Trip to Kinker - Gordon Watt

Today, I head to see Gordon Watt, to finalise some plans for the Leith Hall show. Gordon is worried that the idea to make a radiator, to supply warmed water to the roots of more "delicate" plants (more suited to warmer climes) will not work. I've encountered quite a few pessimistic stances to several of the ideas for the collaborative show (since semester one). I'd put it down to me not being able to communicate my ideas very well, a lack of confidence in the possibilities, as I don't describe the "realisation" to clearly....but, the more I think about it, the more I think that Gordon isn't too up for "being a technician". It's a fair stance to have, he does have creative needs, perhaps he doesn't know that quite as much as I see it? It's still great working with him, as we discuss possibilities, perhaps, again, it's my lack of understanding of the use of glass, what it can do, what it can't do...It seems that I come up with sugestions that don't quite cut the mustard in glassworld. "how about this?" ("too acute an angle"), "how about that" ("take too long to make") etc... still, after bashing around some more thoughts, we do work out some experiments that will satisfy us both.

We ARE going to try and make a radiator (far stripped down from the originlal glass version of an old cast iron radiator I'd proposed), I understand the time / cost / difficulty factors, but I do still feel dissapointed that this idea won't be realised for the Leith Hall show. (perhaps Gordon and I could put in the idea for competitions / funding?...that would be exciting!). We aim to test several approaches to making the releif in the glass, Gordon routs out varying widths of hole in 3 slabs of plywood. The Idea is that the track for the water to flow through will first be routed out of play, then plaster is poured into the "mold", once dry, an impression of the plaster is copied with wax (for further reproductions of moulds) and then Glass can be "slumped" over the plaster, the glass is then "tacked" (slow melting of two bits of glass to each other) to a flat piece of glass, creating a sandwich, with a (hopefully) clear path for water to trickle through. (simple!). So, we've created three tests, and left the plaster to dry. Gordon and I head to Kinkardine O'neill for a snadwich (I have no money, Gordon kindly buys me one) and we eat it on the banks fo the Dee, watching salmon jump and fishermen get angry.

When we head back, the plaster is still wet (obviously!). So I head back. First, we devise a plan of what we'll be doing over the next few days / weeks. I need to "design" some flow patterns for the water to run through, I need to look at making some screen printed leaves / trees (for back up work, to accompany Gordon's "back up work")...

As a "simple" and eye catching work, I'd thought of making sandwiched glass, with screenprinted chrry blossom trees. 3 layers of glass, one with a pink blossom screen printed, the next with a black / dark brown tree, and the third, an "overprint" of white blossom. I can imagine this will look nice, people will Oo- and Ah...but it wouldn't cut the mustard in the scrutiny of the MfA. (theory, Concept, validity...nope, it's "just craft"....ooh, what a critiscism!). It'd be nice if these "follies" sell!

anyway...I'll upload some photos of the morning...and some drawings. watch this space.

Listening to - tom waits : blood money - Tomahawk : epy

charlie hackett

Seminar day (Thursday) always a brain strain...
we start to day with Jonathan's crit of his white space. Again, eloquent as ever, Jonathan tells us about the work in a fluent, ambiguous, but understanding fashion. The work comprises of 4 walls, all written in a scrawled, near illegible text, the words don't always read well, sentences mashed up, repeated words. Like a documentation of a cathartic outpouring. When I'd first seen the work (on Tuesday)his "voice", but one positive outcome he'd talked of, was his confidence of finding a new (exciting) direction for his work to manifest. He's unshackled himself from his familiar artistic vocabulary, and produced something HE feels excited about. Perhaps this work was ultimately a cathartic release for his need for a new way of working. It's still "very Jonathan", but I am so glad to hear him talk positively about his new direction.

We then head (after dinner) to Scott Sutherland's, for our Seminar with Charlie Hackett. He looks nervous, he's intimidated by "the MA classes" (? we're not that bad!!). He's a lovely guy, quite open and willing for the "class" to be informal. "stop me if it's boring" (is that a good or a bad thing to say?)

He shows us his work, he videos himself interviewing gallery goers, with very intimate, probing questions, to get people think about themselves. Some rather awkward people dodge questions, obfuscate and bumble through, what appear to be simple, direct but very revealing questions. It's hard to get people to say what they are truly thinking. Hard to tie down what simple pleasures are, what people want from life. We are then shown a sample of videos from interviews with people 2 days after 9/11. It's amazing how profound, thoughtful, complex thoughts can arise from people in times of great shock, how people can empathise with victims who they never met, yet in comparison to the "personal questions", seem to clam people up. Asking personal questions is like prising open a door that should always be locked. It gets Freudian, the complexities of human pathognomy held under lock and key, only the true "self" is known to the individual, no matter how amiable, transparent the character is. Quite a fascinating area to research, but what an area!

We're tasked with asking ourselves more questions, 20 in all, we sit round a coffee table and ask each other questions, that "might" get to the real "me". We've been asked to prepare a work of art, a self portrait, generated from these answers....and we're also being assessed (not for the mfa) on our ability to be creative with the response (visually, not in the answering of the questions!). I am thinking about making something interesting...I'll have to use something personal...who am I, how do I define myself? (I think my humour is my biggest "giveaway"...

