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.