benchbenchbenchbenchbenchwiththelovelypeople

a research day at Kings working on bench with the bench team! – it was a joy. I approached the day with a very loose idea of intention, way of working or a perceived outcome. I enjoy the idea of turning up in a space and making work with limited materials. The challenge is like a tradesman, a jobbing artist if you will. I had simplified the materials and activity from previous ideas. The very broad intention was to create a system or structure that would enable individuals to create a narrative. They would do this by choosing a rubber-stamp, printing it onto a piece of paper, attaching it to a wire and then continuing on the same wire, repeating the actions until they felt they had finished, creating a linear narrative. I have several revisions after watching participants operating the structure and discussing how they worked with the materials.

The work could be structurally less complex –

Instructions – there is a need to add these – they could take the form of a lab protocol.

Example - Pick 3 stamps, consider how together they could create a narrative that is of interest to you. Print onto the paper and attach them to the wire.

For clarity there could be different coloured wires, making it easier to follow the lines.

A way of attaching the prints needs to be considered. This could take the form of small clips to enable ease and flexibility. The prints could be attached anywhere on the wire.

Rethinking the work -

there could be a 2D scroll-like version made simultaneously with the 3D piece, almost creating a record of activity. 

The piece could be a large sheet of paper, a rubber-stamp is printed, a line drawn and another stamp is added until you have a complex set of interconnected lines and visual nodal points. Each participant could work on their own diagram, but it would interlink with each other’s stamps.

It would be possible to work directly onto a bench, drawing and stamping directly onto the surface or wrapping the bench in paper. The shelves would bring height and a range of levels.

wasawinner

First light festival was a winner, the curated show in the gardens was eclectic and fun, managed to see a couple of bands, Caswell, LFay and Sebbuku, all good. Ken Worploe was good on landscape and building, and of course Luke Wright was Luke Wright – always a winner. Created our own Snape Festival with a couple of £10:00 tickets to see new experimental work alongside the art on display and an afternoon of new music by young people, which was excellent. Meanwhile onto screens, still chugging along with Alpha House which is very funny but Riefenstahl is another thing – did she know or was she innocent or an artist taking an opportunity? Watching her control the lighting when she was being interviewed at around 80 says a lot about her, and so many photographs documenting her existence – fascinating and all too easy to make connections with America at the moment, the rallies were terrifying.

LANDhaslanded

I have some work in LAND, an exhibition at The Arts Station in Saxmundham. The work explores our relationship to nature, using a tree I have been growing through a metal grid hung upside down with an image of a pylon as seen from above. The usual layout or position of all aspects of the piece are thrown into question, allowing the viewer to rethink what they think they know. onto screens - The Friend – had to leave 40 mins in - couldn’t stand the people in the film or their devotion to what was an overburdening arrogant character in Bill Murray – the dog was impressive though. Brick – like a gentle escape room. Too Much is, as ever with Lena Dunham just on the side of too much for me.

travelingtravellingtravelling

The show at Imprints looks good the - exhibition is called control documents and runs from 28 Juin - 27 Juillet 2025. It consists of a series of 2D and 3D prints that are my response to the data collection taking place during the preparation for the building of SZC. The imagery is created from abstract photographs created by photographing etched Perspex, layered with digital lines and imagery derived from Penrose tiling. The work is concerned with connections and systems. It was primarily conceived when I spent time listening to a Skills Development Manager working in the Employment Affairs Unit (EAU) analysing data and looking at a gannt chart that ran till 2095. The titles of the works are taken from abbreviations within SZC documents that are open to the public. There are so many and navigating them is a little like decoding contemporary art, you must spend time, but unlike abbreviations with art there are no right answers the viewer of art can bring their own meaning, maybe that's the stumbling block. There is a limited-edition artist book that accompanies the prints which is made from digital prints that are folded into a multi-functional structure. Created in an edition of 4, consisting of 16 panels, the folded structure enables several different panels to juxtapose with each other. Its construction means that the bookwork has a duality, it can stand on a surface, functioning as a sculptural form whilst operating as a hand-held book. After the private view I spent a couple of days hanging out, the Saturday market is always a fantastically French experience, and the market lunch is a wonder. Spent a couple of days around the coast in Bandol, a beautiful old-school-faded-glamourous-grandeur of a place – DH Lawrence stayed in the hotel. And then there was the travelling back. Popped into Marseille to see a couple of shows. As ever the Mucem was wonderful, the collections history, one of ethnographic was interesting to consider. There were some great shows about pattern including the meanings of tattooing and hairstyles. Frac Sud had 3 interesting shows, what the hand thinks focused on making and showed some great work from the collection. Travelling – don’t you love it…….Bandol to Marseille by train – Marseille to the airport by car – waited 5 hours to be told flight cancelled – airport to Marseille by car – stayed in hotel – Marseille to train station by car – Marseille to Paris by train – Paris to Kings cross by TGV – Kings Cross to Tottenham Hale by tube to get train – train to Bishop Stortford – train cancelled – bus replacement to Stansted – Stanstead to home by car. Next day into London to see my work in the SZC offices and a couple of shows. Taku Aramasa  at Annely Juda was fantastic, deconstructing the 3 floors of the building, exposing the history of the place.

