finaldaysofworkandsomeplay

some images from the 2018 MA Book Art Degree show - it has one of the most interesting catalogues produced by the students in the courses long history. a link to the presentation I gave at Making Materials Matter conference for science teachers on friday. https://www.slideshare.net/l.bicknell/presentation-for-making-materials-matter-with-video-links   I'm already looking forward to Spill Festival - https://spillfestival.com/spill-2016-brochure/ I have got the 2018 program in my hands and highlights have to be Shared Saliva, David Hoyle, Le Gateau Chocolat, Kernschmelze II, Jodee Mundy Collaborations and of course you cannot go without seeing Forced Entertainment - Complete Works: table top Shakespeare. I saw them last doing it at the Barbican and was mesmerised. Latitude was Latitude - a real highlight for me was John Hopkins whose sound and visuals always blow me away (how does he get from one set of sounds to another?) alongside a fantastic glitchy version of  open eye signal https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q04ILDXe3QE he played the glorious new work I only know as trailer https://www.residentadvisor.net/news.aspx?id=41150  Also came across Jimothy Lacoste which was fun. The program was a little thin and the heat and dust meant a lot of sitting around hanging out with people so a nice time was had by all.

stuffcoveredandspilled

just going through the photographs from Marseille - here are some that will be added to the folder 'covered stuff in the street'. Last night at Spill saw the museum opening till 11:00 with interesting interventions but for me the activity that was most engaging was using your phone as a torch and bringing the stuffed birds to life (Johnnie Morris voices optional - think 70s Animal Magic) - also saw 3 performances - all linked by the idea of exploring the fragility of existence. Jade Montserrat's piece Showing Josephine was relentless in its repetition - Breathe by Alicia Jane Turner had some beautiful films accompanied by violin and the UK premier of Of Leonardo Da Vinci had some extraordinary moments where moving image, sound and movement created new worlds in the mind.  I managed to just touch on the durational works and will see more later but as ever the Art School felt energised by the activity - can't wait to be immersed later! https://spillfestival.com/all-events/ if you feel like you want to be changed. 

musicisimportant

checking out Woman's Hour playlist organised by Lauren Laverne - 70 songs 70 years playlist - it was great to hear tracks that are part of my Desert Island Disc top 100 songs!!! aren't we all just await for the call? - blue by Joni Mitchell,  Grace Jones pull up to the bumper, Venus as a boy by Bjork and Marlena Shaw's Woman of the Ghetto but new to me was Le Tigre I loved the raw power of their sound - channelling x-ray specs and the riot grrrl power of bikini kill - my new latest favourite band. http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/playlists/zzznnc  So far this week - three great teaching experiences - chairing a seminar of student presentation proposals, running intensely packed group crits, and delivering  an on-line seminar. There is some excellent work out there and it's a joy to be a small part of it.  Managed to see an interesting show by Roman Ondak at The South London Gallery - a large element of it is a form of building archaeology when the original parquet floor is revealed. It's interesting to think about how I have worked in several places for long enough to be one of the few people remaining who can remember that beautiful floors have been covered by false floors and corporate carpets - all awaiting discovery. Also I can think of examples where I have watched a building be constructed, knowing it through its life and then watching it be demolished, to be replaced by a new building. More work in Cambridge as part of unfolding thinking - quite possibly the most extraordinary job I have ever had! http://unfoldingthinking.blogspot.co.uk/2016/10/pipetpipetpipetpipetpipetpipetpipetpipe.html

looking forward to Spill Festival in Ipswich next week  http://pacitticompany.com/work/spill-festival-of-performance/ there are so many highlights but Shabnam Shabazi's Terra Nullius https://spillfestival.com/show/terra-nullius/ has to be up there. 

bookwordsfuture

A great day at Camberwell - the first symposium on the MA Book Arts course always presents the opportunity to project onto the students possible futures and to consider one's role in getting them to where they want/need to be. As ever the experience reminds me as to why I love teaching so much - my notes include the phrases - preserving something that is not - brand installation - putting content into paper - density of thought - invisible visible - manual collages - where does book take place? - memory of the evidence of a thing - Buddhist frustration - invisible violence - building lines for people to construct space in their minds - unfolding minds - real v perceived space - abstract landscape - doubling invisibility - the destruction of destruction - the public book - rock library - the space of the book - testing to negotiate your own space - books, I smelt all of them - process as metaphor. how wondrous is that. meanwhile a run of films - Mechanic: Resurrection - solid Stath action with shooting weaponry material but wooden beyond belief. Free State of Jones - solid life affirming Southern racist narrative with good work by good guy McConaughey. Blood Father - solid drug violent wayward daughter biker story with Mel sporting marvellous face hair. Spill festival program is out and am already looking forward to it - highlights have to be of leonardo da vinci quills a black giant deluge with Elaine Mitchener, David Toop, Barry Lewis and Dam Van Huynh, Mem Morrison in the Wills building, the wonderful Jade Montserrat  who I actually taught many moons ago, well she was in the room when I was talking!! and Entertainment Island who I saw at the Barbican in a previous Spill festival - it will be excellent. https://spillfestival.com/

excitedandlookingforward

Spill tickets have arrived with 6 days to go till the opening party – can’t wait. Meanwhile – with many references to Brazil, although without the humour and a nod to David Lynch the Double is worth a watch http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1825157/  Work wise - after a day of assessing on the MA in Book Arts course on Monday it was straight into 3 days in a chalet with the new year 1 students in Hunstanton making, bonding, drawing and encouraging lateral thinking and problem solving – most excellent – some wonderful moments despite the driving wind coming straight off the sea – or maybe because of it! and then there are the issues of economics made visual in the buildings.

platonicfolding

The program for the wondrous SPILL festival is out http://spillfestival.com/all-events/ with the theme ON SURRENDER it’s going to be a storming few days in Ipswich between 29 Oct – 2 Nov 2014. Already looking forward to it especially Incorruptible Flesh by the iconic Ron Athey. http://ronatheynews.blogspot.co.uk/

Meanwhile work continues on researching new ways of thinking about folding, collapsing, bending and expanding – maybe platonic solids are the answer... 

spillperformancechips

After a day at the record office it was off to the opening of the Spill Festival via a strange non door door – where the atmosphere was most excellent - it was good to be in a room with like minded people – sparkling wine and chips to watch a man place speakers on the floor and somehow get them to interact http://www.spillfestival.com/performance/spill-opening-night-double-bill-undisclosed-number/and then A Divine Trauma by Nicola Canavan http://www.spillfestival.com/performance/spill-opening-night-double-bill-a-divine-trauma/ truly beautiful. A woman wearing flowers attached to her with needles.

Have abandoned all and will be at everything! http://www.spillfestival.com/