William Raban

I was given this artist reference - Waterfall William Raban film 1983. In researching I came across this film made about the Olympic waterways by geography students of the Royal Holloway University of London

http://vimeo.com/12349415?height=100%&iframe=true&width=100%

A well balanced film about the effect of 2012 on the 'natural' or at least the urban, cultural environment of the East End of London. Includes an interview with Raban.

William Raban
Waterfall
1983, UK, 16mm, 8mins
A rarely seen film of Ron Hasleden's sculptural installation Graveing Dock at the Acme Gallery. Raban experiments with the acoustics of dripping water, an integral element of the sculpture, in relationship to the spaces within and around the structure. 

Pause Artside 2011

Hmmm.Shall I, shan't I?.......

http://www.artside.org.uk/getting-involved.html

POST UPDATE: well I did! Find out if I will later this year.

FURTHER POST UPDATE: I will. Find out if I should have later this year!

Bob and Roberta Smith

Yet again serendipity strikes!
I took myself to the local library to borrow a book on the history of Hadleigh. I was at the 'local studies' shelf scanning for the book I was after Hadleigh Past by Ian Yeardsley.

I spot an art book - not what I was expecting to see here! Turns out it is a book by Bob and Roberta Smith about a series of public art projects in the Thames Gateway in 2006/7. Art U Need - My Part in The Public Art Revolution. It is funny, moving and deals with the topics I have been looking at in a) Hadleigh and b) my dissertation.

'a personal diary that reflects his [the author's] own experiences of working in communities and raises questions about the role of artists in regeneration'

how spooky is that? Bob and Roberta Smith says:

"Art U Need has provided an antidote to kind of large-scale public art that tells people to rally around an iconic image"

I have read from cover to cover and will no doubt revisit it. Invaluable.

Oh and I found the other book too. A little harder going but interesting nevertheless and necessary research.

Species of Spaces

Today I am reading Georges Perec Species of Spaces and Other Pieces. Texts by the French writer as recommended for my dissertation. A more interesting, apt and entertaining read I have not encountered for a long while!!

Based on Paris and its environs - I have just spent the day in Paris and will do so again in a couple of weeks!! OK, Hadliegh is not Paris but how relevant to the work I am in the midst of creating. Examining the 'infra-ordinary' which is just my approach. New strategies are formulating in my mind!

One more for today

Can't remember how or why I came across this website earlier this year but I have tracked it down again and posting it here so I can find it again. Dissertation in mind again.

http://focar.artforclick.com/2010/05/29/exhibitions-and-art-installations/

Ssshh!!! Southend Fringe Festival - Fringe Guerilla Art Day

18th April - it's in the diary. Oops it's supposed to be a secret, don't tell anyone I told you!

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=203317209697695&ref=


For 24 hours we invited you all to look around your local area and find ways to make the mundane and the ugly more exciting, beautiful and life enhancing. Obviously we ask that you don't do any damage, break any laws or tamper with anyone else's private property, but that still leaves the gate wide open for creativity. We ask that everyone photographs their efforts and emails the pictures to us at southendfringe@googlemail.
com , wherein we will be making an online gallery and possibly displaying hard copies of the photos at a future event. All submissions will be handled in strictest confidence and no real artists names will be revealed, so make sure you include a pseudonym if you would still like credit! Get thinking and planning now, and we'll meet you on the street.

Southend (City Status)

This dates back to 14th Feb but I remembered to look it up today in view of my dissertation topic.

David Amess, MP for Southend East speaks in the House of Commons regarding Southend applying for City status 2012 awarded for the Queen's jubilee. Lots of references to the culture of Southend. We already have a City Beach - half way there I would say!!

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm110214/debtext/110214-0003.htm#11021427000495

I can feel a letter to my MP coming on.....

Southend Museum and The Beecroft Art Galllery

Note to self:
must visit The Beecroft Art Gallery, Westcliff before 2nd April. Two exhibitions on there that I haven't seen and want to see before they close. And this one when it opens 16th April at Southend Museum

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=197404646957553

Artangel Collection

Some of the most iconic and influential artworks of the last twenty years. In my opinion!!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/gallery/2011/mar/21/art?intcmp=239

http://www.artangel.org.uk/about_us/the_artangel_collection

BT Storytellers

Thought I might have a crack at this:

http://www.btlondon2012.co.uk/index.html

Linked to the 2012 Olympic Games, you have to register to tell your 'story'. Doesn't have to be sport related, just as well!!

I only had 100 words - tough start for me!! This is what I have said:

With a lifelong dream to study art, I began my Fine Art degree as a full-time mum and mature student with graduation in 2012. Then the mountain-biking event arrived on my doorstep!

The small town of Hadleigh, Essex, where the event will take place, has become the focus for my artwork. Plans for the town’s regeneration and community engagement with art will be central to my final year.

Site-specific and ephemeral, my work often exists in the memory or recorded as a moment in time. Using lens-based media, found images, sound and text. 

I am living the dream.

Art for Social Change

Dissertation proposal first draft hot off the press. The gripping working title is:

To what extent can contemporary art act as a catalyst for social change, engage a community and engender a sense of identity?

I hope my tutor is as excited about it as I am! Will see this afternoon as I have a tutorial. @?!
POST UPDATE: Dissertation Proposal accepted. Dissertation here we come!!

