Wysing Arts_ communal amphitheatre
A really exciting project taking is place in Cambourne this summer with Wysing Arts. This large scale project will be the creation of a giant outdoor structure using only found and discarded materials. They need you to get involved – by give them your unwanted building materials or by joining in the designing and building of the structure.
This large communal structure is being headed by Berlin based artists Folke Köbberling and Martin Kaltwasser. You are all invited to work together on building the main structure, the amphitheatre, connect your own structures to it – anything goes! The only things you need bring with you are very basic carpentry skills (training will be given) and a willingness to experiment with scale, materials and concepts.
Wysing wants to encourage the communities surrounding us to work and play together. Influenced by the writings of American academic Robert Putnam who refers to “the collective value of all social networks and the inclinations that arise from these networks to do things for each other”.
Putnam’s concept of social capital stresses the importance of social ties among communities : “increased co-operation, collaboration and trust .. leads to .. better opportunities, health,
quality of life and neighbourliness”
Through this project Wysing is seeking to “raise levels of social capital locally, by developing experimental models of artistic activity and production”.
From 19 May onwards Wysing’s gallery has become a repository for unwanted and discarded, found and recycled materials, so if you are throwing away wood, windows, doors or any other kinds of structural materials, please let them know and they will take it off your hands.
International Residency with Folke Köbberling & Martin Kaltwasser takes place from July 16th and runs until August 31st.
To register your participation, or your unwanted building material, please contact info@wysingartscentre.org or 01954 718881.
www.wysingartscentre.org
Thursday 26 February 2009
Muddy Arts Festival 2008
Muddy Arts Update:
Grassroots Festival 5/6/7th September 2008
The art boards are going very fast and have created quite a bit of excitement. It now looks like the festival itself will be very active with artists producing a lot of work live on site. Artists from Locality, a local Hip Hop crew, the Muddy Arts Collective, Kelzo and friends from Manchester, and many others have all agreed to get involved. (check out www.kelzo.com) The boards measure 8ft x 4ft and can be painted both sides. If you have other art work you wish to display, on fabric, taurpaulin or board please contact me and I will try to accommadate it in the site. We want as much art on site as possible, so don't be shy.
“No Protection” is an additional feature to the site and will present artwork on small boards, cardboard etc. cable-tied to Harris fencing (the standard metal fencing you see around building sites) The idea of this project is for artists to donate art work to the temporary gallery, which festival goers can buy, proceeds going to St Teresa's Homeless Shelter. The work will be hung in the open air, hence “No Protection”. The work can be brought along or made on site, materials will be available.
If you have any old sofa cushions, curtains, fabric, wood, chickenwire, bedsheets, half used paint pots, wool, rugs,blankets,string,net curtains,tablecloths or anything else you think we could use we would be very grateful!!
Any other ideas for art on site please contact Luke on: lukepayn@hotmail.com
www.myspace.com/muddyarts
www.thegrassrootsfestival.co.uk
Grassroots Festival 5/6/7th September 2008
The art boards are going very fast and have created quite a bit of excitement. It now looks like the festival itself will be very active with artists producing a lot of work live on site. Artists from Locality, a local Hip Hop crew, the Muddy Arts Collective, Kelzo and friends from Manchester, and many others have all agreed to get involved. (check out www.kelzo.com) The boards measure 8ft x 4ft and can be painted both sides. If you have other art work you wish to display, on fabric, taurpaulin or board please contact me and I will try to accommadate it in the site. We want as much art on site as possible, so don't be shy.
“No Protection” is an additional feature to the site and will present artwork on small boards, cardboard etc. cable-tied to Harris fencing (the standard metal fencing you see around building sites) The idea of this project is for artists to donate art work to the temporary gallery, which festival goers can buy, proceeds going to St Teresa's Homeless Shelter. The work will be hung in the open air, hence “No Protection”. The work can be brought along or made on site, materials will be available.
If you have any old sofa cushions, curtains, fabric, wood, chickenwire, bedsheets, half used paint pots, wool, rugs,blankets,string,net curtains,tablecloths or anything else you think we could use we would be very grateful!!
Any other ideas for art on site please contact Luke on: lukepayn@hotmail.com
www.myspace.com/muddyarts
www.thegrassrootsfestival.co.uk
Arts Diary July 2008
Arts Diary
First Published in Art & Soul Magazine July 2008
This month I have been getting into the work of Thomas Hirschhorn, someone who's work at first confused and displaced me, but taking a bit of time for closer inspection has revealed a wonderous world of sincere and strongly galvanised artwork. This was a great reminder for me that, in the spirit of the great Bo Diddly who passed away this month, you can't judge a book by looking at the cover.