I also went to my first Limousine Bull opening, in delightful Tory. ‘Carbon Natural?' by Matthew and Deborah Wickham, is an installation, created to highlight(?) our impact upon the globe. Two data projectors, showing waves lapping (one in real time, one slightly slowed, backwards), two large concrete slabs, with rusted over sized foot prints dented into them, with protruding metal rods / tubes (one set had tubes, one set had rods (male & female in engineering terms) significant? I'd like to think so). I start to assess the orientation of the feet, why are they not facing the projections? is it considered? We also have some pretty dull metal sheets on the wall, with crudely cut foot prints from them...I pick up the statement, and instantly go into "MfA mode". I am disappointed, Matthew starts the statement, with a reference to the things that inspired him ("lumps of concrete with twisted, rusty reinforcement bars protruding from ...") It's too obvious for me (having my small Steve Hollingsworth sitting on my shoulder.) I start to question his statement, he refers to rusting as : "...whereby Iron is broken down releases oxygen into the atmosphere". This isn't true! Iron takes oxygen from the water, and binds it to become Fe2O3, (Iron Oxide)...There are rusty holes appearing in my thoughts. He's also got some questions in the statement "how obdurate are the structures we build?" - obvious, not long (on a geological / earth time scale!) - we're insignificant, but pompous enough to think that the only important factor for reversing / slowing global warming, is to preserve us, the "problem" !). On the whole, I like half of it, and hate the other...cheesy visual vocabularies let it down (warning tape, eroding sandcastles) on the other hand, the detail within the feet (the rust, the male / female rods) keep my interest.

I'd stayed and met up with Lois, Tracey & Amy. We have an interesting talk about religion, mankind, the spread of animals, thanks to man and the "dream recorder" I was reading about in the new scientist...all from standing in front of some large rusty footprints. I guess they did take us on a journey.

listening to : tool - salival : ice - under the skin

Epiphany

Just a quick visit to Gray's today with Susie. We head to the room to see if Jonathan needed help preparing for his time in the whitespace, only to find that he's prepared the walls, and finished the visual aspect of his work (we've been told by Iain that Jonathan is trying to apply two soundtracks too). The space looks fantastic...I look forward to hearing what he has to say about it.

No one else is in, so Susie and I check out the Baltic pod cast I'd watched last night (Joseph Havel). It's great, after seeing the show, I could understand what Havel was talking about...but more interestingly, after my crits with Jo & Tom & Steve, I could start to "hear the language" he used, when talking about the work. I'd noticed that he never talked "directly" about the work (physicality, materials etc). He talked about feelings (he even struggled to "describe" what the work really was "about" (I had the feeling that the art spoke for itself, it's beyond "aural language", otherwise, he would be a writer!). He also talked about the space the sculptures inhabited, their relationship to each other, and the people within the gallery space. He'd used words like "quiet", "discrete", "songcycle". Quite ethereal and non specific. It's like a conversation that gives you cues to agree, but still have enough space so you can make up your own ideas too. I am learning all the time, about how to present work, talk about work, get work etc...but this pod cast + crit(s) have been epiphanies.

listening to : silver mount zion - born into trouble as the spaks fly upward : sutekh - born again (remixes)

Newcastle "culture"

Well, I've survived a 2 night - 3 day stag weekend in Newcastle.
Headed down on Friday morning (7am pick up...). Meet up with everyone at the train station. I am the only one not to bring alcohol...and get called a poof etc for my troubles. I see I am in for a fun weekend.
Friday night is Frank Butcher night, we all get togged up in Butcher-esque gear and "head oot for the toon man". It's surprising, how much fun we get, we were all worried about dressing as a cockney in Newcastle...this place seems pretty friendly!
I manage to keep to a minimum of drink (and not get sucked into the booze vortex of round buying, with some seriously heavy drinkers!) It all works out to be a good night, from one pub to the next, all the way to "smokin' joe's" on the riverside...a cowboy/girl themed pub, where nice ladies dance on the bar, far all to see, but not touch. It's a great opportunity to watch how men can easily be distracted, and pick pocketed... he he.Being happily married, I just enjoyed the ambiance...obviously!
Being fresh as a partially stood on daisy, I got up at 8am, and for the first time ever on any stagger, I had breakfast. I wished I'd stayed in bed. Grease with some fat, a great way to start the day. We (Mur, Sandy and I) head to the Baltic to catch the latest exhibitions. Brian Eno, Subodh Gupta, Vik Muniz and Joesph Havel.
I'll have to write a wee report and link it later. Needless to say, I thought all the shows were impressive in their own ways. Eno's work was impressive for it's scale (size and duration) but lite on the old conceptual hooks. Perhaps I should send him an email and discuss my live feed with him?
Anyway, back to the stagger. Again, I'm a poof for going to see art and not drinking. That's fine, I am a poof (with a liver that's not going to pack in, in 5 years time). I did actually have a brilliant conversation with Dennis about modern art, he was easily converted to a more "thoughtful" stance, when presented with some discussion about "the value of object / place etc". I gave the best minimal account of the formation of "modern art" (Duchamp onwards). And sited an imaginary work of "sticks piled up against the wall" to talk about what it IS and what it REPRESENTS and what the concept behind such a work could be conveying. I'd basically ended, just because you don't understand it, it doesn't make it automatically shit. And Dennis and I vowed to continue the discussion....more on that, I'd love to talk all night about art with him. He's a great guy.

Gabi sends me a photo of her and Poppy, and this cheers me up no end.
Saturday night "the busy night". boy oh boy, if ever there was a night to not get dressed up in bad Hawaiian shirts, silly hats and ties, with a fake ginger painted on beard, this was the night. So, once in my bad Hawaiian shirt, silly hat and tie, with a fake ginger beard painted on, I join the rest of the guys, and we have a brilliant night on the town, women flee from the sight of us (much to Gabi's happiness... not that I'd do anything if a nice lady propositioned me, of course!). We just have a brilliant night dancing, drinking and laughing.


