andthepointofrecyclingis....

recycling - I know - if we all do our bit we will in some way save the world - but..... the aftermath of Latitude is a depressing place, although working with RAW to collect materials to work with on a project felt that maybe it was ok.  no.............................. it was quite sad.

mainstreamsuspicionsandsometransendance

well Latitude ....some extraordinary moments - starting with - Stand up for back up tape - Ross Sutherlands tightly constructed piece about his grandfather was a form of time travel moving  and clever enabling you have another way of thinking about possible messages in the everyday. http://www.rosssutherland.co.uk/main/currently-touring/standby-for-tape-backup

Jemima Foxtrots weaving of spoken words with singing voice transported you through time and space mixing the ancient with modern https://jemimafoxtrot.wordpress.com/

Anne Bean http://www.annebean.net/home created with her people sounds with almost primeval magic that linked me to a set by Max Cooper which was accompanied by incredible visuals that were about the very beginnings of life https://vimeo.com/98435385 https://vimeo.com/113036062 https://vimeo.com/126355970

Mike Figgis telling it like it is - his thoughts on the culture of the everyday with the mediocre in charge chimed well with Gary Indiana's slot in the truly magnificent Station to Station - section 41 the devil of our age where he talks of his suspicion of normal people - they are all liars and complicit to be able to exist in the systems that have been constructed in their likeness that we have to live in - they constrict creativity by their looks and questions, controlled by their own fear they stomp out life - sound familiar? http://stationtostation.com/ here's a link to a recent show of his - http://www.vice.com/read/gary-indiana-has-a-new-show

John Hopkins set was knob twiddling at its zenith - managed to be at the front to get the full bass effect - open eye signal https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q04ILDXe3QE was grindingly endless and the digital hoola women were great. But if you want an experience with sound try to get to see the heroic this machine won't kill fascists but it might get you laid by the thoughtful, serious and I believe quite marvellous Christopher Brett Bailey who is rapidly becoming somebody who I think is essential in my creative landscape. http://christopherbrettbailey.com/this-machine-wont-kill-fascists-but-it-might-get-you-laid/

Obviously lots of other stuff drifts in and out - I seem to gravitate away from the corporate industry of the monolithic indie music establishment  through the need for a more  connected experience in the intimate surroundings of the cabaret tent - Dickie Beau and the Duckie crowd and the far away forest with the forest fringe, live art development agency and the little house. There is a sense of sincerity that you feel that makes one feel humble - two to look out for - the wardrobe ensemble 1972 the future of sex http://www.thewardrobeensemble.com/ and unstable king with game - two pieces of theatre by young people - there is hope...

finally if you want to have a huge thinking cry get to see fake it till you make it by Bryony Kimmings (always brilliant I'm still laughing and maybe more importantly thinking from my last encounter credible likeable superstar role model) and Tim Grayburn - men and mental health and a short film called Mute where the worlds population find their voice in an unconventional way....... 

frightenlysmallworlds

The latest interdisciplinary project with scientists is upon me. I'm working with nanotechnology within the Cavendish laboratory which is within the Department of Physics at the University of Cambridge.
An extraordinary afternoon of discussion - it was a joy to be in a room of bright, inquisitive, interesting people. The bonus was that they are also interested in and value what I do and think that they might learn from my presence in their lives - sounds a bit like a good learning/teaching experience.
I said that my intention for the project was that I wanted to be lost, to not know, and to fail gloriously. This was taken on board by the fellow members of my group and it will become a starting point for me. I managed to articulate this idea - that In some way I want the collaborative experience to deliver new (to me) ways of working and I hope that the people I am about to work with will contain and exacerbate my confusion, that their focused intention will bring some form of clarity to my studio.
We are going to meet and exchange in Cambridge - actually engaging in 2 experiments - something about clean rooms, electron microscopes and wave particles and then a sharing of the folding I'm involved in after a mini workshop of the history of book structures leading to hybrid combination binding and then an exploration of the multi-functional, folded, structurally articulated objects I'm working on in my studio.
As ever I started with the small question - how big is an electron? - apparently nobody knows (who knew) and yet much of our world is dependant on believing in it's existence. I'm excited to be working with people who are reforming and attempting to fold material at a 'frightening small scale' and the other project is attempting to use the waves that vibrate from everything as a source of energy - at this point I revert to science fiction and talk about Darth Vada, the death star and the dark image of evil science. I go on to ask if they are working with actual things they can see or is it evidence of existence (its exciting how much of my discussions with scientists get to philosophical thinking much quicker that my 'art' people - but what does science look like? - the idea of 'the science of looking' got me thinking about the Eye and Brain by R.L. Gregory, a book that as a student clarified my thinking around this subject. The agreement that the mainstream is as wrong and as mediocre on its coverage of science as it is on the arts felt like coming home. Other topics include the need for failure along with transgression in our lives to learn and the testing of boundaries to move forward - all good practice as far as I'm concerned.
I left full of optimism and excited to get back to my studio.
Some things for me to think about - our use of and engagement with rules - mainly through materials - us controlling them and the materials containing us and our ideas. Is this different for art and science? Yes and no - I feel that I can just change the rules as I change the work and intention - this is different within the design work I'm engaged in where there is a set brief that has specific material needs and roles for the work. The idea of the live hinge and its relationship to nanotechnology through the idea of molecular alignment. I shall be trying to not answer any questions just explore them 

