroline’s B-Day Soul-Astrology) – I’ve been stuck on a train (again) and it has provided some kind of background to the real pain of travelling on Greater Anglia - how can they be so expensively crap? – its on a blog http://iamnotagun.blogspot.com/  towards the end it has excellent (funkyier dityer) track by Leon Haywood - I Want'a Do Something Freaky to You that blows the alleged sexy je t'aime moi non plus by Serge Gainsbourg  off the planet into a category of songs titled favoured and promoted by Mary Whitehouse!! – recommended. http://iamnotagun.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/carolines-b-day-soul-astrology-mixtape.html

Monday 8 July 2013

thinkingandcollecting


a quick break - 4 days in France - South of Marseilles - idyllic - amongst the books I read  I have to recommend Watermark by Joseph Brodsky - a beautifully crafted book, exquisite use of language, a meditation on light and life - centred on Venice - which I'm looking forward to visiting in a months time for the Biennial. As ever the holiday snaps represent current interests as well as long standing ones - death, fabric in/on sculpture, quirks in structural public amenity - a new one -  I became obsessed with the idea of barrier and am now collecting. 
I also managed to solve one or two issues around the unpicking and rebinding project which I have been working on this week. Having space to think was good.