alwaysawinner

work with SZC continues, working with ideas of connectivity with the pylon as a starting point motif. First light festival was a winner, the curated show in the gardens was eclectic and fun, managed to see a couple of bands, Caswell, LFay and Sebbuku, all good. Ken Worploe was good on landscape and building, and of course Luke Wright was Luke Wright – always a winner. Created our own Snape Festival with a couple of £10:00 tickets alongside the art on display and an afternoon of new music by young people, which was excellent. Meanwhile onto screens, still chugging along with Alpha House which is very funny but Riefenstahl is another thing – did she know or was she innocent or an artist taking an opportunity? Watching her control the lighting when she was being interviewed at around 80 says a lot about her, and so many photographs documenting her existence – fascinating and all too easy to make connections with America at the moment, the rallies were terrifying.

whenisdeath

some notes made over the past 2 weeks…..

Bernard Stiegler – technology writer philosopher

technics - pharmakon – Greek word meaning both 'poison' and 'cure

Obvious – artists groups

Antonio Damasio – the strange order of things

Turk – man in a box fooling people

Data colonialism

Ai Alzheimer’s - data starts to relate to data rather than new information

Baroque grotesque

Territory – chaos - philosophy science art – on the margins

Disposable madness of the internet

Waler Benjamin – art in the world of mechanical reproduction

Origin and destination

Performance of ordinariness

Metatacratic legitimacy

Walking through life based on their origins

Marketing of ordinariness

Inability to function as a whole human being

When is death?

The trowel doesn’t talk

Evidence of human touch – fingerprints and manufacturing process

How is authority defined – how so you build it in the artworld

Opinions positions knowledge

Phase drawings = 3D renders of spaces

The idea of ritual = repetitive actions repetitive spaces

Bending down – genuflect.

The idea of negative archaeology

The science of architecture

Logistics of soil movement

Ministry of presence

This time includes meeting with Bench project, a day on site with the Chaplin at SZC and an open day with archaeological people – some amazing conversations and lots to think about 

ifnothingistrue,thenallisspectacle

 

To abandon facts is to abandon freedom. If nothing is true, then no one can criticize power, because there is no basis upon which to do so. If nothing is true, then all is spectacle.Timothy Snyder

A weekend in Tallinn - so much to see in what is a marvelous, clean and organised city – and the weather was great. Zipping around on mini-mopeds has to be the best fun ever and a gloriously child-like way to see a city which has the most fabulous cycle paths ever. Went out along the sea to see the monuments to people killed by the Soviet Union - what to say - it is overbearing - physically changing you in the space - it's really a space, an experience rather than a thing. So much extraordinary food and interesting drinks, especially cakes - some partaken whilst watching a dance and performance art battle - favourite section was where a contestant walked away and didn't come back - awesome.The end of year show at EKA was in a huge abandoned building so it felt like a real old-school art college experience rather than the corporate controlled display available in England. I love a student show – so much potential energy and there was also some good work. There are several small commercial spaces in Tallinn which I managed to check out - each containing professional, thoughtful work. The work of Alexei Gordin "Walled Up" where he breaks into abandoned buildings creates text pieces on the wall, photographs them and then works on them to create the work was challenging but also laugh out loud.The excellent maritime museum had interventions by art students and the museum itself is awesome - the objects the graphics the digital and physical interactive activities - all beautiful and thoughtful and interesting. KUMU the huge art gallery had a solo show by Ragnar Kjartansson: A Boy and a Girl and a Bush and a Bird, which was thoughtful and mesmerising but also a number of interventions into the collection, which is truly challenging in terms of cataloguing the history of Estonia through art. St. Nicholas Church has 7 meters of what was a 30m 'lifesize' painting of the dance of death - truly spectacular, as was a huge, multi-layered alter-piece. Thought about the work I intend to make for the faith room at SZC and the idea of faith and body and belief. A lecture on ai at Tallinn art school was open to all so popped in to listen - it was a good intro to some of the philosophical issues swirling around about ai - liked the thought about the idea of territory and chaos within the context of the internet, the role of art science and philosophy at the margins as outriders bringing ideas into the mainstream. 