We're back at the delightful "Henson hotel"(1 brown star) at 5 am. We need to be up and out at 11am...not good. Needless to say, the two large meals I had yesterday help me stay human for the whole day.
I have to say, it's been a brilliant weekend, despite the worry of my prowess int he drinking department, in the midst of such heavyweights. I guess it's my natural ability to dance like a drunken ass and have fun without having to down 15 pints that helped me survive.

listening to : people shouting : my own frazzled vocal chords : bad impressions of the Geordie accent (etc)

Susie's Whitespace

Today, we have a seminar with Steve Hollingsworth...well, he's double booked, so we get an 11 minute video on Jannis Kunellis to watch (twice, as we enjoyed it so much). And we did the "self directed study" really well, we discussed the video once we'd watched it...I've written notes on it, I'll upload and link them later.

It was also Susie's group crit in the whitespace today. She froze when confronted with all the bodies in the space (she's claustrophobic)...It was hard to get her to calm down, and talk (like she'd done so well, over the last 4 days!). We did get going in the end, discussing mostly the physical aspects of the work, as I'd said, from my learnings yesterday, dwelling on the practicalities and process, doesn't leave us with the IDEAS (Steve had said "it's all about the Idea").
Steve started to explore the concepts of windows, spaces to be seen from / into, perceptions of barriers, clean / dirty vision, tradition (framing) and perspectives. He'd said that Susie was "scratching the surface" with the work, it's good to know there is a seam to be mined!...Editing and condensing the display was essential. It's still interesting that Steve's "taste" can affect the outcome of all our work. It's not good enough to produce a considered, aesthetically pleasing drawing, it needs to have the weight of concept behind it...I guess that's what the MFA is about, and we're slowly (too slow?) learning that.

listenig to : new flesh - universaly dirty : nick cave - abattoir blues

half a fiver

Today, I found half a fiver. It turned out to be a metaphor for my day.
It's a Steve week, and Susie and I head in for 10am. We hook up with Lois and Mary, who have been in since before 10am. No Steve...
Susie's space (it's her week for the whitespace) has been vandalised over night, some clever student has written "pretentious" on the wall. I'd have gone ballistic, Susie Laughs it off, for now...

we go grab a coffee..and along the way, I find half a five pound note. It's an interesting find, seductive ("yas! I've found money!..damn, it's worthless). I think of the other half, and how I'd like to give it back to its rightful owner. (I can't buy 2.50 worth of chips!).

We get back to the room, and still no Steve. We wait for half an hour, and Lois phones Iain. "Is Steve in?" "yeah, he went to the room, saw no one was there, and came back here (the office)". Typical. We must learn to leave notes.

When Steve does come in he's his usual self, hard to tell if he's glad to see us, hates the sight of us...whatever. He presents us with a poker face that's so hard to read, and this is what gets me headed in the general direction of a bad mood. We're not sure what's been arranged (nothing? is that our fault? is it a new "lets see what happens" approach to tutoring?...) Mary goes first, as she needs to leave in the afternoon, I'm told "I'll see you after dinner (when is that?) "1.30". Cool, something is forming, some plan. I can go with that.

1.30, "end of dinner". no Steve. I wait till 1.50, so I go looking for him, and bump into him on the ground floor. "Hi Steve, I was looking for you!"..."Blimey, you are keen" (no, 20 mins late, that's not keen, that's wanting to get a show on the road).

When I do get my time with him, it's fantastic. My bad mood is dissipating fast, it's amazing what a talk with a tutor can do!

We talk about my past week's experience in the whitespace. Steve asks some interesting questions, aimed at getting me to understand people's perspectives and take on the work. I do struggle to remember all the points raised in the group crit, is that because I have assimilated them into my own discourse / dialogue / understanding of the work? I'd explained that the Friday "open day" was great, the many different perspectives / points raised, how I was quite happy to engage these perspectives, in a sense that I'd somehow considered them beforehand, without realising it. I truly had thought of many aspects of the work / use of space. Many of the questions (thinking about it, when talking to Steve) were about the process, or build, or technicality of the work, and here lies my problem, highlighted by talking to Steve about the work. I haven't contextualised the work in a conceptual realm. I know fully HOW this works, WHY this works, but I've not really considered the WHY IS IT HERE, WHAT DOES IT SAY?

Steve is exceedingly helpful today, I ask him to simplify some points he raises, so I do make sure I understand fully. Again, I am missing some of the points he's putting to me, I have a tendency to talk about process, build, communication, but forget about the conceptual theme(s) / ideas behind the work. Tom had asked last week "is this a satirical view of technology?", which struck me as nothing to do with the work (again, thinking of the physical aspect of the work), but in essence was trying to get out of me the what the idea behind the work was, not what the work was (if that makes sense).

So, the missing part of my fiver (my art) I am starting to see now. I understand where contextual analysis helps, it's not a search for methods of how to make work, it's a search for where the idea fits into the art world. It's not about simply abstracting objects, it's why abstraction is used (for example).

Steve concurs with J&T about my "needing to find a language in which to discuss the work". I didn't fully understand that point last Thursday (melted brain after 5 hours of intense debate?). But now, "language" is referring to realm of meaning, sphere of research, context.

As Stewart McDonald, head of Gray's said so deftly last Friday :
"this is good, but it needs context".

