foldingthinkingandseriousfun

You don’t need eyes to see you need vision - Maxi Priest - Reverence - Faithless. 

Two cracking shows – whilst working on the Art, Design and the Book MA at Colchester Institute I managed to see the latest exhibit at Firstsite - an all encompassing roaming show of Bruce Mcleans work http://www.firstsite.uk.net/page/bruce-mclean-sculpture-painting-photography-film – some great pieces, both historic and contemporary – the only shame is that the exhibit of artists books is behind glass and I guess I would of liked more videos. The show at the Minories is a body of a life’s thinking – packed with moments of small events closely observed by Terry Bond both funny and serious – serious fun, it’s full of wry observations and beautiful connections that will make you see the world in a new light. http://www.colchester.ac.uk/art/minories/exhibitions/neighbourhood-watch

The work at Colchester focused on a day workshop around design, imposition and narrative with specific reference to the book – a good day with some exciting insights brought to the table by the students. The presentation - http://www.slideshare.net/l.bicknell/colchester-narrative-design-imposition-18-06-2014

Meanwhile I am working on the final touches for Cley14 and still considering the body of work for the show in France – really pleased with both – they are at different ends of a spectrum one experimental, ephemeral and unsure of its final format – the other solid, historical and more focused. 

optionsarebeinginvestigated

I love the idea of - options are being investigated. sign found in Colchester - and another boarded up space from the Yarmouth visit.

A long weekend with a chance to catch up with some films – Star Trek into darkness in 3D was loud and fast but/and I found the 3D a distraction with hyper focused elements sandwiched between the blurred and the out of focus. I'm beginning to sound like the wonderful Mark Kermode. I spent most of the time looking at the representation of material within the film - some excellent fabrics and the protective suit Spock wears is marvellous, Sightseers was disturbing and wonderfully odd. The lack of empathy and random violence within places I have visited added to the general unsettling tone. Gojoe - a Samurai film which explores the idea of pacifism and Buddhism with a supernatural flavour, and finally managed to catch up with Woman in Black but felt it was dull, obvious and generally made up of horror/supernatural clichés.

A day at Camberwell - mid-year part-time - discussing work within a group whilst the maker observes the rest of the group - a sobering experience and not for the faint hearted as your work is discussed often within a context or framework that you had not considered. The afternoon was a 'finishedness' whole group workshop - attempting to create an equation/diagram for a finished piece of work - impossible yet the point is the conversations that lead you to a conclusion. http://www.slideshare.net/l.bicknell/finishedness-2013

The exhibition at Smiths Row in Bury St Edmunds - the Suffolk Showcase has a range of interesting work - worth the time to drop in when you are in the area. http://www.smithsrow.org/index.php/exhibitions/archive_details/suffolk_showcase/
Working at Colchester Institute with post-grad Design and the Book students running a workshop around creating artist's texts. Being in the Minories was fabulous – an old school experience of art education – as a visiting lecturer I had no responsibility or paperwork just art, ideas, thinking and talking. http://www.slideshare.net/l.bicknell/colchester-presentation-2013-22132222 The show downstairs in the exhibition space is most excellent – Keith Albarn – a dizzying experience of pattern, system and structure eventually leading to philosophy – inspirational. http://www.colchester.ac.uk/art/minories/event/pattern-and-belief