meaninglesswarfolding

well after the appalling corporate meaningless non thing that was the ticketed torch party in the park it was a joy to walk down to Ipswich town hall and enter the world of http://www.switchfringe.co.uk/ the fire night was an alternative – and it was - ypsmael http://ypsmael.com/ and tonesucker http://www.onoma.co.uk/tonesucker.html    were highlights. tonesucker felt like all-out music as war – most excellent.

the event in the park really was bad – i am struggling to remember something so insidious. it was devoid of anything meaningful - this was apart from the interventions of real people presenting real experiences – Aldeburgh music and Dance east – this session stood out as having something to say about or at least connect to Olympic ideals - how is it possible to get something so wrong?

anyway today is all about digital folding - I have managed to secure TESS funding from nuca to support smocking is evil research and I’m working on the images for the windows for the imago gallery show in September.

symposiumchair

a day at home after a lot of meetings, workshops and teaching. Some highlights were Matthew Bourne at Ipswich – the show is a touring triple bill of acclaimed early works celebrating 25 years of the companies work. Spitfire is very very funny even after all this time – there is a moment in the Town element of Town and Country where a potential lover expresses his angst – chillingly awe inspiring – for me the infernal gallop is too close to a west end musical but even in this there is a wonderful element when the dancers fall into a repetitive sequence that takes your breath away – if you get the chance - http://www.danceeast.co.uk/whats-on/592/New-Adventures-presents-Matthew-Bournes-Early-Adventures/   

symposium 2 at Camberwell was a truly positive day – comprising the work of students on the book art course – my job is to chair and give an overview and to enjoy the presentations, which I did. It was excellent to see the journey they had been on, the engagement with the teaching on the course and a general air of academic professionalism. Discussion ranged from the book as a transitional object, controlling the means of production, the role of audience in the work of artists, the seduction of consumption, consumerism and capitalism and possible alternatives. I am looking forward to a possible show-reel of artists who work with the book but who have also worked with moving image, either as final pieces or in the research towards an understanding of practice.

the printing for bookmare came from the printers, really pleased with it - the folding starts here, only 499 to go. http://www.camberwell.arts.ac.uk/camberwellspace/futureexhibitions/bookmare/

tonight its doctor who with punchdrunk in Ipswich http://www.ip-art.com/what's-on/the-crash-of-the-elysium.aspx and sunday is orford ness with  commissions east http://www.commissionseast.org.uk/html/casestudies/Untrue_Island/Untrue_Island_about.htm working my way slowly to latitude via creative carers and tutorials at nuca – who said the summer was quiet? 

finalshowprintandtrip

The private view at nuca last night was a full affair – with some interesting work on display http://www.nuca.ac.uk/thegallery/badegreeshows the textiles are represented well by the web site designed by year two design students Mike and Adam – check out their site and the work of textile students at http://www.nucatextiles.co.uk/ or go to norwich to see the work.

The bookmare design for print is finished and a visit to the printers on thur will be added to the itinerary during a trip to London with MA Textile Design students from nuca for new designers and the RCA. http://www.camberwell.arts.ac.uk/camberwellspace/futureexhibitions/bookmare/

creativeimputandout

after two days of creative input it's nice to sit and reflect in all that I've seen and heard.
the RCA show at Battersea was excellent with some exciting, creative ways of solving problems in test bed 1 and 2 - http://show2012.rca.ac.uk/ I was especially drawn to the work of Shing Tat Chung www.asuperstitiousfund.com also there needs to be a mention of the catalogue for printmaking - a deconstruction of the book with textual thinking - only £7 and finally the photography of James Smith www.j-smith.co.uk Chelsea College has strong textiles and graphics as usual - another highlight of the day was Yoko Ono at the serpentine gallery - http://www.serpentinegallery.org/ the idea that we-are-all-the-same-and-we-need-to-get-on is something she has been working on forever and this way of thinking continues in this show - make sure that you check out the temporary pavilion - a great idea that rethinks the space. http://www.serpentinegallery.org/2012/02/serpentine_gallery_pavilion_2012.html The Aldeburgh festival had a day of John Cage - the wonderful Exaudi http://www.exaudi.org.uk/ had a morning session housed at the Hoffman Building where 30ish Cage scores were presented at the same time and the audience walked around the building finding and engaging with the sound – excellent - later on at the pump house a smaller set of Cage pieces - my favourite being a new piece by John Weeks that involved mikeing up cardboard boxes and drawing with charcoal and interpreting the quality of the line with the voice. and they also performed the ever charming radio music.

instructiveandentertaining

a weekend of Ulysses from the BBC was complimented by going to see/hear Ulysses the musical! at the Pump House as part of the Aldeburgh Festival http://www.aldeburgh.co.uk/pumphouse12_4. Led by Robin Brookes http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00tr2j6 the person behind the adaption for the BBC – it looked at the music and songs referenced in the book – instructive and entertaining – what more could you want?

bookmere continues with the design of a paper structure that combines book/poster/leaflet. The paper i am giving has developed to look at revelation and testimony within the work that I do.

artisthecentreoftheworld

last night I gave an illustrated talk at the Private View of the Level 3 & Level 4 Diploma in Foundation Studies Art, Design & Media at Wensum Lodge in Norwich. http://www.slideshare.net/l.bicknell/presentation-to-wensum-lodge when asked by Nicola Naismith www.nicolanaismith.co.uk  I thought that it would be relevant and interesting to think about the role of art, artists and creativity in society - both for the young people embarking on their lives and the parents and carers who support them. The show is excellent with a wide range of quality work – a wonderful slice of old school art college activity – go and see - http://www.norfolk.gov.uk/Leisure_and_culture/Adult_education/Types_of_courses/Courses_for_learners_16-18/NCC086964

more work on the bookmare for Camberwell has led me to Hans Holbein’s dance of death alphabet http://www.dodedans.com/Eholbeinalf.htm

psychogeographicbookmare

i’ve been invited to exhibit recent work and present a paper at the 1^st bookmare – an event developed for the Camberwell space out of the postgraduate research program.

My research for this proposal has been around book arts relationship to skill and making, alongside reflecting on my personal connection to concepts such as testimony and revelation within a book art practice, specifically how this has been informed by my early psychogeographic history.

A visit to snap yesterday, an exhibition of contemporary art at snape maltings - it was a great opportunity to look at spaces that aren’t usually accessible.