down by the water front

Worth the Weight

 

 

 

Worth the Weight

 

 

 

I’m excitedly waiting a delivery of two large cartons of rubber – yes I know it’s probably only me that becomes excited by a delivery of rubber, but this is no ordinary rubber it is raw and has been waiting for over a year to wing its way to my door. Ok, I’ll explain, last year was absolutely shite and aside from freaking about getting my bills paid, all things art that I was a half way through, had to stay that way.

 

 

I don’t usually blog about my art in progress – I leave that to my art website, but my work in progress suddenly turned into work in stagnation. I became the frustrated artist who knew deep down that getting my bills paid and food in my fridge were screamingly more important than 10kg of rubber. So I waited it out, everything is still not totally hunky dory (is it ever?), but at least now I can! – hence the excitement.

 

Kuparak Alaskan crude oil

 

 

I have still to resource the other elements of my current piece, Mexican silver and Spanish jet. But I now have half of the ingredients, I had already managed to find some crude oil – very kindly donated to me from  Imperial College London who were doing a geology science project that was looking into Kuparak- Alaskan oil at the time (2 years ago now!).

I am though content, being well on my way with this, having made the frames up already with Monkey Puzzle wood. They have stood in an orderly line of three in my studio for over 20 months now waiting to be filled with the above concoction.

Monkey Puzzle wood frames

 

 

I‘ve been using rubber (unprocessed) and various other organic, mineral and synthetic products for a while now, so these current products have been a progression. I am using monkey puzzle wood for frames which after of years of compression would have turned into jet. And that jet still has a quasi religious connotation for jewellery in Spain going back to the Moors and Pueblo Indians who wore it to ward off the evil eye, holding value on that basis, and very similar basis around the world today.

Azerbache or Jet from Spain

 

 

All the current  products I'm using have some sort of status value.

Silver being the most well known for symbolising wealth, especially, as it was the beginning of one of the main types of currency first delivered as troy pounds in weight, evolving into coins which in turn set a value on other things.

The Mexican silver in it's Peso's was drastically reduced until there was virtually no silver involved. Then in 1982 the one-ounce pure silver Libertad coin was minted.

 

Another side of using these and the other products has also been simmering with me and my work for over 10 years. Globalisation and land premiums with the wealth and status of geological and mineral *assets* still overshadowing other factors like populations, health and environment. You name it, it’s not exactly uncommon knowledge, but the fact that this imbalance can still go on, seemingly uncontested.

 

 

Ok, yes we do need minerals they are incredibly useful and they need extraction. It’s a messy business , and well oil, where to start with that one, especially after the near miss last week in the gulf of Mexico. The earth is made up of volatile, messy but useful stuff.

nb: update; this seems not so near miss now, with lives lost and oil gushing out far, far worse than expected and the slick heading for the Louisiana coast, this also having difficult terrain for clean ups, rescue and a devastated fishing industry wholly unique to the area with incomes lost.

 

Time was that oil rich-oil companies would see their mess as an inevitable part of the process and the liberal-lefty-whale-huggers, began to be the bain of their business.

One of the problems that I see with the oil industry especially, and with its monitors, is a certain amount of complacency and inbreeding, if you like, with too many people having leverage in this and other types of mineral asset industries, showing conflicting interests, living in each other’s pockets.

Hmmmm where have I heard that one recently.....ahhh yes banks.....

 

 

 

It has always taken major environmental disasters to prompt any development strategy for crisis in extraction processes. The extremely damaging Exxon oil spill of ’89 hit the headlines mainly for the excessive use of chemicals in dealing with it and the difficult terrain. But there have been far worse in terms of the amount of oil spillage five times as much in some cases. Oil being the most obviously environmentally volatile over things like silver mining etc.,. Very useful stuff, but very messy and lethal.

Pipeline Prudhoe Bay

When I first started this project early to mid 2008 there was still apparently according to the US Marine Management Services a likelihood of a major spill in the Chukchi sea (Alaska) measuring in at somewhere between 30 and 50 percent. See the Guardian related article here.

 

And in an attempt to reclaim some positive public image after a number of crisis and accidents recently, was made all the more absurd by an advert promotion by Shell – the advert was screened  by many cinemas immediately before a film and lasted a full 10 minutes – if you managed to miss it, it was a slightly patronising mini film intent on force-feeding Shell’s own self eco-aggrandising image (and nope I didn’t like it! – I’d gone to see a film!).

 

Now, cinemas usually house fairly accommodating audiences, popcorn at the ready, eager anticipation and all that. Let’s just say though that the audience (in the cinema I was in at any rate) were probably on the wrong side of gullible for quite this sort of affront of brainwash, brain-dead advertising.

 

Any advert lasting 10 minutes placed in front of a film has got to be good, no, better than, it has to be almost as good as the film it is encroaching on – valuable cinema goer’s time. And I might have just listened!  had it been veering a little less off into some fairytale-reality of clean oil delivery and fluffy seals with bright blue seas and skies etc.,.  How they ever thought it would work I don’t know.

 

 

 

Comprehensive reasoning seems to be obscured in these earth resource debates, I mean just plain scientific reason here not fluffy bunny syndrome. It is obvious that if you are going to mine or drill even with advanced technology there will still be some risk, and some damage and yeay! to any advance and lessening of that. But the angle seems to be so weighted down by the need for the extraction process to be first and foremost a profitable affair – although nothing wrong with that – it is without the realistic inclusion of all the *side* issues.

That is where I think, the us and them war-like attitude seems to have come in; big business vs the wronged or the supporters of. Not really a good situation for projects like these to have a sustained and welcomed reception, and seemingly too cloak and dagger for many. Trust figuring very largely.

 

 

Oh, let’s hope some lessons will be learnt for the better for us all out of the last 19 months or so.

But on the art front, for me anyway, I have my crude oil sourced, for free! and worth its weight in gold! and rubber in the pipeline – the small but poignant irony being, with the event of the global financial crisis.

