whenworldscollide

Don’t you just love Photoshop! – in between teaching at nua I have had a week of photo editing in the studio, working with photographs I took last week of the articulated structures. Exploring how the sculptures could become a visual intervention alongside the physical one, thinking of them as tools for resistance or/and engagement. The images look towards documenting a private moment of meditation/mediation, an accidental ritual where techno meets nature. Meanwhile if you like your films full of revenge for wrong doings, a dash of mid-life crisis with a touch of The Transporter, John Wick and finally a glorious segment celebrating Home Alone then the film Nobody is for you. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7888964/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0  Thinking of moving into the world of fashion? – check out Halston on Netflix for your road map, don’t know who he is – listen to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDwutKpVyas

newworkroadtrip

New work - after time in the studio. Works that initially explored the space that the structured bookworks I make for the hand. Having found that I have fixed them in time by their solid state I have been looking at re-exploring the element of time through the layers on their surfaces I add and take away. A surprise trip to Wiltshire to check out the set up Messums have in that part of the world, exciting to be on a road trip in a new place to see their great spaces. https://messumswiltshire.com/ Meanwhile walks around my own house are full of the joys of Spring.

cleaningandorganising

After repainting and cleaning the studio, it was time to use it to set up a photo studio to document the recent work. They are all about initially creating a space, thinking about volume, whilst also looking a surface. Painting, repainting the shapes with a variety of materials from paint and varnish to gorilla glue and plaster and then sanding to reveal the layers. Textile students had a photo shoot last week, documenting work for this year’s on-line degree show. I took along a folded structure to have a bit of fun…….Some screens – I blame society – no. we are who we are – no. Ammonite – yes https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7983894/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0 Black Bear – the wonderfully clever meta narratives will make you think https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9601220/. After watching Babylon Berlin a series centred on the post WW1 Berlin scene it’s interesting to think about the many parallels with today. The rise of nationalism, corrupt politics, runaway capitalism, add in Covid, and the post Brexit vote/landscape - are we heading into the cycle that is roaring 20s and everything that follows? Searching for a series – so far it’s a no to Salvation and Big Sky.

workinginstudio

Spending time in the studio – working on the surfaces of some structural sculptural pieces. Their starting point was an agreement to be part of Firstlight Bird Box project but/and/so this input has taken the practice into interesting places.

linkingthebooksthroughbookness

I was invited to be part of a book art project where a chain of curators chooses artists books. Each person selects a book in response to the previous person's choice - here is a link. https://www.instagram.com/respondproject/ I followed Imi Maufe, http://www.imimaufe.com/ It was my turn today – I chose The Performing Book by Janine Harrington, first seen in 2010. my text for the project is -  When looking at Imi Maufe’s response I was struck by the concept of rules and the act of subverting a system - so I thought I would continue that theme. It seems pertinent in these times to present a bookwork that you cannot touch, made up of people you can only stand near to. You do not touch this bookwork but activate it by engaging your body, recognising, and considering your own physicality. Proximity and interaction control the order and duration of the pages/dancers, spaces in time. You initially encounter a static line of people, as you move past the dancers/pages each performs a set movement – your role as audience/reader/participant is not passive, initially as a reader/viewer you become a participant/performer, interacting with the book, and developing relationships with the dance. The interrelationships and roles explored in the work are rich and multi-faceted. Janine explains the ideas behind the piece in a video created on the London Millennium Footbridge (bit.ly/the-bridge-janine) but I first saw the work at an MA Book Art Degree Show at Camberwell in 2010 (bit.ly/camberwell-janine) where I was struck by Janine’s inventiveness when it came to exploring the potential of the book. Stretching the idea of bookness. It is important to acknowledge the dancers as each performance is re-devised - Vanessa Abreu, Alexandra Baybutt, Paola di Bella, Katja Nyqvist, Lizzie Sells, Rosalie Walhfrid, Luke Birch, Anaïs Bouts, Mark Carberry, Iris Chan, Katharin Cooper, Hayley Durward, Andrew Graham, Janine Harrington, Alexandrina Hemsley, Katie Keeble, Lena Kimming, Laura Lee, Katja Nyqvist, Alice Mackenzie, Stephanie McMann, Heloise O’Donohue Lucie Sheppard, Alice Sunderland, Susan Sentler, Eleanor Sikorski, Lena Kimming, Alice Mackenzie, Christopher Matthews, Stella Papi & Elisa Vassena. You can find more about Janine’s practice https://www.janineharrington.com/ Screensaver Series and 10 Minutes are also worth checking out. Meanwhile screens – Undine https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11617052/ fantasy, myth, and reality clash. The Life Ahead https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10627584/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0 personal stories telling universal tales. Antoinette dans les Cévennes https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11013434/ Intense, bizarre and oddballish. @respondproject/  #BABE2021 #bookart #books #curate #artistsbooks #bookness #BABEartistsbooksRESPOND

newworks

http://les-recent-work.blogspot.com/2021/04/laboratory-choreography.html I have been updating my ‘recent work’ site - the books are called - nano, glove box, golden hands, magic. All the books are in an edition of 5. There are 8 photographic images within a concertina structure. 23cm x 11cm closed, 160cm open. The folded articulated structures are derived from 'laboratory choreography'. While artist in residence at Nano DTC in Cambridge I observed scientists attempting to communicate complex scientific concepts through hand gestures within the laboratory. The structures document the movements and enable the holder to recreate them. They are £12:00 each.

busybusybusy

Wood-Sun-Stone - Friends of Roger Ackling, a Group exhibition and presentation of the book ROGER ACKLING - OÙ POINT L'INVISIBLE by Lydie Rekow-Fon. I had a couple of pieces in this – I can remember a conversation with Roger about locating where the work was and maybe the smoke was the work, rather than the glorious wooden pieces. This has stayed with me and informs my own practice every time I think I’m making work. The studio is full of large scale folded structures waiting for a day of sun and no wind to be able to make some videos of the articulated pieces. Meanwhile another strand of work is looking at reflections - the work is both there and not there! Looking forward to being part of RESPOND - what will I receive? – how will I respond? @essencepress #BABEartistsbooksRESPOND. Just came across me sounding vaguely coherent and supportive of the use of architects in the architectural process - https://www.ribasuffolk.com/why-to-employ-an-architect check out those sideburns. Onto screens - Mollys Game – there is an interesting film in there but a little disjointed, Babylon Berlin – looks great but I think we know where this ends up. Lockdown – some great performances but….  Mitchelle and Webb, Back – not quite Peep Show!