Kat Moores exhibition at The Great Northern was an incredible delight. The pictures show amazing visual dexterity, Kat has really worked hard at presenting the true nature of light. The atmosphere in the venue was very friendly and open, many thanks to Jessica and Kat for inviting us and making the afternoon so enjoyable.
I also visited the Bury St Edmunds art gallery where three artists displayed work under the title “focus on dance”. “Dancers” by Morten Nilsson, “Backstage at the Ballet” by Oona Richards” and “In The Flesh” by Billy Cowie. The exhibition was based around the formal side of dance, suits, ballrooms and ballerinas, (not the techno tribal side).The three pieces were a very clever video installation that made creative use of 3D specs, an automated sculptural construction that saw ballerina shoes moving without bodies, and some incredibly eerie photographs of aspiring young dances all kitted out in full ball room attire, there was something unnerving about these portraits. The gallery itself had a lovely ambience and we were warmly greeted. Their next show is “Suffolk Showcase” June 14th to July 19th www.burystedmundsartgallery.org
This month you can see “Poetry in Colour - The Art of Nature by Genevieve” at The Stamford Arts Centre. Geneviève mixes her own paints made from vegetable oils, organic colour pigments, ochres, and minerals resulting in a very personal style and textures. Her astonishing natural colours and versatile techniques of nudes, landscapes and abstracts have become her main trademark.
5th to 31st July
www.genevieveart.nl
At the Kings Lynn Arts Centre is a show dedicated to Walter Dexter. This offers a unique opportunity to view the breadth of work produced by this prolific local artist and includes drawings, paintings, illustrations, books and posters. 2008 is the 50th anniversary of the death of Walter Dexter (1876 – 1958), who lived and worked in King’s Lynn, latterly in Nelson Street and was tragically knocked over and killed by a motorbike in Saturday Market Place. Dexter was the first President of the King’s Lynn Art Club in 1945 and taught Art at King Edward VII High School. He was a remarkable painter of both landscape and portrait and was renowned for his fine views of King’s Lynn across the river from West Lynn.
Fermoy Gallery | 13 July – 9 August www.kingslynnarts.co.uk
In Cambridge you can visit Kettles Yard to see the work of Roger Hilton (1911-1975). He is widely thought to be one of the best and most adventurous painters of his generation. His paintings can be as rumbustious as the life he led. However abstract the paintings become the human body is never very far away. Spontaneous in gesture, they show him to be one of the boldest yet subtlest colourists. The exhibition focuses on Hilton at the height of his powers, from 1953 when he first saw the paintings of Mondrian, to 1965. It will feature more than forty oil paintings including several rarely or never seen before in exhibitions. 2 August - 21 September 2008
Also in Cambridge at the Ftizwilliam Museum is the exhibition “On the Shoulders of Giants”: Photographic Portraits from the University of Cambridge. Part of the University of Cambridge’s celebration of its 800th anniversary, this exhibition of photographic portraits by accomplished Cambridge photographer Howard Guest offers an intriguing insight into the working life of one of the world’s most celebrated academic institutions.
10 June 2008 - 28 September 2008
Wysing Arts Centre in Bourn, near Cambridge will be hosting an International Residency with Folke Köbberling & Martin Kaltwasser as they help the local community build a huge amphitheatre from waste materials. This looks like a fascinating project and hopefully I will get the chance to visit and see the artists in action, if so I will bring you a full write up. www.wysingartscentre.org
Over near Norwich at the Sainsbury's Centre For Visual Arts is a massive exhibition of Abstract and Constructivist Art, Architecture and Design called “Constructed - 40 Years of the UEA Collection”
The UEA collection began in response to the modernity of the University of East Anglia’s architecture. In 1968, UEA was one of England’s ‘New Universities’ with a bold concrete campus designed by architect Denys Lasdun to reflect the ambitious inter-disciplinary approach of the young institution.