Boy, did I have to wait for it.

 

 

I don’t give chapter and verse on *reasons* for my work, but their physical make up sometimes gives indications other than that of the finished piece.

 

Ingredients

 

Rubber sourced, Malaysia Rubber Board, rubber trees were originally from South America, Kew Gardens took samples to Malaysia and those formed the basis for Malaysia’s thriving rubber industry.

Crude Oil courtesy Imperial College London, sourced from Alaska, value based on the controversial mining and costs.

Mexican Silver to be sourced value based on the Libertad silver ounce peso

Spanish Jet to be sourced value based on Moorish Spanish religious-superstition belief

Monkey Puzzle wood from a very nice man in Cornwall

 

 

 

 

Back on Sunday!..............

 

 

 

 

In The Frame

 

 

 

 

 

A few weeks ago I posted an article about changes to city centres and the lack of affordable space and highlighted this by showing some black and white photos of Barcelona by Joan Colom, taken around 1960.

 

Image sources : Ignasi Marroyo (part of the team of Barcelona photographers circa 1960)

Joan Colom

 

 

What I didn’t mention was that the whole project of film and photography took over 5 years to complete and that Colom’s subsequent publication was received with such derogation that he never photographed again until the ‘80’s. He was at the time breaking with the long tradition in photography of everything being framed and positioned (think back to old photos of family members seated stiffly for posed shots). He effectively took his box camera out onto the streets, held it hip height, shooting as and when he caught something interesting including random frames – never once looking into the camera to assess the shot.

 

 

 

Some of the photographs sourced from the book;

Joan Colom Fotografias de Barcelona, 1958-64

 

I bought a copy of this amazing book for the Exposision of his work March to May 2004 at  Museo De Arte Contemporaneo De Barcelona. And never fail to be in awe of it.

ISBN No:84-9785-028-9 Minestero De Educacion,Culturay Deporte, 2004 Lunwig editores.

 

 

 

Barcelona has changed a great deal since the ‘60’s but the areas he was filming and shooting, or at least one of them, El Raval, specifically shown in the photos above, is still sort of similar. At the time it was also known as the Barri Chino or the red light district by the port, if you have seen the area or his photos you will know they were never going to be anything other than candid.

 

 

This was a problem for the authorities of Barcelona at the time, they did not want this sort of imagery publicising their city, it was bad press, gave the wrong impression, and was an aberration on the thriving forward thinking Barcelona that had grown out of wars and depression. Reminders of a less than perfect city were not welcome.

 

 

I suppose any saunter down the Ramblas or around MACBA in the more central areas today, will no doubt reveal the ubiquitous security cameras (I wasn’t particularly looking last time I went). I do remember though, stopping off to get something extra for tea from the supermarket next to the Boqueria Market on my way back my attico in El Raval, and having to take the unusual step of leaving my bag at a station by the entrance, being issued a ticket and told to retrieve it on my way out. Something I was never familiar with in the UK post 2001. I am guessing though, that there would be nowhere near as many cameras in Barcelona as would now show up on a troll down any high street or shopping centre in the UK.

 

MACBA behind the Market

El Raval street off Macba's plaza

 

The Boqueria on the Ramblas

 

Typical street in El Raval today

Ambar, one of many flamingo and arab music bars and cafes in El Raval. I spent some time in a really small and chilled bar called Bar Arabe, directly below where I stayed. With all ages and gender mixes dancing to a sort of Arab-Flamenco-Trance-Mix music, great!

Today the area still has its raids by police on organised prostitution and other related issues.

 

I have been toying with the idea of smart phones for a while now. I like the idea of being on the hoof rather than tied to a pc – those moments when you can interact and get out and about without your whole pc back up. Now aside from the black and white argument of being umbilicaly attached to the internet and not taking in your surroundings ie; how many people do you still see when in a bar or cafe totally absorbed on the phone?.

 

Well, as far as I’m concerned we do or we don’t, there is a choice; but it is useful. I like the idea of 4sqr for tracking your visits round town or whatever – a sort of I was here treasure trail beamed back to your twitter or media site, adds substance to events or places you may comment on if you’re a blogger or promoting something. And then there is the wonderful on the hoof addition of a video post or photo onto yfrog or whatever, to add an extra dimension to it.

I’m not going into the other dodgy area of effectively putting up a sign to all and sundry stating your exact whereabouts and the knock-on  from that – ie “Please Rob Me”; see this month’s PC Pro for a really good delve into that one by Davey Winder.

 

 

No, I'm sticking to reproducing images here, and all this rests these days on the fact (in the UK anyway), of whether you are allowed to do it, no matter if professional, “practicing”, or a snappy-snapper – I know there are so many phones and people doing this kind of activity, the chances of being stopped are hit and miss, a bad end of a lucky dip. But the fact a photographer can be stopped is pretty ludicrous, this isn’t just public buildings or banks. They have always been on the radar for people casing the joint, and with that security staff would intervene if they thought the photographer wasn’t granny on her day out etc.,.

 

This is now law and it is not just a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time or a security guard asking you not to take a photo. Your right to take the photo is stopped, effectively as far as I can see it, anyone taking photos or videos on the street today is potentially getting away with it.

A risk that even Joan Colom couldn’t foresee, he had his comeuppance against the authorities at a time when they didn’t want any spin but their own. The technology today has freed up a lot of people, verbally and visually out of the confines of the usual easier to monitor methods of communication. This approach has come in on the back of fear, but I think the real fear is lack of control or the fear of a crashing wave of freed-up-info-swap that all this social media is creating and enabling.

 

When I returned from Barcelona I started my own mini project similar to Colom’s idea, with a Bolex camera (circa Colom’s era) and took a number of images or mini 3 minute reels, around the Nottingham; the Cattle Market on a Saturday, the Train station, Goose Fair.

