newworks

http://les-recent-work.blogspot.com/2021/04/laboratory-choreography.html I have been updating my ‘recent work’ site - the books are called - nano, glove box, golden hands, magic. All the books are in an edition of 5. There are 8 photographic images within a concertina structure. 23cm x 11cm closed, 160cm open. The folded articulated structures are derived from 'laboratory choreography'. While artist in residence at Nano DTC in Cambridge I observed scientists attempting to communicate complex scientific concepts through hand gestures within the laboratory. The structures document the movements and enable the holder to recreate them. They are £12:00 each.

endsandpossiblebeginnings

the workshop at The Maxwell around problem solving for the new cohort of PhD Nanotechnology students went well - I know this mainly because people laughed at my jokes! What was fascinating was the initial reaction that I had moved the tables from the usual configuration was the most challenging experience for the students - listening to a coat hanger and collaborating and laterally explaining what was in the bag through mime (you had to be there) were the least problematic issues. As ever it felt glorious to be in such a dynamic space with galvanised people - you can almost feel the creativity. I also took down all the exhibitions that were in the various spaces (apart from the prints that were created as a result of encountering crystallography that are a permanent feature within the corridors of metallurgy).

Meanwhile the work for Chelmsford is up and opened - I couldn't be at the ceremony but I do have a photograph - more to come when I visit the site. Can't wait for tonight's Spill opening and the weekend of performance Sirens calling......

outcomesfromincomes

How small is nano? Was a question I was constantly asked when working at The Maxwell Centre in Cambridge. The answer was always contextualised with something from the real world as nano scale is almost beyond comprehension. This was usually human hair which is approximately 100,000 nanometers wide. As a reminder of this fact I grew my hair for the duration of the project. It is now over and I am left with a giant hair ball which in some ways explores the idea of scale. There were many outcomes from the project including a number of artists books. It was really great that Sarah Bodman chose using a known to make an unknown to be in her top ten artist books of the year - thank you.  https://www.a-n.co.uk/news/artists-books-2017-10-best-noise-alphabet-rearranged-romance

The Synthetic anatomy project at Kings is moving along - lots of thoughts around reflective thinking and how to support individuals who don't supposedly engage in the process. The aim is to develop the skills needed to create a reflective journal as part of a 'changing classrooms' initiative. But most individuals engage in the act of reflection when making choices based on experience so the challenge shouldn't be too great.

Finally looking at the range of upcoming booked leisure activities in the diary - The Berlin Art Biennale, tickets to flight of the conchords at the O2 and Titus Andronicus at The Barbican and then the glorious pantomime at The Wolsey in Ipswich, this year Red riding hood....nothing but eclectic.

castingawaynegativespace

I spent the afternoon yesterday at the studio of sculptor Laurence Edwards casting negative space - it's a great place to think and my time there allowed me the opportunity to play with 'traditional' materials - it was really nice to be around like minded people and have the stuff of stuff lying around to allow space to reflect on the nano project. https://unfoldingthinking.blogspot.co.uk/ Laurence's work is becoming monumental with lots of technical issues to be solved which I like watching, you can feel solutions in the air, the space is all about process. http://www.laurenceedwardssculpture.com/

oneexhibitionandsomefilmsaabookandsomegoodnews

101 panels the exhibition at Halesworth Gallery looks good - it's a really nice idea created by Paul Cope working within given parameters to test and bring together 100 people.  http://www.paulcope.com/100_Sq_Ft/  Bastille Day http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2368619/ is an ok serviceable thriller which was all a little too trite in tone for the content it presented. Daniel Radcliffe conveys suitable vulnerability undercover in Imperium but it feels like there is a gap or emptiness at the films core that is trying to be something but not quite reaching - the endless multiple images of neo-Nazi, clan etc is part of the answer/solution. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4781612/ and then there is now you see me 2 - my excuse is that it was raining. Big Ideas by James Harkin from 2008 it's a little out of date - it's a way in to understand some fairly recent words created from 2 or more concepts which are combined to embody elements of each idea - something I love. my favourite is slacktivism (see it is a little dated). the good news is that a grant application to the Arts Council has been successful  - this matched with support from the Maxwell Centre NanoDTC and NUA means that I will be working with very very small things in a very big way over the next year.....really looking forward to it all, especially sitting in the great spaces in the building! check out http://unfoldingthinking.blogspot.co.uk/ in the coming months. 

workworkworkteachwatch

lots of teaching this week from briefings about the final show with year 3 textile students at NUA (yes its already that time of year) to a wonderfully intense midterm collaborative session looking at finished work at Camberwell on the Book Art course. As ever it was full of exciting, thoughtful and insightful comments - it's a session where the maker takes notes but does not speak, the work standing on its own without contextual background to support it - a positive experience for the students and one that supports and informs my own practice. Then a session on lateral thinking with year 1 students at NUA it's an attempt to induce a recognition within students that they are creative powerful people.......creative thinking within the visual - we control the world - or at least how it looks.

some films - kill or be killed - a psychological cowbody thriller - odd, dark and gritty. midnight man - is there a twist there somewhere? just bad on so many levels. The Reunion - Atertraffen is worth a watch - an 'art film' in the guise of a 'mainstream' one maybe. After all this okayishness decided to re-watched the game - still good even after repeated viewing and even knowing where it will take you - a taught thriller twisting and turning till the end (almost).

still moving through girls - it gets darker as it moves on - just as everything seems to be resolved and working and generally okay for the case of characters the situation is destroyed by the need for a well chosen chunk of 'truth'! - a break from the 'reality' of New York life is the night manager a 6 part twisting thriller from John le Carré via the BBC with all its values intact.

finally - working on which pieces will be on display as part of the Maxwell Building Inaugural Event, which will take place on the 7-9 of April. I'm showing the film nanocapesarego which demonstrates some of the capes and the materials filmed that were used to make the them. Hopefully alongside this I'll show a couple of the experimental bookwork hand sculptures - I have so many to choose from, as ever I got excited and just kept making.

newcapenanonew

another cape video - the possibilites are endless - so here is the last cape video (for the moment).

nanocapeandhistory

The film has become nano cape - its the first iteration that includes
some of the ideas that have informed the ideas that led up to the designs on
the capes - the google sketch up work, film from castle museum in Norwich residency,
and live film of the lazer cut textiles from the Summer. Meanwhile its
assessment time at NUA with presentations and rooms of work to look at - the potential
for wonderfulness is all around - it will be interesting to see what the next coming
months bring. A film to watch but not if you're feeling squeamish. The Revenant is a truly beautifully brutal
film - hours of grunting, sweat, blood, dirt, cold and snow alongside the force
of nature accompanied by a soundtrack that becomes a main character in the
action.

capecapecapefilm

the first draft - first rough draft / layer of latest video. cape imagery created from work with nano scientists in Cambridge.  Images - Les Bicknell and Bob Bicknell Knight. film created from still images. models Jim, Evie, Bob and Jayne.