dualityofwork

The folding has taken a new twist – focusing on duality and creating several pieces that make interesting noises whilst being articulated. There has been a lot of ‘art looking’ this year - rethinking some of the work I saw at Venice Biennale and Documenta15 after reviewing photographs last night.  Onto music - I saw Loula Yorke playing some extraordinary electronics to a lovely crowd in what was a thoughtful evening at Spill Think Tank. Onto screens – Three Thousand years of Solitude was slow, which really didn’t change but when buying into it enabled the mind to flow with ideas and a rich conversation ensued. The Resort was a well written and clever series, although the last episode felt rushed and if you watch it, you will never go down a small hole underground, whatever the reason.

floatingfoldingfloating

Continuing to explore the shapes created through the manipulation of the structures using film. Some ‘breathing in’ as part of this month of birthday celebrations. A truly beautiful exhibition at PRIMEYARC http://originalprojects.co.uk/ The art of roller skating by Debbie Besford has great photographs and memorabilia - there is even a skating rink in the space. Testament at Goldsmith's was a little cluttered - but highlights include Jeremy Deller’s stark proposals for monuments, Elizabeth Price's piece Rendered for an unspecified statue, a dark cloth inspired by her Catholic faith and Mark Wallinger's film which centered on the mediocre mound at Marble Arch juxtaposed with random religious believers at speaker’s corner talking at each other. The narrative around Ryan Gander’s breathing cat was fascinating, at first, I thought it a spoof about the role of bureaucratic systems in education but then it was so believable that it could be nothing but real. An evening at Dance East – Mark Bruce – phantoms - the first dance accompanied by Jack White’s music was stunningly arresting, then it was followed by traditional songs accompanied by tight dancing performed within a set of almost miniature tableaux’s the first half of which was oddly satisfying as I prefer my dance to be more abstract. Onto screens – I so enjoyed the roller coaster ride that was Liquorice Pizza, it was so witty and its many many observations on our culture were beautifully crafted. Pieces of me unraveled in a disturbingly clever way.

whatif

What if the joints were at an angle? This question has sent my research around the zebra plate work off in an interesting tangent. The angles make the form behave in a seemingly more random way, the tensions within the structures feel exaggerated.  The other day a friend was playing me an important but terrible punk track from their youth, and it reminded me of School Meals – a band my French teacher at the time (1979) was in. It was a double A side Headmaster and such a spiv My copy has been lost in the midst of time - just attempted to buy back my youth only to find it would cost me £43 plus shipping – seems a lot for something that must of cost me around a quid at the time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaLjIjNMtXA&ab_channel=MusicWithoutBorders https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlpw0l_wnHA&ab_channel=Feugwtwra onto screens – Vacation Friends – you will laugh, the ‘I’ve taken hallucinogenic mushrooms’ scene is glorious. West Side Story – why? Pirates – there is a good film in there with some tightening up.

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!

foldingskies

Found the full size prototype for the work in Chelmsford – decided to play…meanwhile screens - oh dear screens – Yes Day, Coming 2 America, Bad Cupid - no no no. 

beachfolding

working on new models for the Leicester Print Works workshops, building structures that will relate to the set tasks is a challenge but fun one. Long walks. some films The Little Things – Denzel does his thing, unfortunately nobody else does and the women all appear to be dead. Booksmart – alternative values valued. Bliss – good or bad – unsure.  Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar – insane, in a good way. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3797512/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0  The Paperboy – it’s all there, not in a good way. Lupin, gloriously wry in a knowing way.

unfoldingwalksandwatching

Work in terms of engaging with students on synthetic anatomy at Kings has started, online has made the work more focused and less ‘roaming’ we will see if the experience will be as rich – for both the participants and the teaching team – so far so good. The bookness course at Leicester Print Works continues. There is some exciting work created and even more, so the conversations are positive. after listening to Historian David Olusoga on Desert Island Discs (the most excellent tracks) Fela Kuti - Zombie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qj5x6pbJMyU Bob Marley & The Wailers - You Can't Blame The Youth https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3pi-6fInng Dr. Alimantado - Just The Other Day https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ay1c_oQUVUg I thought I would check out his work  - a house through time can be watched on iplayer - excellent - check out your history and privilege https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7829950/?ref_=nm_flmg_wr_1. American utopia https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11874226/ if you love talking heads and David Byrne you will love this but even if you do not there is much to enjoy. One Night in Miami - icons meet to explore and discuss https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10612922/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0 Nomadland – truly harrowing and dysfunctional but lots to learn here Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love – dubious unless you like Leonard Cohen but great landscapes Bridgerton – good frocks in between the sex if that’s your thinghttps://www.imdb.com/title/tt9770150/ finally a desolate portrayal of Oscar Wilde by Rupert Everett in The Happy Prince. Meanwhile in between walking I have become interested in the folding narratives encountered within packaging!

foldingmodels

Time is always precious and getting time in the studio to actually make work is always a challenge due to the other stuff - workshops, projects, writing applications taking centre stage. But the last week has meant a new strand of folding, taking on board some earlier breaking of rules and thinking about transition. I now need to document how the pieces articulate and work in the hand.

meanwhile some films - The Gentlemen another outing from Guy Ritchie, more geezer action and for me Colin Farrell stands out as a coach doing the right thing (superb tracksuits). Dark Waters was a churning indictment of Capitalism's hold on the systems we trust. At the time I didn't get round to it but The Trip has it all, sun, food and acerbic wit from two middle aged men in a car. re-watched The Oceans 11, 12, 13 fun fun tricky fun, Brad and Clooney on cooky form.

articulatedtests

The break has given some time to reflect on the recent structural pieces I've been working on. Documenting them through filming enables another kind of understanding away from the haptic. 