And I tried but failed to take a film of prostitutes, who were then to all intents and purposes working their patch in the city centre. Also failing to film immigrants, (as Colom had done with the encampment at Somorrostro), after discussing with a friend working for the Big Issue, who noticed the glaringly obvious fact it was well dodgy ground, as the prostitutes had more often than not got a pimp and or a drug habit, and certainly would not want them being filmed, even anonymously. And similarly with immigrants some of whom would be seeking asylum or were in that limbo of no status and the entire camera phobia that induces.

The prostitutes seem to have been moved along the way to those areas of no man’s land between the edges of the city centre and disused industrial parks.

A cleaner more organised city – the El Raval’s and similar being swept under the carpet again.

 

 

That was only a couple of years ago, but if I were to try and do the same filming and photos today I think some elements of my efforts would be compromised. I would like to think though, that this new technology, and I know it’s an all encompassing word with plenty of devil in the detail - but I cant help thinking that we could be at the start of a much more positive approach and meaning to this thing called social media.

 

 

Brave new World indeed

 

 

Back on Wednesday......

 

 

Nb; I didnt show any of my images because I have yet to find someone who can develop the black and white 8mm film, and digitalise it. If you know of anyone pleeeeaase let me know!, and I will post them when they are developed.

Shed Loads of Space

Shed Loads of Space

 

 

 

 

As a child I used to play in the garden shed whether or not the weather was inclement. It was full of stuff like hammers, and chisels, saws, even wooden fencing – I had to negotiate my way round these things and had cleared a space for me to sit at an old table, that must have been my first idea of a studio. I used to sit and paint, and read comics and dream, and make up games to play with other friends who would come round.

 

 

I guess it was in a way, also my first and only gallery. One spring day way back, after a recent spate of particularly good painting sessions (I thought they were!) I put up a notice on the front gate saying “This way to the exhibition at number 11 Gallery” (our house number). I chalked arrows down the garden path toward the shed and arranged mums old wooden clothes ‘horse’, a gatefold style thing that allowed me to peg my paintings in an outdoor extension of the exhibition by the shed door, where I had also strategically placed a bowl of freebie sweets bought with my pocket money .

 

Mum didn’t know, and the first recognition of anything that was going on was when neighbours started going past the kitchen door down to the bottom of the garden. I had roaring traffic all day and actually sold about 40%, although they were sold at a snip and I did accept a few toffee bars as collateral as well.

 

 

 

If only it was that simple – well perhaps it is?. After the #class last month a couple of people involved with it also set up a discussion about studio space – affordable space, makeshift ones - ideas people have thought up to get round the problem of extra rented space. And studios surely can double as exhibit space sometime, if, for example it is shared and there is enough room.

Affordable and realistic studio space still needs thought though, this is one area where other people’s experiences and adaptations can add to the mix – the people who set up the twitter discussion about affordable studio space, had some pretty interesting suggestions ranging from caravans, converted trailers, mini prefabs to, I think, a bus!.......It does seem a bit like horses for courses though, if you’re work has the potential to fill an aircraft hangar – then it’s that or compromise.

 

The exhibition space some of the NY #class artists along with other artists, are renting en-mass for a group exhibition called Escape from New York next month in a old silk mill over the river in New Jersey. They also have a similar idea, in as much as creating their own space to show.

 

 

There’s nothing wrong with galleries but for the sake of argument, I have a feeling there are far more works of art than actual gallery space, never mind the demographics of galleries clustering together in big cities. I am not going to delve into the area of good art and bad art for now, nor market forces and gallery tastes. But the fact is simple; so much art never sees the light of day, for even if the artist finds space to get messy or whatever, and can afford it, the other hurdle is finding space to show and hopefully to sell. Now, the NY exhibition looks as though it won’t fail in attracting people, dealers or buyers judging by the response many of the artists are already receiving about their work in the well-renowned-art-city.

 

Berlin’s art quarter and its almost inevitable morph after the Wall fell, into the bourgeois-boho arty district of recent times, shouldn’t really be sniffed at either. People are interested in paying money for works, it’s just the fact the few artists who are reaping the benefits of this interest, or should I say, being paid for their work instead of someone wanting their services for free, are overshadowing the many who are not.

So that’s Darwinism in action for you, you may say. But the property and rent also took a hike, creating a no-win situation, the collective creative vibe, if you like was whittled down to a few revered artists who were patronised by buyers and so could afford to stay – sort of ghettoising themselves in the process.

 

Auguststrasse, this was an artist squat circa '92

 

The Ballroom Cafe houses among other things dance and performance art

 

 

 

There were some letters discovered recently written by Frances Bacon to his Dealer when he was starting out, constantly asking for advances and relating to real no food on the table problems, never mind affording his paint and materials (ok he had a gambling habit also) but it’s not a new concept. Eventually he made, or his works were sold for thousands; a wealthy man in his twilight years (quite lucky then!) some don’t get recognised till pushing up daisies. But writers are the same, affording the time to write before a book is sold, advances are not willingly given especially these days. Everybody wants their money up front.

 

 

I was lucky, as a child in my shed with plenty of time outside school hours to paint, my parents bought me my paints, and well - I was at quite an elementary stage – watercolours and rough brushes etc., the paper was fairly basic. I was also lucky to have a garden and shed to go to – I don’t have outside space like that now, living in the city centre, outside space is a premium but I have my garage with a sink, yup! that’s my artist’s studio!, but it does the job for what I am doing at the moment and I have a study with good light, so I’m certainly not complaining.

 

Any idea or initiative though, that is enabling for someone to carry out their work and facilitate the showing of it, has to get the thumbs up from me.

 

 

The Arts Council in the UK are apparently digitalising all of the collection that they have accumulated over the years, which are stored in warehouses waiting to have light of day when galleries send in a request. Only a small percentage get exhibition time, and the arts council believe by digitalising and grouping the works in an online gallery, this will not only show potentially hidden works but also generate the demand to be seen in real life.

 

I think this seems a really sound move, and really do think online virtual art has a place to offer the dilemma of where to show and what to do with it, storage isn’t the problem but viewing is.