whatdoeselectricitylooklike

A day at Suffolk Show on the SZC stand.  It was quite a surprise to turn up and find a large picture of me on the stand. In amongst the incredibly professionally printed display and children’s colouring in activity I decided to ask the public What does electricity look like? I spent the day finding answers from young people through drawing. I noticed that there was a point (around 4/5 years old) when drawings that attempted to capture what is quite an almost impossible act, that of drawing something that we cannot see, where the actual feeling or experience of electricity turns to drawings of circuit boards and other examples of what we use it for. education…... don’t you love how it changes the mind. I had some extraordinary conversations with the public – about creating sculpture in the brain, realigning neurons in the brain as an artwork and how design works when attempting to provide solutions within restricted spaces – fascinating. Suffolk Show throws up lots of questions and a few answers.

wearekneecapwhatareyougpingtodoaboutit

What a week - Invited to attend a day out at Trinity Park with SZC people - a corporate event themed around the idea of a Spring Fete. I can see why working within a giant community would have it's advantages. I think everyone went home with a positive feeling of connection from the experience. I was quite surprised how many people knew of my existence and I had some interesting conversations with them and new people who were genuinely friendly. There is a real sense of engagement with their workers and a desire to build a sense of community within the company. 

A day at Kings working with 3 other artists 2 'science' people and a post doc whose specialism is hacking. It was such a joy to be with such intelligent and inspiring people. We are working together within a small research grant around the role of the bench. We explored a number of themes and I came away buzzing from the conversations and playing with light and shadows. 

Then back on a train back to London to see kneecap in Brockwell Park. Such a fantastic experience - watching people who are really having fun and don't appear to care about the consequences - most excellent - leaning into their position as poster Daily Mail bad boys of everything that we are supposed to be against they started with clips of people talking about them on daytime TV and went onto decry capitalism, The Israeli Government, Amazon, the British Government, celebrate drug taking and calling Jeff Bezos a bald c++t along the way. Other bands we managed to see was the very odd Cobrah, CMAT essentially Fleetwood Mac, Mannequin Pussy- angry wordy rock, Psychedelic porn crumpets - clashing guitar rock goth, Puzzle who were too cluttered almost hip hop, fuckers - driving house rock, and Spirits essentially Patti Smith. The whole experience was a little soulless, I felt like my only job was to consume and be controlled. Odd to be in a contained small space in park opposite where I lived 40 years ago where I watched rock against racism gigs for free. Managed to check out the Pennone show at the Serpentine - beautiful and calm and worth the visit, the Welcome has a great show 1880 That, by Christine Sun Kim and Thomas Mader, illustrating/demonstrating issues around being deaf with designed artworks, It's a highly controlled show with a large design budget! Interestingly the use of sign language ties in with kneecap asking the signer how to perform what would be known as rude words. On the way home went to The Place to see Ham:beth by Modern Table which was part of the Festival of Korean Dance - truly awesome from the start with dynamic movement alongside an epic soundtrack supported by SeokJong Baek. Fantastic.