newwaysofthinking

Assessments are all over and all is well - the postgraduate exhibition at Camberwell for the Book Art MA will be excellent – there is some stunning work and the show looks good if I say so myself. It’s full of challenging, contemporary anarchic work. Every year I am stunned by the inventive ways the students explore the idea of the book, its properties and the very bookness of the book and this year is no exception, in fact there are some stunning examples where genuinely new ideas are explored.

Working on my thoughts for what I want from the experience of working with scientists at The Cambridge Nanoscience and Nanotechnology doctoral training centre (NanoDTC) over the summer. I think as ever when collaboration is on the table the obvious thing is the sharing of methodology, access to new ways of thinking and new materials but really for me it’s to be surprised and challenged – to not know – to be a little lost and maybe fail a little if not gloriously. We shall see.

Working with RAW and Lavish at latitude this year – looking at recycling, rethinking, re purposing and up-cycling abandoned materials – it will be fun – and then there’s the festival itself – the 10^th anniversary – I’ve attended all of them and there have been some awesome moments – for me its become a little dull with very few things on the ‘i-must-get-to-see-that’ list but maybe something will catch my eye (maybe the LADA sessions on Friday night) – it was interesting to go on site and stand where the sunrise arena will be before its built – the glade it sits in is so sweet – somebody had a great vision when they thought of transforming the space.

jigglejigglejiggle

Working on the lazer cutter – developing my skills with illustrator and the odd software that's attached to the cutter – really pleased with the results but have become fascinated with the compressor!

lookinghangingfacilitatingthefolding

okay – a day at new designers – as ever it’s a full-on experience that takes its toll on both the mind and sole (yes aching feet is a large part of the equation). But I had some interesting conversations and was able to steer some of them towards students. As ever on display there is the good, the bad and the indifferent but its a manageable experience size wise and you are able to take in ‘the best of textile graduates’ in what could be a long morning. Although the jewellery area is fascinating, and the jewellery that explores the idea of jewellery is always interesting. A day in London to see graduation shows - Chelsea and Royal College Shows is a long day, although it’s worth it to see such see so much extraordinary optimism. Chelsea Fine Art is chaotic and exciting and the constructed work within the textiles show makes one want to get back to the studio. Ideas are free flowing through some great making at the Royal College where the finish in the making is exceptional and its then executed within the final hang so that even work that one finds not interesting is trusted as having integrity.

This week when not looking at, hanging or facilitating the work of others I’ve been working on some new folds – looking at the grid and seeing what can happen with one sheet.

Next week is all about the hang at Camberwell and the Private views at Norwich http://www.nua.ac.uk/visit/degreeshows/ The Book Art students have posted on the Camberwell blog about the catalogue they have created – check it out here. http://blogs.arts.ac.uk/camberwell/2015/06/24/book-is/#more-10159

hanginglookingandlookingforward

How do you manage to make dinosaurs boring? Well Jurassic World has managed just that – dull dull dull and oddly it has a number of misjudged moments of violence towards women which I found unnecessary. Meanwhile if you are in the area the barkcloth show at the British museum is quite gorgeous – tucked away in room 91 it shows a wide range of approaches to the making of cloth from bark along with some startling graphic designs - as a bonus you get to walk past the mummies on the way there and make exciting connections between the two displays. The image of how the chief of the Nadrau Tui Nadrau wrapped the cloth around him so that with one pull it could all be removed and presented to a visitor was wonderfully odd. http://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/exhibitions/shifting_patterns.aspx

The Agnes Martin at The Tate is quite sublime – room 5 has a number of large grid paintings – they talk of duality – inside outside, freedom restraint, closed open, random order. The room of drawings on paper gives you an insight into the process of conceiving these pieces – its a must see show. http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/exhibition/agnes-martin

The Norwich Textile design course has a stand at New Designers again this year – spent most of Monday building it - I left it looking very clean and structured – it will be interesting to see it with the students work in/on/around it when I have a stint manning it on Thursday. The students on the MA Book Art Course are in their last week of developing  work before we hang it next week for their graduation show. It was good to be in the space with a tape measure and begin to see how the pieces made by individuals become a collective joint show.........hopefully!