So when I saw this it seemed relevant and thought I would post it here for future reference.

http://www.psuvanguard.com/art-for-social-change-1.2256198

Gabriel Orozco and the Tate Modern

Trip to the Tate Modern today.

I really enjoyed this exhibition. Been there got the T shirt. Well I would have if there was a T shirt - had to settle for the exhibition catalogue instead.

Gabriel Orozco - http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/gabrielorozco/default.shtm

Oh and this one:

Out of Place - http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/outofplace/default.shtm

There are some great quotes here in an two essays which will be useful for my dissertation.

When buildings cast the shadow of their own destruction by Kasia Redzisz 

and

What is overpowers what has been, and sends it there, onto a different path by Ala' Younis

and this was pretty cool too:

Ai Weiwei - http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/unileverseries2010/default.shtm

Phew!

Knit bombing!

Knit bombing or yarn bombing

“While other forms of graffiti may be expressive, decorative, territorial, socio-political commentary, advertising or vandalism, yarn bombing is almost exclusively about reclaiming and personalizing sterile or cold public places”

This is such a great artistic reference not only for my studio practice but the subject of my dissertation proposal.

Paris in the sunshine

Paris, Monet, street art and sunshine all in one day. Can't be bad.

Artist's Training Programme

I have come across this artist today - Elli Harrison. Fantastic!

http://www.ellieharrison.com/index.php?pagecolor=1&pageId=content-intro

I particularly like the Artist's Training Programme!

At the seaside, you know what to expect?

"There is a powerful sense of place at the seaside. You know what to expect" These are the opening words of Peter Williams in the intro to my recent book purchase (see earlier post) The English Seaside from English Heritage.

You don't expect this though!

http://www.turnercontemporary.org/

Absence of presence

Presentations all done. I have come away with a great thread of investigation - Derrida and Absence of Presence. This is just an introduction, I will have to find a proper text to really get into this theory/theorist.

http://courses.nus.edu.sg/course/elljwp/derriduction2.htm

I also came away with the message loud and clear that "you now have to get on with it". Need to start producing  some outcomes otherwise a great idea will stay just that - a great idea and not a body of work. A real absence of presence!!

Public Art and the Cultural Olympiad

Thought this worth a post. Public art projects for the Cultural Olympiad. Interesting quote "a big absence for us was the 'public' in public art"..

http://www.artinfo.com/news/story/37150/art-for-zeus-britain-picks-6-public-art-projects-to-vie-for-glory-in-the-2012-cultural-olympiad/

And check out the South East region

SOUTH EAST

Lone Twin (Gary Winters and Gregg Whelan), "The Boat Project"

Lone Twin's idea for the southeast draws on the same concept of collective giving, but with a more goal-oriented approach. Inhabitants of the region will be asked to give a wooden object particularly significant to them. Guided by professionals, "the community" (whoever that is) will then use the collected material to build a fully functional boat which will take them on a couple of Olympic trips. Let's hope somebody out there is collecting birch bark and some pitch to make it waterproof

http://www.theboatproject.com/

Hamish Fulton

http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/exhibitions/apictureofbritain/works_highlands/fulton_seven.shtm

Another link to this work by Hamish Fulton. This artist reference was given to me during my Literature Review feedback and not had a chance to follow it up but once again while researching pic and the like for my presentation the name and this work cropped up.  The number seven recurs in his works and there are some great quotes!

"If in doubt keep walking" (which reminds me I was reading some articles about how it has been shown that people walk in circles when they are lost and we cannot walk in a straight line without some visual reference point! More on this later maybe!)

Will do some more research on this later perhaps.

soft architechture

http://crisman.scripts.mit.edu/5812blog/2011/01/agency-potentials-of-soft-architecture/

In preparing my presentation, looking for images, quotes and such-like I came across the phrase 'soft architecture'

Re-blogging this post in its entirety but the interesting part is an excerpt from Foucault, Michel. “Of Other Spaces.” Architecture /Mouvement/ Continuité, October 1984 and it talks about 'heterotopia'. Just caught my eye as an interesting concept given my current project and dissertation topic. Oh, and this book review - wouldn't mind getting hold of a copy but £25 used on Amazon!

http://www.zeitgeistudios.com/2010/05/10/book-review-occasional-work-and-seven-walks-from-the-office-for-soft-architecture-by-lisa-robertson/

progress

My Hadleigh project and blog is growing and lots of 'jumping off' points. Beginning to realise the limitations of a purely 'blogged' sketchbook and will be utilising my physical sketchbook more as my ideas develop and progress. Feel more comfortable about the forthcoming Studio practice presentation but need to polish it and 'rehearse' timings etc.

heART in Hadleigh

Forgot to post this earlier but I have now started a separate blog heART in Hadleigh to document this project. Also set up a flickr group Hadleigh, Essex where I plan to post my pics (if my flickr basic a/c will allow me enough space!)

Richard Wentworth

My course leader gave me this artist reference

http://www.lissongallery.com/#/artists/richard-wentworth/works/

what a great video. Will investigate his work closer. Will also be re-posting in my heART in Hadleigh blog

Have looked at Marking the boundary a series of sculptures for Tyne Tees and this great picture. I love the repetition, the 'time' element it's location everything.

http://www.wharf.co.uk/globe.html

This is a pretty cool project

http://www.insideoutproject.net/