itsnicetobetoldyouareokay

It’s been a busy couple of days - the weekend workshop at Leicester Printworks was special – the space is an oasis of activity in the cultural quarter which was oddly calm – huge post-industrial buildings away from the city centre but just close enough. The people who work there were helpful and understanding, all creative people in their own right. The workshop participants were great company and made some interesting bookwork’s. I developed a new hybrid fold, whilst responding to a person’s investigation of experimental book structures, if I lived locally, I would be a part of this. The journey to Inverness from Suffolk by train is a mammoth undertaking….but remarkably everything went well – connections and wi-fi (no complaints, (in-joke with my parents). Scotland really is another country, especially so far north, and yet there is even more of it further ‘up’. The place feels ‘other’, every single person I met was friendly and super helpful. I can understand the call for devolution and annoyance at the control held by Westminster, a place literally in another country. I was invited to talk at the Scottish Artist Network summit, the theme being around power and energy, my residency at Sizewell seems to sum that up. I am not an activist, or even an artist/activist in what might be considered a ‘traditional’ sense, but I think my activism if I have any is positioned in a broader, more socially engaged way. I guess the point or intention of what I do is to enable or encourage thought, creating a space to consider, or reconsider an issue. A moment to contemplate. It was a great opportunity and interesting to be in Inverness talking about the SZC residency - meeting a lot of artist/activists - seeing how people use their creativity to attempt to create change, social and political change and challenge corporations, capitalism and those in power. This is not my position but maybe it is something I am actively involved in, in a much wider way. Prompting people to just ask themselves questions - about how they choose to live their lives. I have always said that as long as people have full awareness of all positions on a subject and have access to truthful arguments on all sides, they were at liberty to believe in what they believed - I ‘didn't mind’ the choices they made! Don’t not know. Arrogant but as a lecturer there are worst ways to use the position of privilege and power that I find myself in and have observed. I think my talk went down well– my honesty enabled connections to be made – there were some excellent questions and reflections - lots of positive comments and conversations afterwards that I'm in the process of reflecting on. As ever the comments from others inform my thinking about my practice and in many ways explain to me what the work is actually about. It was fascinating to hear about issues I had never thought about. The effect of the transition from oil and gas to wind power on workers involved in generating power and the knock-on effect on their communities. The devastation brought by a lack of investment in the area, places having huge changes imposed on them, without consultation or true community engagement, as ever the money going out to private firms, investors and shareholders. The fact that this happened once with oil and is happening again with wind. This was compounded by the issue of the enclosures, and the slave trade, which in turn paid for more land. And of course, the reparations paid to former slave owners was used to buy even more land on which today windfarms are being built on, with which more money is made. Landlords, don’t you love them. Follow the money! I had many devastating conversations about the environmental damage we are inflicting and the global apocalypse we are living in….I left unsure of a future, but I did have a great time! thanks to all at SCAN. An interesting opportunity whilst being in Inverness talking about the SZC residency was  meeting a lot of artist/activists - seeing how people use their creativity to attempt to create change and challenge corporations, capitalism and those in power. This is not my position but maybe it is something I am actively involved in, in a much broader way. Making objects that prompt people to just ask themselves questions - about how they choose to be. I have always thought and said that as long as people have access to information, full awareness of all positions and have access to truthful arguments on all sides, I ‘didn't mind’ the choices they made.  

nodyreflectedinpage

Reorganising the landscape around Leiston is continuing, when going to Sizewell it can be quite a shock, this along with the increase in traffic reminds me of the changes in Coventry, especially the area I lived in. Photo of my child standing on what was left of  the house I grew up in. Back into the school in Leiston as part of SZC residency – it was my final session, although I am keen to go back as it felt like just the start of what is potentially possible. Last week we looked at superheroes and patron saints – considering our skills and building on them. Loved the image one person drew of an invisible person, patron saint of invisibility…. This week was all about future archaeology – we talked about waste and what would remain in the year 3000 – the children then created drawings of future archaeology, the ‘whole objects’ created from metal, plastic and then the tiny parts that would be found in the future. Meanwhile I had to photograph a piece for a show in Japan, organised by wonderful Sarah Bodman at UWE Bristol. onto screens –The Order, as with all these things anything about the downfall of American feels like a documentary. Just started Patriot – this time the absurdist approach gives light relief but……

walkingtothelight

2 days in Girona to observe Easter rituals. I've been waiting to do this since I missed it 4 years ago and it was worth the wait. Extraordinary images of the Setmana Santa walking and manoeuvring religious floats depicting scenes from the Easter story. My favourite was the truly meta Jesus in a glass box held up by maybe 8 angels who are then carried by the Confloria del Sant Sepulchre with huge displays of flowers...... all lit up. The procession lasts 2 hours with the individual groups representing different areas of faith. I noticed that Pete Hegseth's tattoo is part of the insignia worn by the same Confloria del Sant Sepulchre. Not disturbing at all. If in Gerona check out the Jewish Museum. A must see in Girona is the extraordinary fortress that is frightening in its scale - all that energy devoted to war.