The Lighthouse was all look at how odd we can make something and don't we know it but worth it for the soundtrack. Adam Driver was worth watching in The Report, a depressing indictment that people and whole governments can get away with bad things. Driver appeared to be acting when doing nothing in the procedural elements of the film. Uncut Gems is one long shouting experience. Long Shot is  okay-ish but just not quite funny enough and I know complaining about gross out issues in a Seth Rogan film is to miss the point but.....

articulatedhands

working on some new articulated models - a couple of test films to enable reflection on their movement. meanwhile assessment is in full flow at NUA and UAL, an interesting time where the spaces are empty of students and our focus is fully on them through their work. The Goldfinch was a little all over the place - the fractured narrative made one feel a little disconnected from the whole experience. Eaten by Lions was a quirky English film about tolerance and our lack of it. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6809094/

privilegedfolding

The folding and printing continues...with a view to thinking about editioning.

A day out in Newmarket to take part in garden of curious A'MUSE'ment - a project set up by http://www.unbosi.org/  - it was a kind of immersive interactive theatre piece - if you have young children I recommend getting to see one of their events - while there I dropped into The National Heritage Centre for Horseracing and Sporting Art.

https://www.palacehousenewmarket.co.uk/  which was really intriguing - alongside the really interesting objects connected to the sport of racing they have real horses which you can stroke, which was cool. The art collection does document the wealthy, privileged and questionable activity of the horse racing fraternity through the ages. Meanwhile a link to the Pattern and Chaos research page at Norwich University of the Arts  https://www.nuapatternandchaos.com/  - recently uploaded my answers to a set of questions -

Les describes his  practice and research as‘…searching for opportunities to be in a place of not knowing’ Les sees Pattern and Chaos as‘…finding the overwhelmingly extraordinary in the seemingly ordinary’ Les ‘s next big idea is‘…combining the experience of working in the crystallography department in the Department of Materials Science & Metallurgy, Cambridge with what was learnt in synthetic anatomy at Kings, London to create public artwork for a housing estate in Chelmsford with Essex CC and inspire a series of handheld bookworks – it’s all about folding’ There is a symposium coming up and the line-up looks interesting and worth checking out.

so now to some films - do not watch the self indulgent possibly dubious (choose your ism) Lost in London - Woody Harrelson - the technical issue of one take is not interesting enough and apart from a 7 minute segment where Woody riffs with Owen Wilson which is funny it is bad. Meanwhile Orange is the New Black is just too oppressive, maybe it always was. I quite enjoyed The Giver - although a lot of the ideas are retreads from previous sci-fi tropes and actual films but it does look good.

foldfoldandfoldagain

another great day at Camberwell - it's that time of year within the College calendar when all is possible. A folding workshop focusing on exploring the structure of book - what more could one ask for - folding paper with thoughtful people all morning! Then a presentation exploring the possibility of book through the lenses of bookness, https://www.slideshare.net/l.bicknell/001-a-what-is-book-bookness-2016 a concept I first came across whilst in dialogue with the wonderful Ivor Robinson. 
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/10750258/Ivor-Robinson.html

I was helping to write the document that was to become the MA Book Art Course at Camberwell with Alex Lumley and I came across a book art module that Ivor had been running in Oxford Poly which allowed students to explore the possibility of book. He was wonderfully generous and incredibly supportive in helping to develop my thinking around the building of a course and it goes without saying sowing the seeds of my understanding of what was possible with the book. The concept of bookness was just my thing, I enjoyed the slippage of language - the space between things - not quite book but maybe more so - the essence of book..... and I have talked about it and built a career around it since then, 1990 seems a long time ago. I really enjoy coming across its use, that it is now a thing and has becoming its own idea for people to make of it what it is for them. Even though Ivor was a binder of the highest quality I am sure he would love this spreading of the word where the book is only limited by the imagination. 

foldingandfinding

continuing to extend the idea of nets, crystals and systems. A visit to look at the potential of a plasma cutter at http://www.steelsculptures.co.uk/ has led to thoughts of combining the nets with tessellated patterns. The pieces would be a combination of both geometric art piece and seating - shadows have great potential - aesthetically pleasing and useful! Meanwhile collating distances to everywhere from Chelmsford. The signpost/distance idea is fairly straightforward but rather than buying actual signs they could be cut and galvanised to last forever. I love the idea that everyday the individual looking at the posts will consider their physical place in the world, connecting and joining them to others.