The earliest group of works in the exhibition date from between circa 1910 and 1930 and reflect the origins of a modern ‘movement’. Early exponents included artists and architects associated with the De Stijl Group such as Gerrit Rietveld and those associated with the Bauhaus in Germany such as Wassily Kandinsky. Also works by Wassily Kandinsky and Lazlo Moholy-Nagy. Artists began making work now described as ‘constructivist’ in the second decade of the twentieth century. WW1 and the creation of a new social order through the Revolution in Russia were instrumental in causing many artists to rethink how art and design shapes the way people live. This is a real treat and will give a real insight to art in the early 20th century.1st Jul 2008 - 14th Dec 2008. www.scva.org.uk
There are two fantasic shows in London for you this month, Stolen Space Gallery has some of the freshest work around at it's “Summer Group Show” with work from Vitche, Jana & Nunca (all from Brazil), Vhils (Portugal), Word To Mother (UK), Shepard Fairey (USA) and Andrew McAttee (UK). Check out their work on the internet to see what I mean. 18th July - 10th August. And the Tate Modern has it's own exhibition, “Street Art” from 23 May – 25 August.
Last of all Peterborough Open Studios is on throughout July, so make sure you take the opportunity to support our local artists, there is loads of great work on show so be sure to take some time to see what's being made in this fair city
That's all for this month, enjoy the summer !!
Luke Payn
First Published in Art & Soul Magazine July 2008
This month I have been getting into the work of Thomas Hirschhorn, someone who's work at first confused and displaced me, but taking a bit of time for closer inspection has revealed a wonderous world of sincere and strongly galvanised artwork. This was a great reminder for me that, in the spirit of the great Bo Diddly who passed away this month, you can't judge a book by looking at the cover.
Kat Moores exhibition at The Great Northern was an incredible delight. The pictures show amazing visual dexterity, Kat has really worked hard at presenting the true nature of light. The atmosphere in the venue was very friendly and open, many thanks to Jessica and Kat for inviting us and making the afternoon so enjoyable.
I also visited the Bury St Edmunds art gallery where three artists displayed work under the title “focus on dance”. “Dancers” by Morten Nilsson, “Backstage at the Ballet” by Oona Richards” and “In The Flesh” by Billy Cowie. The exhibition was based around the formal side of dance, suits, ballrooms and ballerinas, (not the techno tribal side).The three pieces were a very clever video installation that made creative use of 3D specs, an automated sculptural construction that saw ballerina shoes moving without bodies, and some incredibly eerie photographs of aspiring young dances all kitted out in full ball room attire, there was something unnerving about these portraits. The gallery itself had a lovely ambience and we were warmly greeted. Their next show is “Suffolk Showcase” June 14th to July 19th www.burystedmundsartgallery.org
This month you can see “Poetry in Colour - The Art of Nature by Genevieve” at The Stamford Arts Centre. Geneviève mixes her own paints made from vegetable oils, organic colour pigments, ochres, and minerals resulting in a very personal style and textures. Her astonishing natural colours and versatile techniques of nudes, landscapes and abstracts have become her main trademark.
5th to 31st July
www.genevieveart.nl
At the Kings Lynn Arts Centre is a show dedicated to Walter Dexter. This offers a unique opportunity to view the breadth of work produced by this prolific local artist and includes drawings, paintings, illustrations, books and posters. 2008 is the 50th anniversary of the death of Walter Dexter (1876 – 1958), who lived and worked in King’s Lynn, latterly in Nelson Street and was tragically knocked over and killed by a motorbike in Saturday Market Place. Dexter was the first President of the King’s Lynn Art Club in 1945 and taught Art at King Edward VII High School. He was a remarkable painter of both landscape and portrait and was renowned for his fine views of King’s Lynn across the river from West Lynn.
Fermoy Gallery | 13 July – 9 August www.kingslynnarts.co.uk
In Cambridge you can visit Kettles Yard to see the work of Roger Hilton (1911-1975). He is widely thought to be one of the best and most adventurous painters of his generation. His paintings can be as rumbustious as the life he led. However abstract the paintings become the human body is never very far away. Spontaneous in gesture, they show him to be one of the boldest yet subtlest colourists. The exhibition focuses on Hilton at the height of his powers, from 1953 when he first saw the paintings of Mondrian, to 1965. It will feature more than forty oil paintings including several rarely or never seen before in exhibitions. 2 August - 21 September 2008
Also in Cambridge at the Ftizwilliam Museum is the exhibition “On the Shoulders of Giants”: Photographic Portraits from the University of Cambridge. Part of the University of Cambridge’s celebration of its 800th anniversary, this exhibition of photographic portraits by accomplished Cambridge photographer Howard Guest offers an intriguing insight into the working life of one of the world’s most celebrated academic institutions.