I might just have a whole fiver at the end of semester two.

Listening to : mark van hoen - your selfish ways : murcof - remembranza

getting into gear

Last night I experimented with the webcam colour abstraction program i'd shown last week in the white space. I was experimenting with mirrors, to see how it affected the output, of course, it didn't at all (bar "flipping it", which can be compensated for with the projector), but I did change the "feed", as I'd used the TV. Presenting bright, bold (already "pixilated") images for the webcam to interpret. I had noticed that the output on the ceeling was so disjointed, very chaotic and jumpy, as opposed to the "lively" yet easily settled squares generated by the live webcam feed. This was due to the nature of television, the editing, quick cuts and camera angles making sure that the feed was always changing, instead of a static, room shot from the webcam. One satisfying aspect of the tv feed was the brightness and "true colour representation" (but in reality, a false representation of "real" colours, as it is another step of "interpretation" via RGB pixels withing the TV.). This has certainly given me more avenues to explore. I'd even shown Susie Hunt the array of still images that are taken during the life of the webCam experiment, and she could see that these in themselves could be presented. There are many facets to the work that are hidden, contorted, obvious, interpretative...a holistic presentation would be a great output of the work.

I spoke to Iain today (Monday) too, about Friday's "presentation" to Gray's as a whole. We'd also discussed possible further applications of the work, situations, places etc. Iain had talked (and had obviously been thinking about it over the weekend) about placing a webcam on a busy road, to document rushours etc. We'd talked about the chaotic feeds, perhaps a way of communication the pace and speed of life, perhaps a more obvious way of saying "slow down" to people?

I'd also spoken to Iain about Joanne & Tom's crit the other day, how I feel completely inferior and simple in front of them. I'd also talked about how their (and Steve Hollingsworth's) taste actually creeps into the crits, perhaps we are not all destined to make the sort of work they are hoping we will? and that's not so good when it comes to critiquing people's work. The crits are invaluable, and they do raise our game, but they also are imposing, cold perhaps...sometimes they don't get the best from me, as I do feel lowly and inferior which is counter productive to creating art and new Ideas...I need to feel stronger in arguing "my case" to people who are "above" me, as well as "below" me on an intellectual and artistic platform.

I'd also started to compile and assess the fallout / reactions to the work last week. Questions, statement, observations and reactions to the work. I've also been re-thinking about the non-textual representation of the thought process to document and convey how the work arose, I'd really like to produce a computer based display (web based too), for it's professional look and also simple (?) conveyance of information... that's my next project for the MFA.

Listening to : johnny cash - cash : jimmy Hendrix - live at the Albert hall

mothers day

We popped out (as a surprise) to my mum's to wish her a happy mothers day (now Nana's day, I'd imagine!). She was stocked, so that's cool. Poppy, happy as ever, kept everyone in good spirits!

We headed to Susie Hunt's to met up with Jo and Willy, Susie and Magnhild to discuss the set up of the NEOS'07 show / arrangement. Jo and Willy seemed stoked about the possibilities of the space. We're hoping to get willy and Jo setting up a screen printing workshop during the week. Gabi will have her "usual" space in the large main entrance / hall. I've been asked by Susie to put work into the framing area, shared with Chris (water colourist), Lynne, Willy & Jo will be in the snooker room, along with Magnhild.

Every one seems fired up, that's not bad for 7 months before an event!

I am going to try an experiment with the projector and mirrors tonight, to find out if it was possible to "direct" the beam...more later.

Rich & Kels wedding anniversary! (2 years since we were in Oz...)

Listening to : gusgus - polyesterday : godspeed you black emperor - U.X.O.

you and I, open to gray's

Today is the day I "showcase" my work in the whitespace. I make a conscious decision to stay in the space, and greet and talk with all the people that came in to see it. Worth every minute. I'd set up in the morning, and discussed the space / work with Susie (who'd kindly come in to drop me off and see the work). She'd worn bright colours, especially, which is lovely!
Once set up, we headed to the cafe for a coffee, but no luck, the machine is broken, but we plump for tea, and end up talking to Clare & Calum, then Iain joins us (nabbing a tea too). Iain talks about the work, and how it made him think of other interactive works he'd seen on his recent trip to Korea, he'd promised to bring in some books (peter greenaway (zed and two naughts) was cited as a contextual reference...so I'll check him out). I'd got the feeling that my work had made Iain think about it longer than he'd spent in the room, which gives me great comfort, knowing I am producing thought provoking and interesting work!
Needless to say, I had a constant trickle of visitors (see animated giff at the top of this page). Merlin came from sculpture, and was "stoked" by it, she went away after a great discussion about art, perception and creativity (how we'll never "retire" as, we all know, the day we stop creating, it's the day we die!).Needles to say, she'd spread the word about my work, and a steady, interested stream of sculpture guys came up to look, experience and discuss. Alan Watson came up too, which I'd appreciated greatly, he'd brought a 4th year sculpture student, Martin, who is currently working on how binary can create and form geometric (cuboid) shapes, and how his work arises from simple tweaking of parameters. We'd discussed parameters, minute variable and nuances that affect work greatly (looking at my cam feed taking in grays varying from the room's "ambiance" for example.
All in all, I'd had about 6 in depth discussion about the work with several groups of interested parties. Some people declared their hatred of PC "art", but with the "soft face" of back projection on canvass, seemed to remove the link from technology and cold systems generating the work.

I'd videoed the work, so the external assessor can get some gist of the work, it's a shame it's only up for 2 days...but that might be a good thing in the long run.

