teachingasgaming

my headphones have arrived and I can't wait for my next session with OCA so I can show them off, I mean use them and be more effective in my online teaching. I've been chosen to be profiled in the new publicity - really proud. Also working on a catalogue text for Debjani Bhardwaj's upcoming show at Tashkeel as part of The Critical Practice Program. I am thinking about moments of creative activity. So far the title is observing a gap and filling it with connections - Where does creativity come from and where does one go to encounter it? http://tashkeel.org/projects/critical-practice-programme-2017-18

At the moment evenings have been spent failing to engage in a worthwhile series all have been abandoned - we have the unpleasant Westworld, the truly dull Lost in Space, the 2nd series of Money Heist which is unravelling veeeeeeerrry slowly, the 2nd series of Scorpion which is fully engaged with the jumping the shark concept. films include the gloriously uncomfortable spinning man http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5616294/ the joyous Paddington 2 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4468740/?ref_=nv_sr_1 and the stunningly brutal Hostiles http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5478478/?ref_=nv_sr_1  meanwhile Lena Wurzs an ex student from Camberwell Book Art MA has been in residence at London Centre for Book Arts - check out her blog

http://blogs.arts.ac.uk/camberwell/2018/03/07/ma-book-arts-graduate-lena-wurzs-residency-at-london-centre-for-book-arts/ and two more Alumni's Fox Irving https://foxirving.com/ & Katarina Kelsey https://www.katarinakelsey.co.uk/ have their commission for 4:3 / 16:9 http://www.kingsgateworkshops.org.uk/43-billboard already looking forward to it.

finallygottogotoaTransmissionparty#inapopsong

It's that time of year in the 'art school calendar' when final year shows are being conceived and that means the organisation that supports the students kicks in - which is where I come in.

Just returned from Glasgow International http://glasgowinternational.org/ which was a whirl of art and parties - some interesting work and some interesting spaces - sometimes those two things came together - sometimes the space was truly awesome - highlights for me have to be Urs Fisher's mechanical snails, Sol Le Witts black boxes under a magnificent skylight, Augustas Serapinas's piece blue pen at David Dale Gallery - I loved the highly specific story (whether true of not) that informed its making, it was just pitch perfect, Mark Lecky at Tramway rethinking thinking and Corin Sworn had created an interesting movement work within the space and showed the video of the work in the altered space....wonderful.

Just finished reading - Do no harm by Henry Marsh https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/mar/30/do-no-harm-stories-brain-surgery-review-henry-marsh it will blow you away with his honesty - what is it to be a neurosurgeon? - a 5% failure rate is okay for us but for a patient its 100% fatal.

astitchintime

a busy week of planning and some making day as part of making day at OCA - stitching line pattern and chaos - the front and of course the back (as ever) some films - a rethinking the hardboiled detective with Proud Mary - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt6421110/?ref_=nv_sr_1 and then there is the truly extraordinary you were never really here - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5742374/ it is a must see. Meanwhile looking forward to Glasgow International - the planning is well underway http://glasgowinternational.org/

studiothoughtsandcollectingforanaudit

Getting reading for a making day as part of OCA - it's a first for me and am excited to be a part of it. I'm in the process of creating a form of audit of things I am interested in exploring in readiness. Sort of evaluating or just trying to look at the last few projects and pick up threads that I didn't fully explore that still interest me....see what's on the table in the studio.

spent yesterday reading a number of texts - this one springs into my head today.... Evidence was brought that “what is called ‘news’ is always an anti-social and disturbing act; that ‘news’ consists, as to ninety percent, of the records of human misfortunes, unhappiness and wrongdoing, as to ten percent of personal advertisement” - Uncommon Law, Alan Herbert 1935