 

If a sprawling thing like the Arts Council can get its act together online with all that work. Then it can’t be past some artists and groups and organisations to do a similar project.

 

 

There are things like Galleries Online that provide a service for free for the art community to join, there is a 15% commission if a buyer uses the insurance for them mediating in a 10 day acceptance period and release of money. But the buyer can choose to wave that fee and deal direct with the artist.

This though, even with the artist’s forum and blogs, gallery events, listings and additional connections, seems to be effectively a one-stop art shop albeit run by artists. It houses a lot of unrelated works (all categorised into groups like wildlife, sea, abstract, digital etc.,) and for me is a bit like a trawl round TK Maxx; a bit overwhelming with the sheer quantity. I’m not knocking it - it’s a really good site and venture, but for me it’s a bit like a needle in a haystack time.

 

 

 

I do like the idea of these virtual galleries. And even more the idea of the work already being partially curated  (even if in a virtual site-specific place). In the way the works are juxtaposed, showing potential for group exhibitions. So that real life gallery owners wouldn’t have to fully curate, apparently this is a big draw for some galleries especially after a heavy run or season of exhibitions.

The artists already having acquainted themselves with each other’s work and a group exhibition almost seamless in waiting, it has to be a plus point from a real gallery’s point of view. 3D also seems to be the way to go, for sculptural as well as ‘flat’ surface images, not 3D interactive that is extremely ambitious and probably not necessary for online art-viewing (unless already interactive art). It will never replace the real thing but it is a sure way to generate group images for a convenient screen view with comparatively few overheads.

 

I’m keen on this idea and would certainly give it a go - the software for 3d is there - I think it will be a while though, before a curated self contained and maintained virtual site, with adequately reproduced and 3d built graphics will be within my miniscule techno brain’s sight, but once I get an idea going I tend to stick with it.

 

 

I would be interested to see how other artists first relate to each other’s work - that might be the start – when things click on that level. A basic, introduction style, 3D website with a sister site housing curated results..... hmmmmm

 

 

 

Artist seeking similar.......must have GSOH!

 

 

Back on Sunday........

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gardener's Question Time

 

 

 

 

Once upon a time the months of March and April took me off to more autumnal notes below the equator in South Africa. I was also taking with me a few assumptions along the way, having had friends who had visited and some living there around the time Nelson Mandela was released. I had heard of the way the society worked and how things were looking to change, and was eager to see.

 

 

I missed out Johannesburg and headed for the coast starting with Cape Town and then east to Port Elizabeth taking in smaller towns on the way; known as the garden route. I was essentially on my own and maybe a bit of a wuss, but I guess it seemed a fairly gentle introduction to South Africa this being a route tourists would take, part of the Stellenbosch vineyards and many national forests. I included both Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, two cities both famous in SA’s recent history for holding Nelson Mandela prisoner on Robben Island and Port Elizabeth’s authorities for the killing of Stephen Biko.

 

 

The two cities were like chalk and cheese, in the way that Cape Town was very big and cosmopolitan, with colonial architecture and Port Elizabeth seemed just another big city by comparison. In both places I took a cab, and both cab drivers took me either through or past the townships, that were also like chalk and cheese from the big cities I had been trolling round. Very large sprawling mansions and high rise apartments next to the corrugated iron roofs of make shift homes with spaghetti wires tapping into the main grid. Armed Guard Response firmly fixed on gates and driveways can’t have missed many people’s gaze on driving through these areas. And drive seemed to be the option, walking was something you did, I was told, in very touristy or secure places. Hey! I wasn’t about to argue being a first visit and on my own. It was scary enough when the cab driver in Port Elizabeth did a detour down the bumpy road through the dark street-light-free township, to give me an idea of what it was like.

 

 

Cape Town central (Bo Kaap Malay quarter) toward the Signal and Table Mountain

 

A typical illegal dwelling with illegal electricity tapping, there are council built breeze block buildings over the way, but you have to afford the council utility bills - catch 22 for many.

 

 

A typical suburban villa with armed guard response and electric fencing.

It was a few years ago when I visted, and things have changed, but I have seen reports recently that show many things like this remain the same. Change does take time; a generational thing for some, but the stark contrasts still speak.

 

 

So having  dipped my toe in the area, I dropped into a small town on the coast mid way between the two.

I found a B&B from the local tourist office and called to book. A very nice couple met me at the door but had a lot of questions for me to answer (or so I felt) the sort of questions that aimed for my entire family history in a few sentences. Not many smiles, more a vetting, then the words what do you do came out? “I’m an artist” I said and everything was blown away in an instant. Suddenly the formal Q&A turned into “Oh! you’re and artist! come in and look at some local Eastern Cape art that I have bought”, and I was taken straight in to see a number of prints and paintings.

 

They looked sort of like the aboriginal style of dot dream paintings, only these were not as bright - some really quite dark with black and red dots, browns and darker blues; dark wash-painted skies and backgrounds with solid but haunting figures looming out of the dots.

The landlady was very keen and said they were by an up-and-coming SA artist from the area, she was watching and seeing how his work was progressing, in fact she talked at least half an hour on and off about him and other associated artists work while she made a pot of tea.

 

 

Absolutely stunning landscapes along the coast

 

 

 

 

Plettenberg Bay

 

I really liked the paintings, but the thing that struck me most was my assumption about the woman.  She was no different before or after the “art” word. But I had taken my assumptions with me to the door as soon as I had seen this neatly manicured little town with its carefully tended gardens with gardeners, its fences all painted white, and neat roads and driveways, with craft boutiques showing colourful and tasteful work by local artisans in nicely candle scented shops – I had made my mind up this was conservative country in a big way, too pretty and too nice.

 

Hermanus Street view

Hermanus Market

 

But in one sentence, this stiff upper lipped woman and her obvious distrust (and vice versa) of a single woman travelling down the route was blown by the word art.

I stayed, she accepted my cheque, I still didn’t like her (much) but I have never forgotten the impact that particular subject had on two peoples assumed view of each other.