Too much to talk about here, again, I'll write a text based on my observations and reflections of the day. Needless to say, a fantastic day for discourse and stimulating debate. (I like to think that I've introduced a great interest in the MFA by my appearance and confident presentation of the work).

Listening to : colonel claypool's bucket fulll of burnie and brains - big eyeball in the sky : cable - when animals attack.

D-day...I-day...W-day!

Today we have a seminar with Joanne Tatham & Tom O'Sullivan, based on the texts we were handed out last week of Carolee Schneeman and Cathy Wilkes . It's a discussion based on feminism (inspired by this edition of freize magazine). Two texts from Carolee Schneeman, one from 30+ years ago, and the other, an interview in freize, 2000 talking about her past work (30 years later). The other texts are a compilation of writings by Cathe Wilkes on "new language" (ways of communicating) citing examples of rap, music, poems etc. and an article on Wilkes by Will Bradley. I'm going to write a reaction to this senminar, as it's far too weighty for a blog...I'll link it in future...promise.


I'd prepared the whitespace room, loading all the technology in, and getting the space up and running (with great relief!), for my group crit with everyone. I'd talked confidently, earlier to the 4th year painting students, who "didn't get it" but after some talking, loved the concept and execution... Again, like the seminar, it's too weighty to write about in full here, so I will upload my writing and reflection on the day for all to read.

Needless to say, after some stressful times, thinking of the space, and how I'd execute my "first installation", I think it came off rather well...not bad for an outsider...(shh, I didn't say that).

building an installation

The day before the group crit in "the whitespace"...
Over the last few weeks, I have been aware of my time in allocated to "testing ideas in the white cube". I've got the programming down, for the "actual art" (a live webcam feed, abstracting the most prominent colours in the space occupied by "the viewer"). I'd had in my head, a perfect little dark (ish) space, with a beautifully taut canvas in which to back project the digital image onto.


Originally, I'd had in my sketchbook, two small "black boxes" (in each corner), where projector, computer and electronics would be housed, projecting the image through a small hole in the lid of the box, to be "directioned" by mirrors.

When talking to Iain about this (see previous blog) We'd talked about back projections, to avoid interference by the viewer (casting shadows over the "work"), so my vision of the whitespace and my work in it, started to change.

Today, I went in with a simple goal, to cover the "roof" in dark material (or block out the windows) and erect the canvass "stretcher" between the two walls (dividing the room in half). After a few discussions with my fellow students, Mary suggested that I screen off the space with weedblock material (the stuff you lay in the garden to kill / stop weeds growing through paths etc). Susie kindly took me to B&Q, and I bought two rolls. 0.9m * 12. (the room is 4*3). It took me all morning, with greatly accepted help from almost everyone! (Mary and Lois especially!).I'd had in my head, that stretching thin material from one flat wall to another is easy. not so. Wrinkles, rumples, dips and undulations all plagued my roof. If I had more time, or money, or a team of professional joiners, I might just have a "perfect" roof. The canvas was equally difficult to get taut and stretched across the room, attaching one side by nails and screws, to the very had plaster / stone wall, was a disaster. The nails popped out, the screws ripped parts (small, don't worry mr janitor) of the wall out, to scupper any chance of getting tight canvass form one side to the other...so, slack and wrinkled it is too...perhaps this should be a theme in the work?...

Needless to say, I'd got the room "ready" for the technology to go in (tomorrow). I just hope it's not too dark that the webcam doesn't work! AND, I have to hope that the cables for the webcam and PC are long enough to position them correctly!....I'll find out tomorrow. I need to finish off by : sweeping the floor, trimming the one remaining roof panel, installing the PCs, installing the camera, tweak the program so it takes in the image of a video of me (not a webcam)....and write a statement for the wall. (only).

Wish me luck!

Listening to : amalgamation of soundz - room with a view : one speed bike - begone droopy butt!

Kingswells P3 sculpture #2

Another week, another class, ms Price's class for 7-8 year olds, all itching to get out into the forest...and not do maths or spelling!
Again, like last week, I'd introduced the kids to the Andy Goldsworthy book "wood", and showed them what "natural sculpture" can be, simple placement of fallen twigs, stones etc to emphasise an interesting part of a tree, stone collection etc.
We parked up halfway up the hill, laying down the "rules" (all to be broken, of course, it's all part of the fun of trying to control and teach young kids, who are too excited and caught up in their own world to care what you say!). "Watch where you step, what what you pick up, watch where you put it down...."
Watching the kids in their groups was pretty fantastic, one group had a major problem, 3 wanted to make an Elephant, 4 didn't, I'd acted as a facilitator! talking the group into discussing why they thought it was a bad Idea to have an elephant, and once their thoughts had been aired, they were all happy, and in agreement with one goal in mind. (it was brilliant to see them sort the problem out between them).
Another group had started to make a nest, inspired by my talk 2 weeks ago, the sculpture looked brilliant. The second team started making a river out of wood, with little bridges etc over it, and when I came to see them after a few mins away helping others, they'd changed their idea into a big "fire snail", as they;d assessed what they were building and changed direction, because of how the sculpture was shaping up. I thought this was fantastic, as they'd obviously had a discussion, and all agreed that this was the best way forward. It's also a great example of "critical analysis" from their interaction with the materials.The third team built a wooden fire (where the wood represented the flames), not only did they focus on this elements, but they thouhgt of the space the fire might encompass. A lot of the kids ideas are teritorial, and also homely, talking of people (families) that might inhabit the dens and fireplaces, as group four had also made a teepee, with an interesting garden feature + fireside, "secret" entrances (for all to see!).These guys all worked well together, I was quite astonished that such chaos and activity does pull together into finished work.
Ms Price was lovely, she was very happy with the outcomes of all the students. I am going to make a thankyou card / poster for them, and I will return soon, to talk about a follow-up lesson(s). But I have my Other projects to deal with at the moment. (Leith hall, NEOS, lim bull entry, uni white space etc).

