benchbenchbenchbenchbenchwiththelovelypeople

a research day at Kings working on bench with the bench team! – it was a joy. I approached the day with a very loose idea of intention, way of working or a perceived outcome. I enjoy the idea of turning up in a space and making work with limited materials. The challenge is like a tradesman, a jobbing artist if you will. I had simplified the materials and activity from previous ideas. The very broad intention was to create a system or structure that would enable individuals to create a narrative. They would do this by choosing a rubber-stamp, printing it onto a piece of paper, attaching it to a wire and then continuing on the same wire, repeating the actions until they felt they had finished, creating a linear narrative. I have several revisions after watching participants operating the structure and discussing how they worked with the materials.

The work could be structurally less complex –

Instructions – there is a need to add these – they could take the form of a lab protocol.

Example - Pick 3 stamps, consider how together they could create a narrative that is of interest to you. Print onto the paper and attach them to the wire.

For clarity there could be different coloured wires, making it easier to follow the lines.

A way of attaching the prints needs to be considered. This could take the form of small clips to enable ease and flexibility. The prints could be attached anywhere on the wire.

Rethinking the work -

there could be a 2D scroll-like version made simultaneously with the 3D piece, almost creating a record of activity. 

The piece could be a large sheet of paper, a rubber-stamp is printed, a line drawn and another stamp is added until you have a complex set of interconnected lines and visual nodal points. Each participant could work on their own diagram, but it would interlink with each other’s stamps.

It would be possible to work directly onto a bench, drawing and stamping directly onto the surface or wrapping the bench in paper. The shelves would bring height and a range of levels.

whenisdeath

some notes made over the past 2 weeks…..

Bernard Stiegler – technology writer philosopher

technics - pharmakon – Greek word meaning both 'poison' and 'cure

Obvious – artists groups

Antonio Damasio – the strange order of things

Turk – man in a box fooling people

Data colonialism

Ai Alzheimer’s - data starts to relate to data rather than new information

Baroque grotesque

Territory – chaos - philosophy science art – on the margins

Disposable madness of the internet

Waler Benjamin – art in the world of mechanical reproduction

Origin and destination

Performance of ordinariness

Metatacratic legitimacy

Walking through life based on their origins

Marketing of ordinariness

Inability to function as a whole human being

When is death?

The trowel doesn’t talk

Evidence of human touch – fingerprints and manufacturing process

How is authority defined – how so you build it in the artworld

Opinions positions knowledge

Phase drawings = 3D renders of spaces

The idea of ritual = repetitive actions repetitive spaces

Bending down – genuflect.

The idea of negative archaeology

The science of architecture

Logistics of soil movement

Ministry of presence

This time includes meeting with Bench project, a day on site with the Chaplin at SZC and an open day with archaeological people – some amazing conversations and lots to think about 

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.