 

Something of this art transcendence if you like, reminded me when listening to Magda Sawon’s Q&A at #class last month, when she showed her diligence in saying that as a dealer and gallery owner her view toward the works of art she took onboard would never be compromised by her artist’s lack of compromise about how their work should be seen or sold. She was a facilitator in that sense and would respect the artist’s view of their work and negotiate diplomatically on behalf of the artist. An impartial but engaged view, like a nurse in a way.

 

Some of the comments Magda articulated were on the lines;

I have to accommodate and maintain my relationships with all the artists, one in particular is particularly high maintenance in the fact he requires such specifics, he is super uncompromising, not interested in promotion or pragmatics. So I try to serve and protect him (his work) and try to reason. For example a publisher wanted to include him in yet another art book on the next big things, and he said no he thinks the book is stupid and irrelevant, he said, and you agree!, and I do agree! you see that is the problem!.

I have to conduct huge amount of work on these lines here; for example if  there is a show with artists from Israel and he says no he is not going to participate in it, it is my job to make it in a fashion that everybody is not irritated by it (the outcome).

 

A different point also raised by Yevgeniy Fiks during #class when he presented a slide-lecture titled "Communist Modern Artists and the Art Market," showing how many of the most highly valued art of the 20th century was produced by artists who considered themselves communists (Picasso, Leger, Kahlo, Rivera and more).

He specifically talked about the historical context of communism and the commoditization of Russian art when it was being sold to the west to fund industrial projects for the good of the people. And then having European and Mexican artists like Picasso and Diego Rivera for example, pledging allegiance to the party proper. They made a political stance, a social stance, but actually put their names to group politics, and in doing so were especially at the whim of its push and pull during those difficult years after the Second World War.

 

Part of Man at The Crossroads,  Muriel by Rivera

This was destroyed after the commission because of Lenin's portrayal

 

I suppose both these things reminded me of the old and very arguable idea of artist’s being who they are first (artists) and creating because of that rather than creating because of a social ethic. It is though, a blurry argument I think. Really, even with personal morals taken out of the equation, it’s a fine line.

But the fact that art can be an image of what the artist sees, it can have a critical view or even an endorsement of a wider social ethic, and at the same time carry that sense of impartiality with the work. A transcendence of the artist’s sense of self.

 

I have no idea what the landlady’s political or social stance was in that troubled time before Mandela was released, nor indeed now. But one thing I am pretty sure of, was I genuinely felt the art she was showing me was something she believed in. And probably politics and social ethics aside she felt the desire to be part of that expression.

 

 

 

 

Wednesday's post in the pipe line....

 

nb; I have been racking my brains to try and remember the Cape artist (typical of me - perfect images of the work in my minds eye, but the name...doh!) I am looking, so if come across I will show some of his work in a later post.

First Impressions

First Impressions

 

 

 

They count, they really do!. We're really good at it, judging situations and people at a glance; science and psychology back it up.

 

When was the last time you walked down the road? or into a train station late at night and summed up your options in a bat of an eye? the safest bet, the nicest route, the dodgy looking encounter?. I know I do, apparently we judge situations from our experience and memories, believing we are right.

 

The old or the young woman?

This is what our minds do, we make assumptions and we then subsequently try and back those assumptions up so as to reinforce our confidence in making those split second judgements in the first place. If we second guessed ourselves we wouldn’t come close to that kind of accuracy. But then one argument suggests we should make the assumption, then ask questions to counter that and something in between would be about right.

 

Ok....so, in the split second it takes for me to clock the dodgy geezer coming toward me – I counter balance my dodgy assumption with a more balanced ; he might look dodgy – but he might also be having a bad hair day. So that the resulting encounter ends with an apologetic mugger demanding my hair gel?

Bloody hell I think I’ll just assume thanks! But our experiences are formed from so many things; prejudices, bad experiences and shock to overtly pleasant and equally biased ways of thinking.

To stop us all turning into mad reclusives or equally naive zombies, I guess we take in other people’s experiences to help form a wider judgment base.

Take that TV advert (think it was a police recruitment one highlighting awareness of reading situations), where a youth in a hoody is running through an estate, the camera flicks back and forth to an elderly lady looking in her bag. When I first saw it, my mind immediately thought the lady was about to be mugged or robbed  or already had been because she looked so distressed, but the lad ran up to her and handed her purse over (which she must have dropped) to her great relief.

 

I know I’ve had moments when I’ve been panicky and what I thought was a split second judgment had been biased by the fact I was panicky in the first place. A sort of double whammy adrenal response on my part! soooo not good for accuracy! – think it’s called over-reaction.

 

I’ve been on the receiving end of (obviously of what I think were) unfair assumptions, moments when someone looks down their nose at you and you think why? I’m really nice. Or assumptions because of gender or whatever, or that I looked like a single mum (even if I was!) but all the general prejudice and baggage that goes with that kind of assumption.

Stereo types.

This is why I love the arts and comedy and all that, for more often than not blowing away assumptions and stereo types, sometimes in a way we don’t even notice because it’s funny or been made “beautiful”. The contemplation or enjoyment of a situation from a different perspective.

 

So, the type of creativity that backs up stereo types and assumptions, especially comedy that seems to laugh at rather than with, is a precarious ground buster.

I am talking about un-pc jokes or creative observations here, not the blatant Bernard Manning put-down joke. The sort you know are kind of right but so aren’t, so taboo – who’s to say ? the person making the piece, the person finding the meaning in it, the person being offended?.

 

Take good old Madge’s (Sheila Reid) remarks in the TV sitcom set in the Spanish holiday resort of Benidorm; you sort of know from her general character as it’s chock-full of stereo types, like being from an older generation,that she’s constantly chain smoking, permanently tango-orange-tanned and all the while necking vodka’s. Sometimes she’s wheelchair bound (when it suits her), always being cringingly abrasive, and generally intolerant of the hotel staff, even being a ‘certain type’ of Northerner.

Guess Who?