After taking the sculpture class, I headded into uni to try and start my "whitespace". I attempted to stretch canvas from one wall to the next, without much luck, so I am hoping for some help tomorrow.

I'd also gone to see USAisamonster last night, with mr Alan Sinclair supporting, with a wall of noise for 1/2 an hour, it was immense, and quite meditative (Once I had my earplugs in).

Listening to : god - anatomy of addiction : soundgarden - superunknown

breath of fresh air pt1.

Today Gabi, poppy and I headed over to Jane Frazer's house, to talk about her NEOS entry "a breath of fresh air", where she is curating a show where new "non commercial" works are to be shown, in the context of her rural home (Finzean).I'd had a recent idea for a work, based on a conversation that Susie was having with Moira and Lois about children in danger (or perceived danger, from the parent's perspective). Susie had recalled a story of when she found a trail of her daughters clothes from her home (in Norway) heading to the beach only 500 meters away. I'd imagined reversing the trail, from inner garments to outer garments, giving a twisted sense of where / how / why were these clothes removed? did the person come out of the sea fully clothed only to strip and be free / nude inland?...I'd imagined that Jane's garden (I knew it had a "wooded area") might suit this work, strewn clothes leading into / out of the wood, but on arrival, realised that the wooded area was not dense enough, it's only around 10 large pines, creating a tall wind break. The strewn clothes idea would not suit this site.
Jane had mentioned that the site was always breezy (a breath of fresh air!). So , perhaps I can harness / utilise the wind for a work? I'd started to think of a large funnel, tapering to a length of elegant / rudimentary bends and corners, taking the funneled wind on a convoluted journey, strengthening it's power as the tube gets thinner. I was thinking of taking the wind inside a building, creating a point inside the outhouse that was a portal to the outside, amplifying the power of the wind. I also thought (linking to my quantitative research) of hooking up an anemometer, to measure the speed of the wind. Possible technologically derived works might be generated from the random speed of the wind. I'd also thought of a simple "face mask" placed over the hole, where it would appear to whisper / whistle...I should sketch these ideas and post them later.

Good news too, in that Gabi and I have both got works accepted for the 2007 SSA show.

Listening to : Einsturzende Naubauten (live dvd, thanks alun!) : smog - supper : Psapp - The Only Thing I Ever Wanted

Gordon Watt - Open Ground Glass Collective

Gabs and I got haircuts today...after 5 months of winter shag pileup...time to have a spring clean.
We also tottered along to meet Gordon Watt, Susie Hunt, Marga Schnell, Jane Frazer, Ian Frazer and Nicola Chambury about Gordon's recent proposal to get an artists collective on the go, based on skill sharing, and a strive to learn and push new technologies, individually and collectively. We started the session (in the art gallery cafe) with Gordon announcing his intentions, a desire to work with everyone (individually at first) to see where he could become more creative, through collaboration, and how his skills in glass work, could move our artworks into new territories. Since last semester's collaboration with Gordon, he's started thinking on a bigger scale of collaboration, which sounded exciting and potentially very helpful in all ways, exposure, critical analysis by peers, collective skill sharing, networking, etc. We all fired off "first ideas" about works we'd like to create, I obviously have the Leith Hall work to still complete with Gordon, of which I'll type about next. To sum it up, it's the start of something that could potentially be brilliant, if we all stay helpful, positive and open about our intentions. Transparency is key...just like glass!

The development of the Leith hall commission has been slow to none, as I've been concentrating on the white space project for room C3 in Gray's, but, now that next week is "my time", I've planned my calendar to focus on Gordon and I's commission. (I've also got a few websites (mortgage money) to get done too, but we're talking art here.....OK).

I'd been told that the development of projected works (my warfare Idea) was mooted due to technical aspects of the garden...I don't feel it's right to complain or push the point, so it's adapt and survive at the mo. I've recently been thinking along the lines of a more organic / plant based aspect to the work, much as Gordon had hoped for when we'd first talked about it. I'd recently watched programmes about the every increasingly important "global warming" (and climate change, they are becoming like house programmes...10 a penny). But, I'd been thinking about warming + ecology, and started on an idea of creating a glass radiator (more solar panel), which would be like a cast iron radiator, sitting in the gardens. I'd also want to have a physical track (snaking through the interior of the glass) where water can be pumped through the object, and warmed water sprays out (and waters the plants) as a sort of ornate water feature / irrigation system. It's wasteful in a way, why not just stick a hose in the garden? but that's part of the "comment" on the issues around climate change...heat, waste, misuse of water, convolution, apparent transparency (governmental) and fantasy (people denying it's happening / matters).