This relates directly to the current thinking of Hans Rosling - I'm really enjoying the book of the week https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qftk/episodes/player from the beautiful Hans Rosling - him of glorious data. Meanwhile some stuff -  Ramps on the Moon at the Wolsey had another stunning production - this time Our Countries Good https://www.rampsonthemoon.co.uk/show/our-countrys-good/ go see them - it will be good for you...funny, powerful, thoughtful theatre, what more could you ask for. saw a number of films including Speilberg explaining gaming but not quite as good as the book Ready Player One http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1677720/ the haunting Thelma http://www.imdb.com/title/tt6304046/?ref_=nv_sr_1 the almost annihilation

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2798920/?ref_=nv_sr_1 and relentlessly oppressive The Florida Project http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5649144/

dullbrightbooksandmovementspaces

So a day at Kings - working on synthetic anatomy - on the way using my time on the train to work on the software to construct a number of gifs and creating more 3D pieces that explore the weave and knit aspect of the process. I am sure 3D printing is a textile activity. It was the table displays, one of the culminations of the project. fascinating - in the arts we spend hours debating Learning Outcomes - agreeing on their meaning and talking about transparency. It is almost as if a fear has gripped arts education. The science world had none of that fear and was full of certainty. There was some extraordinary work on display - some of it worthy of gallery space and others would be interesting within a design context. But all were amazing in what they had taken of board in terms of visual communication and storytelling - excellent.

Stayed on to go to see sylvia palacios whitman at a late Tate event - I will not be going again. So controlling, so managed, so badly staged. This was the tragedy and then the work itself .......just dull, verging on pompus and self congratulatory  although its retrospective nature might of let it off these crimes if it wasn't for the new work, a travesty. And I paid £16.00 to sit on the floor behind a pillar! more fool me. Next day was a breath of fresh air - taking in a number of galleries that were more interested in art than controlling the audience - Arcadia Missa and Gossamer Fog had dynamic small scale pieces, The South London Gallery had free.yard curating a show upstairs and downstairs an extraordinary hyper produced exhibition by Magali Reus. The production values of the objects gave it a sheen of otherworldlyness. The overall experience was one of finding clues, it reminded me of the work of Mathew Barney. Finally the highlight was the curated exhibition by isthisit at arebyte on London City Island http://www.isthisitisthisit.com/ . It is an extraordinary show of highly considered work, I think Tate membership has to go when the more interesting work is somewhere else.

writingaboutselfandsomeimages

looking through Bilbao images whilst building my bio for OCA - trying to sound calm yet serious, established with experience but open to and excited by new ideas, evangelical about art and its value but not too straight faced.....#minefieldofdecisions

I am an artist. My practice has an extensive history of making, one strand of which explores the concept of bookness. The hybrid nature of the book form has led me to undertake an extensive range of commissions and exhibitions. The work can also be found in numerous public and private international collections.

A desire to collaborate underpins my work, evidenced in an extensive history of socially engaged residencies in a wide range of contexts. Teaching formally within Art College's informs one's own practice and continues to connect me with current creative thinking. I am interested in making work that communicates with people whilst leaving space for the viewer, enabling them to stop and reflect.

The work I am involved in with communities, pupils and students has its roots in attempting to make the world a better place through creativity. A belief in art as a tool for change, as a way of engaging with this world, of seeing its beauty and opportunities and supporting the individual to develop their own understanding. OCA is the future - I love the excellent systems that are in place to support students which in turn enable me to be a good at my job.

I document my practice here http://lesbicknell.blogspot.co.uk/ and to check out some outcomes go here http://lesbicknell.wixsite.com/work

I hope it does the job - meanwhile the images explore' ill considered street design decisions' and 'site specific textile activity' the drying racks with umbrellas are my favourite, taking into account the climate. 

meanwhile I Tonya http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5580036/?ref_=nv_sr_1 is relentlessly oppressive, but the acting is brilliant, especially the relationship between mother and daughter.

theshadowandthevoid

the shadow and the void - continuing the work on the pieces for Goldlay in Chelmsford. The shadows and their relationship to the objects are really dynamic and have emerged even better than I had hoped.