That some or all of these traits would eventually lean toward a remark that would make her all the more stereotypically entrenched when she utters the words;

"I am not a racialist! We once had a black man living next door to us, and he was no bother at all!" prompting the response....
"Yeah, and he was still three shades lighter than you!"

 

Along with similar comments on meeting her estranged daughter’s Indian husband in the very expat-English environs of the hotel..... at once confirming this recognisable and abrasive character’s unvoiced sentiments.

 

She is not the devil incarnate because hopefully we recognise her – we understand the meaning of her character, even if we don’t agree – we get the wider joke, and the fact that she can’t spell by saying “racialist” can’t have been put in the script without purpose either. The general gist of her family are to at best put up with her, and at worst give as good as she gives back, and the rest of the cast have their own demons to deal with – far from perfect characters, but recognisable.

 

The cast of Benidorm

 

It’s comedy, a reflection of real life, but in real life this would not have been funny (personally I don’t think I would willingly go on a holiday with her character). Coming across Madge in real life after a brief chat would, if it were me, bring out my devil’s advocate side to argue the toss.

But isn’t the joke of the screenplay in showing the reasoning that surrounds Madge’s assumptions? or maybe it’s just about telling her to metaphorically sod off and sort out her bigotry, by her long suffering family and holiday pals.

 

We must have noticed sort of collectively that past stereo types (I haven’t got a date line here) and assumptions have moved and shifted, are no longer the case or are having resurgence. For example can you tell a person’s political persuasion from how they look?.

Even after a friendly chat, as with Madge’s remarks above, its only in the specific detail that someone’s complex character and with it possible right or liberal lefty type comments (or both) pepper the conversation to separate from a more homogenous sense of the assumption; I speak with you therefore you must be similar to me, because you sport an earring or a tattoo or drive a sports car, own a yacht etc.,

 

People are complex, stereo types are convenient boxes, and the one thing creativity can do is get creative with that, as the French would say; vive la difference! And so on and so on....

But on a dark deserted platform late at night and I clock Madge (bless her) coming toward me – I’ll make my own split second judgment on that one thank you! 

And if you haven't a clue what I'm on about or even if you do, here is a rare treat as Madge in all her glory meets her doppelganger ...

 

 

 

 

Back this Sunday including more thoughts on some things arising from Hashtag Class

The Edge of Expression

 

 

 

For something so seemingly gentle an occupation art really does get up some peoples noses. Take the artist Owen Maseko in Zimbabwe for example, being arrested and having an exhibition closed. By all accounts the imagery was not a walk in the park, but then neither was Zimbabwe’s recent history. An artist’s reflection of that you might say.

 

In a different and a wider sense I agree that some art can be inflammatory because of the subject matter and the close proximity to defenders for or against its denial or existence. But really, is that attitude no different than with some people getting outraged at NWA rapping about stuff in the 80's and 90’s? what were they going to rap about ? a walk in the park perhaps?.

 

 

Now Zimbabwe, and this artist’s (and other Zimbabwean artists) are obviously coming up against a regime which would prefer them to just shut up entirely, never mind to stop painting pictures of their histories grim reality. An acceptance of which on a daily basis I imagine every citizen faces in every aspect of their lives there.

 

 

But what is it about imagery that holds such strong sway when it comes to censorship and acceptance. We know this is nothing new; for centuries established and not so established kings and queens, religious hierarchy’s and the wealthy have bought the favours of artists to portray a kind of propaganda.

 

Part Triptych of Le Cellier Jean Bellegambe

 

On the lines of non art/information delivery;

TV news is apparently having a renewed popularity rush with the imagery of video reporting – alongside its move to the internet and moving-image-reportage (delivered to your flat screen or where ever) the written media is feeling a squeeze in the presence of this visually captivating information over the finely crafted word. We like to see and hear stuff delivered by a human form – I guess it keeps our senses fully occupied. And perhaps it is also way of delivering a padded out slightly more entertaining version of what would be very tightly scripted or written news in a more traditional talking head style.

 

I get that video holds strong, and, still talking about dry stuff here, but I’m the first person to watch the vid rather than read the manual (personally I need glasses to read in any depth especially on the screen) but is it also easier all round?. Maybe though there is a little bit more to it than this, a combination of a sort of time poor attention deficit and being told information? bite size stuff.

 

 

Art and the delivery of artistic expression;

Art has been, up until recently, usually defined by a static image or sculpture; something to contemplate. Is that where its unease creeps in with acceptability?. Art portrayed like this can, or encourages people to ponder, to look, to touch, to think and therefore not be told, but to hopefully engage and take stock. Therein I think lies its perceived power on one level alone – that of contemplation.

 

TV news, political spin, whatever visual and verbal imagery that fills and occupies our screens, 3g spaces and airwaves, does just that, fills up our senses on a roll if you like, with just enough time to take it in and hopefully form an opinion about it. But the written word and art, moving image or not, is there to take as long as you can, or would like, to contemplate its nuances and then to re-contemplate.

The internet has a lot of visual, verbal and written content that whether art or not, is there and can  be consumed and contemplated over and over again if wished. This is now being shifted into brackets and categories by business, policies and legislation.

I will be very interested to see in the near future, why some forms of expression are deemed not as acceptable as others. The reason why.

 

 

 

I think the written word, however it is produced will always have the same contemplative ability by the very fact it is static; so prompting the reader to absorb and imagine at their own pace and re read.

Books, publications and art have always been bones of contention, especially in the light of big social change.

I am sort of surprised the kinds of free expression seen on the internet have had comparative freedom of space for so long.

 

 

 

How we read the world around us has an impact on our perceptions and how we then act within it.

So art, being part of a freedom of expression, sort of comes with the remit to endeavour to reflect that. But all art, whether theatre and film along with the written word and the still image, be it painted, photograph or whatever, will always be a valuable part of our collective contemplative conscience.

 

 

As long as that expression is not stitched, tailored to suit or tidied up into acceptable baskets of truth or authenticity, because of political zeitgeist, fear of offending, of rocking a boat, or indeed in spite of that.