I'll scan in the sketches and upload them soon (tomorrow / Sunday).
off to see Jane Frazer about the NEOS / lim bul entry tomorrow, I'm going to check out her house for a potential site specific work...

listening to : M. Ward - Post War : dead brothers - day of the dead

..............zzzz...........

no Steve hollingsworth crits this week, as he can't get up from Glasgow, as the trains are on strike. (and it's not worth taking a bus to get to shit old grey Aberdeen).
Iain kindly re-arranged his day to accommodate people's crits, but I felt my excellent session with him last Friday was enough for me, so Moira, Mary and Lois had their crits.
We missed the Guest at Gray's "she's only a ceramicist"...ho ho, what snobbery we've cultivated. Missed a swim, missed cauliflower cheese, this day was turning into a nonevent, only to be topped off with a group crit with Paul's work.
bright, badly painted "abstract landscapes". we're all too nice, with some hints of true "criticism", but it's like talking about quantum physics to a 9 year old...actually, no, it's like telling someone about the highway code, and they don't know what a road is. pretty pointless and very disappointing.
'scuse me if I am too harsh, but that afternoon made me angry. we're all serious about our studies and this devalues (in my mind) what we are all doing.

listening to : slayer - south of heaven (I had too). : napalm death - peel sessions

jim buckley seminar

Wednesday 7th March
We're running late, as Susie had someone smash into the back of her car! We're only 10 mins late, and we join the conversation about creating a CV and how to fill in applications for residencies / commissions.
The main points covered were clarity, simplicity and brevity. Again, submissions that stand out, yet hit the mark (simple!)...confidence in your area of expertise, a critical analysis of what entries to put in, research of the gallery / selectors / committies gives good insight into how to sway the descision in your favour. All good stuff.
We've been tasked to create a new CV for next week, so watch this space.

Kingswells P3 Sculpture #1

Well, today is the day I take the Primary Three (7-8 year old) into the forest, to make some sculptures.
I take in my Andy goldsworthy "wood" book for a quick "show n tell" to get them thinking about the forest, the materials, the environment etc. Even the lovely Mrs Cameron thought his work was spectacular. I think the biggest impact was the fact he didn't use glue or nails to make his work!
We trooped into the forest (26 children and one teacher, one class helper and me) and found our spot to create.
Mrs Cameron really did help me in bringing together a plan, when there, I know I wanted the kids to make sculptures, but the teacher put order and structure to the "lesson" (valuable experience by no means!).
I'd gathered the group to talk about finding materials to make a sculpture with, about considering where they should build their sculptures, considering the placement of the materials, what sort of form the sculpture should take and the "group" (2 * 6 and 2 * 7) should agree how it should take shape...only to watch manic scrambling and running to grab any stick (some trees still rooted in the ground!). This is where the organised chaos kicked in. I thought it was great, just a blur of excitement, energy, determination, fun and questions..."Mr Thompson, Mr Thompson x3000).
I'd noticed that the helper and teacher were calm and ever present to the groups close to them, I on the other hand got sucked into the manic world of a 7 year old let loose in a wood. (and loved it!). I helped retrieve big sticks, stones, moss, identify bugs and seeds, advise on positions of logs etc.Some kids got stuck into the detail (adorning moss on the sculptures, as "seats") some kids just enjoyed scouring for wood and stone, some kids were natural leaders and organised the building and placement of the materials. It was quite fascinating to see the teamwork (some minor disagreements, and inter-team thieving, but on the whole, a very busy, productive, creative, informative afternoon!
The best part of the afternoon for me was the trip back to school, where all the kids were charged and excited, stating that they will all go back (some taking mums and dads) to add, or create new works in the woods and just generally be excited about being outdoors and thinking about nature! (it gave me a massive hearty smile, all the way home (I'd also stopped to create a wee "quick sculpture" (15 mins) to see if the kids notice it the next time I see them).
A brilliant day indeed.


Listening to : OM - conference of the birds : scorn - gyral

weekend collaboration with susie hunt

Susie came round at the weekend, so we could finish the final edit of the collaborative video we have been working on.
Susie had an Idea from the semester 1 semenar on the beach, to bring leaves to the beach, and film them blowing around. Susie, Mary and I went to the beach in February and filmed for about an hour, I then took the footage away with me, so I could import it to the PC, and start to edit some shots into a loose clip for Susie to see.

We'd tweaked a few points and fades, added some titles ("12th January 2007 - 11.23AM - 12.41PM"). I'll be uploading a webready version to youTube.

I also uploaded all my old videos onto YouTube this weekend, you can see them in my profile : http://www.youtube.com/lepeep

I've got a few views already! and some kind soul has rated my painkiller video 5/5!

part of it

I'd spoken to Iain yesterday, about having a chat with him, I think we both feel the need to get talking again, this semester seems to have floated by, without much participation (on both sides of the coin). We agreed to meet in the afternoon...

I'd taken in my rough sketch about the development of my realTime video feed abstraction installation. I'd talked of it's genesis and possible realisation, Iain liked the idea, and we'd had a good talk round the potential of it. I think the concept of the work is sound, it's about technology simplifying us (as quantifiable elements in "their system" (converting us to data, and using that information to ends that are unbeknown to us). Iain had pointed out that it's reminiscent of retinal scans, covert observation by video etc.

I'd brought up the idea that the work was similar to a Calum Innes "exposed paintings" in a way, a repetitive process, application, re-application, deletion, application (etc) to "make an abstract picture". The major difference is, that the data application is the part that you'd never see of innes's work, the final product from Innes, is where the process has finished, my realTime data reaction, would always be changing. Stills can obviously be outputted at any time, but this would trap this living image in time, something I'd avoid, as the reflection and reaction to peoples presence in a room is always dynamic, the crux of the work.

Some physical aspects need to be addressed of the work, I'd talked about "back projection" with Iain, and he shined to this idea, It'd be a challenge, but something that would ultimately benefit the space (the lack of technical equipment Vs the purity of the abstracted image, with a back projection, I'd also avoid the intrusion of shadows, obscuring the realTime changes...