Continuing the yearly walk along the coast of Spain into France. On the train to Figures to get a bus to Cadaces to start the walk tomorrow on the coast where Dali lived and where we stopped the previous leg this time last year. 4 days later.....on a train to Montpellier to meet friends. It was the fourth-year walking from Loret du Mar to Banyul-s-Mer and this has got to be the most beautiful leg of the walk. Striding through areas filled with luminous flowers in full bloom, their scents filling the air, unusual insects, butterflies and lizards, all under blue skies with sea on your right shoulder. Crossing the border from Spain into France was interesting as the culture changed dramatically. Hola becomes Bonjour. Restaurants in Spain that only opened at 9:00 were into their coffee and dessert at a similar time in France. Crem Catalan gave way to île flottante (possible my all-time favourite dessert) and tapas evolves into a proper 3 course meal. Typography on buildings and in church yards became florid and landmarks go from rock formations to lines of poplar trees as the coast flattens out into salt marshes. Stunning. Got the train to Montpellier to see friends, eat interesting food and see art. The shows at Moco had a sci-art concoction, mainly focusing on the body with some great medical models. The food included pig cheeks, tiel, and candied hibiscus flowers. A final day was spent in Arles to see the Frank Ghery......what an architectural mess - it looks as if 3-4 people 'designed' it in the local bricomarché after a long lunch, so many different approaches and materials. Messy, unused spaces everywhere and the restaurant was given over to an artist........oh dear - the most uncomfortable and bizarrely unnecessarily over-thought chairs and table ever. But there was a Gustav Metzger  exhibition that was fantastically confrontational, but a nonsense of over-tech Philippe Parreno  exhibition was unnecessary and maybe only there because it could be. It was a joy to leave and go to the Lee Ufan foundation, Designed in collaboration with Tadao Ando - it is a thoughtful space with stunningly considered work that transcends the ordinary - a must see.

controldocuments

SZC work continues, the ideas continue to flow alongside the conversations. It’s been an excellent week all round - We have got R&D money for the bench project at Kings with the possibility to extend it in so many ways, this is really exciting as I get to work with a wonderous group of people. I’ve been offered a show at imprints in Crest, France and I’ve been making more work around the theme of data, the show will be called control documents. Sarah B at Bristol has invited me to show work in an exhibition in Japan, the 3D printed work was chosen, and I think it will look good and hopefully go down well. I have been awarded research money to work on the project exploring Catenary. On Thursday I got to see some of the Norwich pattern books with Ruth Battersby-Tooke, the Senior Curator of Costume and Textiles at Norfolk Museums Service at the Bridewell in Norwich. It was, as ever a real pleasure to be in the presence of such extraordinary objects in the fantastically knowledgeable hands of Ruth. The books give a hint at what the past might have looked like in a similar way that the textile ‘swatches’ held by The Foundling Museum in London. Onto screens – almost finished White Lotus, the whole experience is just distasteful! Started Zero Day, unsure where its going to go yet. Life List was difficult to watch through the tears!

rhizoneconnectingus

almost hanging some work in the Leiston office of Sizewell C – the text that accompanies the work. Artist in residence at Sizewell C. I am an artist based in East Suffolk. I am currently working as artist in Residence at Sizewell. This role was developed by First Light Festival and Sizewell C. As an artist in residence, I am an onlooker, a mirror and a maker, like everyone else in East Suffolk, I am watching the development of the biggest construction site in Europe. We are living through, observing and taking part in change. We watch, we adjust, we question, we wonder; and I am making art. Art is a powerful connector—whether you're creating it or taking part in it, it has the ability to bring together communities and workers. These pieces are my response to the roles of the Sizewell C workforce and my reflections on the changes we are experiencing. This is part of a rolling program. Art works will be shown within the Sizewell’s workplaces and within the wider environment over the next twelve months. 

lotsgoingon

Organised a fashion shoot at Norwich University of the Arts with Andy. https://www.instagram.com/andisapey/ It was great fun recreating well known and iconic poses from paintings, sculpture and popular culture, all whilst wearing vast amounts of PPE. Sweating like a pig as my mum would have said. A new tattoo as part of my residency at SZC – working with @jim_skins we created a collaborative drawing that was developed and became part of my body. Good photos to follow, the starting point for the work was the idea of energy, the atom and electrons. There are two tattoos that work together but are separate. onto screens – Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F – we knew what would happen down to dialogue, scenes and ending, wonderful nonsense even down to the ridiculous ‘car’ chases. Adolescence – oh dear I need a drink, truly extraordinary.