 

A friend once said she believed art was not about beauty per se, more about finding beauty within the sometimes unacceptable and unpalatable – so all the information we personally process everyday local or globally, can reach for some sort of contemplative acceptability of that.

 

Systems Lies and Statistics

 

 

Computers, circuits and chips have been around so long now that Mrs Beaton’s Book of Household Management probably had a page dedicated to them. I remember being slightly surprised (though I don’t know why in retrospect) that my mum on seeing our very first home pc back in 1986, mentioned she had worked with one of the first IBM machines briefly when in the department of statistics (it had another name but it escapes me) – basically a government employment department dealing with statistics around the 1940’s – a huge thing she said, that you put numbers in one end and... lo all sorted at the other.

 

 

Well I know that my son (now 20) has very much grown up with the smaller version of the things. Occupying more and more exalted prominence in the house, since he first managed to crawl and hoist himself up to post coins into the keyboard – bless –making a rattle out of it.

 

I can document the technological rise of computers to godliness stature in games; from his Super Mario track suit which was de rigour at age three, the game Doom taking Mario’s place, rapidly followed by things like Zelda, Unreal Tournament, Anarchy Online (3d), Half Life 2 and Team Fortress and things that probably haven’t been invented yet. I knew these as well as the names of all his cuddly toys and not so cuddly lego brick sculptures.

 

 

 

With always having computers around because of effectively working from home, we have had various stop- start blip moments with the hardware and software, as upgrades come and go. And it has to be said, if it ain’t broke don’t fix-it moments. We have grown with the technology, almost organically and absorbed its nuances by osmosis. To the point it is up there with cup of coffee in the morning switch the thing on; start work.

 

 

IBM was taking those baby steps all those pioneering years ago. These days IBM is not now as huge as Microsoft but you could argue it is from a different time. It has though evolved, from the founder  Thomas Watson’s very principled background into taking on environmental issues as part of its business strategy along with Open Source(well sort of); and not without difficulty. But as big business’s that started out 60 odd years ago they have, I think you can say, evolved.

 

Now that some sort of critical mass with technology has taken place and people are speculating and well basically wondering what the hell is going to happen next with the internet and technology, especially with social media, freedom of speech, content; written, artistic or whatever - and then there is the little question of getting paid.

I like to get paid for work – this blog doesn’t pay – yet - I’m in progress with it; you have to put the hours in and effort, as with anything.

So the lines seem to be fairly fuzzy about freedom of speech and content, people’s opinions and “quantifiable” knowledge. Freedom of speech is paramount as Catherine Bennett eloquently put it this week quoting Peter Tatchell, torch bearer of all things free speech and gay, about Shaun Holes's fine on his anti gay remarks "If I had known about this prosecution in advance, I would have gone to court to defend Mr Holes's right to freedom of expression,".

 

 

But something else is going down with the media industry, which has a lot of opinions not least on news and information. One of which has come up against a fine of sorts in the past couple of weeks from an Ofcom levelling of BskyB football screening fees. To the seeming antithesis of Mr Murdoch Snr introducing a paywall for Times on-Line.

 

Personally I think the argument expressed about BskyB being unfairly treated by Ofcom in the light of Sky having spent decades building up and investing in the technology to be a little rich – yes they did and I am sure they have got credit for it? but now is now, and maybe a fairer playing field is overdue? however much they don’t like the Ofcom persona. But content-pay- as-you- go kind of subscription – is possibly inevitable, and not just for the simple fact that a news-online media organisation is ensuring it is getting paid for content (however much you do or don’t like the news content).The principle is the same for everyone, so I do see some sort of remuneration process on its way (well it is already).But also from the point of view the internet is so much more statistically vibrant in finding which content works.

 

There are issues surrounding previous formats who did and still do invest in content and journalists who don’t reach the headline pages; but are catered for under the umbrella of the whole output. But in the mix things will surely shake down, lets hope with some social foresight along the same lines and not just the popular common denominator approach.

 

 

 

Freedom of speech, freedom to create and to be paid for content; people still want reliable sources of information and certainly react to and against fact mongering or manipulation so nothing new there. This is and has been for quite some time available for anyone to produce and anyone to digest.  So, remuneration for work, rather than just an opinion and “reputable” (established) publications now in the mix with all-and-sundry publications will have to swim with that.

 

Ironically looking at a News Corp that looks as though it is shooting itself in the foot in an attempt to protect “its land” (who knows?) does look like, at the very least, it is starting something rolling.

 

And in a month when ageing prog rockers get a judgment against EMI, not to split up their artistic content. Whichever way you look at the ‘why now when you have always been producing single entities from the piece?’ angle is an important step for artists to retain a modicum of control over what happens to their work if they feel the need to.

 

 

From this point on, as ever, we are still putting our money where our mouth is; let’s hope a fairer system of sharing that information and content also evolves.

 

 

 

One view of the democratic process and how that may equate with fairness, made me chuckle this week on seeing the trailer for the comedy series Outnumbered. It goes on the lines of something like this;

 

 

On the embankment opposite the houses of Parliament:

Daddy ?

Yes.........(to Karen)

Is that how the government gets in, and gets elected?

Is what how?....

Well....like when on tv when they say ‘and the lines are now open’ and then you’re left with only one and then they win...

Ahhh!! ....I think you may be confusing the Xfactor with democracy

(Karen)............I dont.....think so..........

 

 

 

Back with more shenanigans on Sunday......

 

 

Hard Facts and Ambiguous Spaces

 

Hard Facts and Ambiguous Spaces (some ideas from #class)

 

 

Ok I’m bashing an idea out here; its still on the lines of how #class or similar can further forward the momentum and positive discussion outcomes achieved over what must have been an intense month of organising and doing – so whatever I’m writing here are ideas in motion – ideas maybe to think about and see if they could be updated or adapted and ....well, read on.... like I said not set in stone.....

Artist dilemmas.