Need to invest a lot of thought into creating this back projection. (mirrors, white sheets etc....)

funny old day (highs and lows)

Thursday at Gray's have always been a brain fryer...but in a good way. Stimulation from morning till late (well...3pm). Today was a strange one, highly charged and interesting, as usual, but with a very strange start. We had a seminar about the design teams latest project. With no introduction to the "problem / topic / discourse (tick)" We headed into a talk about problem solving at Aberdeen Airport, areas of change that need addressed, dead spaces that need (or could do with) sorting out, the general uncomfortable / stressful environment that an airport can be (even on such a small scale, like Aberdeen). We seemed to lurch from lecture to QnA, Teacher led to open debate, without much direction. Mary pointed out that some suggested "solutions" were woefully unimplementable or down right daft, to which our tutor pointed out "this is not the point, ' it's easy to knock suggestions down, it's hard putting them up'" to which was the crux of today’s "lesson", Brainstorming is about putting every conceivable solution down, and it's the editing, critical analysis and scrutinising AFTER the brainstorming that sorts that out. We could have had a 2-hour lecture in 5 mins. A shame, as we missed out on the talk from Aggelos Liapis about his software development for corralling and managing design processes (mind mapping, brief generation etc). His system (what we got to see of it), looked fascinating, an app that can centralise all the "helpful processes" a designer would incorporate when researching for work, and also some neat little tricks, like colour recognition software that can extrapolate from a given bank of images, which images suit a brand colour etc. A few standard features like white boarding (netMeeting etc) pushed as a "wow" factor (which most students in the room had never experienced before, so were indeed wowed to see one PC controlling 3) but on the whole a slick looking app, I did need more time to check it out, but sadly, Guest at Grays with Eddie Farrell had a greater pull...someone talking about "art" and not painted "danger zones" on airport floors.

Eddie looked fantastically relaxed and unprepared as he played us in with a jaunty tune (one of which he, when on holiday as a kid in Butlins, knew it was "dinner time" when it was played.) Humour? in a lecture theatre? Are we in the right room? Of course we were, here was an artist, so relaxed with his direction, body of work, experience and general attitude to life, he COULD use humour, and great screeds of seriousness, when needed. We were treated to an almost stand up routine, about his development in the art world, and how his practice changes, how it HAS to change, in order for him to know his work is valid, his work is ALIVE. (Tracey had even said at the start of his talk "good to see someone with a bit of life in them"). From dancing differently (disco to punk) he knew from here, that this was crucial to creativity.

The willingness to put your neck on the line, to radically alter your approach to a given situation, in order to keep your art on its toes. All too often have we seen artists, who get stuck in a rut, or hone in on a "signature" and refuse to change. He cited many artists (form swanky screen printing nuns to space strapped performance artists) statements of the need to involve oneself in anything. Stimulation for change, stimulation for creation. Advice well heeded, be a part of life (basically) and you can reflect upon it (the base nature of art, surely?). Eddie's work ranged form Anti-war posters to obscure filmed projections, short-term public works (painted walls of condemned buildings) to screen prints. The array was staggering, but all held together with the thread of credibility, his credibility. He's put enough understanding into all his work for it to "feel" like it belongs together, although it might not seem so at first glance. Even though his nature appears very scatty, he's a smart cookie. He's quoted to us Laurence Wiener, Jean Russo, Franz Kafka, all bolstering his position of "change is essential, change is life". A simple but poignantly truthful obviousness. (tell that to the conservatives who are stuck in a rut).

Eddie pointed us in directions, which appeared to be gifts; I've listed a few URL's (on follow up) to solidify them here:

John Cage: some rules to help students and teachers
Laurence Weiner: wikipidia

We then headed to the C03 "white Cube mfa test space" for our group crit with Lois, and "bitter sweet", her installation made to heighten the absurdity and falseness of "the white space". She's constructed to narrowing walls from the entrance into around 8 feet, tapering to a 1ft gap, blocked by sugar cubes (around 6 1/2 feet tall). Impressive, for such a minimal installation. The constricting sense of space gives Susie claustrophobia, and refuses to inspect, in detail the work. We have a strange discussion about the work "if it were in another place, would not be the same", I am feeing that this sort of discussion is much like the "what is north" talk we had last semester...brick for brick and dimension for dimension, if this work was moved to somewhere else (an office, was the example discussed) it was adamantly declared "it would not mean the same". Surely this is introspective backslapping about art in white space? The "point" of the piece was "the use of this specific white space". I didn't think so, brick for brick, in a cupboard entrance in a shell building, it would still instil a sense of claustrophobia, a psychological impasse, to make one wonder “what's at the bottom?” “What’s past those tiny cubes?” I think artists sometimes get far to caught-up in their own rhetoric to notice a bigger picture. "Context" has played a massive role in the placement of art, but, it's not the making of a work, it does change a perspective, granted, but the work "is still the same". Perhaps it's semantics, scrutinising words too closely, to argue what is "the same" and what is "different". Perhaps the point of this discussion is the relevance of value on space, not material, feeling, not physicality. I'd still think that an office worker, of confronted with this work in a work environment would feel pretty much the same as someone walking into a gallery environment...we'll never know, as entertaining that idea, testing this work was absolutely dismissed, and I think that's the biggest let down today.


Listening to : Clint Mansell - The Fountain - Performed by Kronos Quartet & Mogwai : scorn - logghi barogghi