 

I’m an artist;

 

Please don’t tell me that I have to say exactly what I am going to do before I have done it. You see I want the artistic freedom to create from moment to moment. And so on-etc., etc., along with various other arty anomalies that have echoed around studios, galleries and schools on and off since, well, since art became something other than a paid creative job in the renaissance, or church echelons of medieval and Greek times.

 

 

Freedom to Create;

 

Got no time, and no money....

 

And another side to that story.....

 

Jen Dalton mentioned in this interview the other day on one of the positive changes mentioned in #class; “Advocate for artists to get paid fairly for their work, both at the gallery level (this may mean contracts!) and at the museum and non-profit level (asking for exhibition fees when often there are none in the budget).”

 

Art can be very ambiguous, in-flux, controlled or whatever but the nature of art is for it to express itself. So the point raised here about individual contracts falls into the need, I agree for artists in general to be more organised on that level; a contract means there are no ambiguities and therefore reduces the sometimes half-truths or misunderstandings that may occur (on either side) on completion of the work and the transaction.

 

And at the other end of the scale....

I mentioned before Chris Offili expressing his very real unease in having to don his artist-in-front-of-the-art-media hat as opposed to his Man U supporting artist at home hat, causing him problems in actually doing and growing with his work because of market and media pressures to perform differently.

 

A very cruel portrayal of the artist's dillema portrayed by Mark D of Nottingham Stuckists

 

Schools of Thought.

 

Groups, Schools and Organisations part 1;

 

 

I came across this book recently called Hard Facts (Dangerous Half-Truths & Total Nonsense). Which as part of a much wider topic addresses a fact that many businesses which have hitherto used a command and control management, keeping-the-workforce-in-check-model are, seemingly failing with the false work-hat and home-hat personas that they encourage their workforce to adopt; not only does it apparently induce over the top in-fighting within these companies but it is also failing to address the general shift to a more open; this is who I am, not a who you think I am, attitude amongst many workers these days – they are just themselves, they mix, they socialise, they interweb with each other - and it is changing.

 

The book also points to business’s like the US South West Airlines, who are more inclusive of their staff. John Lewis in the UK with their staff as partners and their shared profits also springs to mind. But more than that, the general  jekle and hydeness of these tight control formats. For example if you were to suggest in a family setting that your brothers and sisters were your competitors ( I know it happens) but  it’s not generally a bench mark for sibling rivalry instilled by the parents, and  further, if you were to organise say, a family event and extended family members were involved, the general gist would be to let each family member do their bit without checking up on them to see that they were pulling their weight (I said general gist!).

 

But essentially a group effort for the good of the group, rather than a leader controlling check up to ensure no one was slacking, causing rivalry.

This I think exudes outwardly from businesses, showing a similar sense of that kind of competitiveness towards other business and so on.

Stressful aswell? possibly

The book does point out that a few businesses or organisations do well with competitiveness encouraged; like the military. But the service industry is a glaring example of not.

 

Groups, Schools and Organisations part 2;

 

Finance was one of the areas I didn’t address when I was bandying on about the Steiner style approach to schools, but they do have an inclusive attitude toward funding finance, and a sliding scale contract which each parent in the UK anyway, sign up to (in Holland or other countries where Steiner receives state funding it is different). They ask you to pay as much as you can afford – there is a top level income that determines whether you pay the full set fee per term, anything under that and it is pro-rata and below a certain level, ie; benefit income, you pay small a token fee.

But no grading anywhere else; you pay what you can afford and everybody receives the same education or service.

So people still feel, as much as possible that they are contributing fairly and for the good of the whole objective (which includes their child’s education – so also prime motivator to be involved).

typical kindergarten circle

 

 

 

Groups, Schools and Organisations Part 3;

 

Back to 1997 and Mojacar Southern Spain.

 

A good friend of mine Tim, was at the time an artist of no fixed abode or institution – a free spirit, he eventually went on to study and take up a place lecturing at Norwich University College of The Arts. At the time I met him though, he was in his 20’s, sleeping in his car and/or on the beach and he wasn’t quite in the mood for entertaining an arts degree. This was still at a time in Mojacar and Southern Spain’s recent history that had attracted a lot of musicians, artists, film makers to the region from the 50’s Beats and the 60’s hippies onwards. An obvious bohemian atmosphere still prevailed as late as 97.

It was around then that Tim mentioned a local artist residency. Set up in 1989 in a converted mill, the idea being to allow artists to stay for a nominal fee, provided they communally cooked and basically helped out, while at the same time having a relatively uninterrupted space to create. A while ago I came across the same residency on the web and they have now joined the arts residency organisation ResArtis. Which also started out similarly in Greece with a Dutch guy who, on meeting people from other cities and residencies, decided it would be good to host group meetings at each other’s places in order to create a network and framework for better residency organisation.

 

 

Fundacion Valparaiso

 

Looking at their membership mandate and fees structure, it seems to be aimed at providing a service for individual groups or organisations (governmental grant based or non) to link up and share information, experience and generally aiding a more professionally linked up outlook while at the same time retaining the principal of providing internationally (and with that, socially, politically, and religiously diverse) linked up communal spaces for artists to engage with their work for a number of weeks. As well as their web site community they encourage members to visit diverse destination General Meetings to further experience and contribute face to face with the group; provided, I assume you can afford the travel costs!. But I’m guessing with its organisation-to-help-other-organisation structure, the benefit works both ways (so that is their prime motivator for people to become involved).

 

 

 

The potential for some sort of fairly-run-for-the-good-of-the-whole idea for #class and things like it could work.

Zac Cohen mentioned in a recent blog post on the subject – taking small steps.

Indeed!

Not necessarily an organised group but maybe a framework of intent.

So clearer interactions can also take place in the wider art community with less of the ambiguity which sometimes hangs around artists like a misplaced hippy-esque, post-victorian mist.

 

 

 

Going to put this one down for a while and let it do its thing - Back to more stuff on  Wednesday!