10 June 2008 - 28 September 2008
Wysing Arts Centre in Bourn, near Cambridge will be hosting an International Residency with Folke Köbberling & Martin Kaltwasser as they help the local community build a huge amphitheatre from waste materials. This looks like a fascinating project and hopefully I will get the chance to visit and see the artists in action, if so I will bring you a full write up. www.wysingartscentre.org
Over near Norwich at the Sainsbury's Centre For Visual Arts is a massive exhibition of Abstract and Constructivist Art, Architecture and Design called “Constructed - 40 Years of the UEA Collection”
The UEA collection began in response to the modernity of the University of East Anglia’s architecture. In 1968, UEA was one of England’s ‘New Universities’ with a bold concrete campus designed by architect Denys Lasdun to reflect the ambitious inter-disciplinary approach of the young institution.
The earliest group of works in the exhibition date from between circa 1910 and 1930 and reflect the origins of a modern ‘movement’. Early exponents included artists and architects associated with the De Stijl Group such as Gerrit Rietveld and those associated with the Bauhaus in Germany such as Wassily Kandinsky. Also works by Wassily Kandinsky and Lazlo Moholy-Nagy. Artists began making work now described as ‘constructivist’ in the second decade of the twentieth century. WW1 and the creation of a new social order through the Revolution in Russia were instrumental in causing many artists to rethink how art and design shapes the way people live. This is a real treat and will give a real insight to art in the early 20th century.1st Jul 2008 - 14th Dec 2008. www.scva.org.uk
There are two fantasic shows in London for you this month, Stolen Space Gallery has some of the freshest work around at it's “Summer Group Show” with work from Vitche, Jana & Nunca (all from Brazil), Vhils (Portugal), Word To Mother (UK), Shepard Fairey (USA) and Andrew McAttee (UK). Check out their work on the internet to see what I mean. 18th July - 10th August. And the Tate Modern has it's own exhibition, “Street Art” from 23 May – 25 August.
Last of all Peterborough Open Studios is on throughout July, so make sure you take the opportunity to support our local artists, there is loads of great work on show so be sure to take some time to see what's being made in this fair city
That's all for this month, enjoy the summer !!
Luke Payn
Saturday 31 January 2009
Derek Massey_interview by Luke Payn
First published in ARt & Soul in June 2008
Derek Massey
I walk into the room and see the dining table bursting with portfolios and photo-albums, bold prints and sumptious paintings. Derek conversation flows easily and soon we are discussing a full cast of art-historic themes. His knowledge on art and his ease of manner make the whole subject of art seem vibrant and real.
Born in the East End, Derek grew up around the timber yards where his father worked. He started using paints at the age of 5 whilst his father was teaching him carpentry and design. He recalls this dialogue with his father;
“what do you want to be when you grow up?”,
“a painter, dad” he replied.
“there's no way you're going to be a painter, I'll make sure it won't happen.”
Shortly after this he began secretly painting at his aunts house, during the weekends.
Leaving school at 14 with no qualifications he applied to art school but was turned away. Working as a mechanics apprentice he reapplied to Art School, they said they would let him in but only to take a graphics course, however once in Derek spent more time in the life drawing classes and spent most of his time with the art students rather than in the graphics department.
In the early 60's he and his brother spent a couple of years in a band with some notable successes,
getting several singles pressed, appearing on TV and generally being part of the buzz in the early 60's.
Derek was recording in Abbey Road when his friend Pip showed up and said “you're not going to be big in music, there's hundreds of bands doing this sound now, you're a painter. Why don't you come and work for me, I need someone to help me with my sculpture,.” So in 1966 he moved to study painting and sculpture with Pip Warwick at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. After qualifying as a teacher, and with the encouragement of his wife, he moved back to The Fens to work, becoming a full time professional in 1987.
During our conversation he links Hirst and Emin with Monet and Michaelangelo, “sure Michaelangelo would have taken Saatchi's money.” The business of art, it's fashion and politics, hasn't changed much. We talk about how the renaissance studios would have been much like the film-studios of today, creating big productions to wow the public and generate revenue from the church, the state and the wealthy aristocracy. His sense of how theatrics and marketing influences artists success, their income and longevity, is well informed.
The conversation evolves to Impressionism which he tells me was created by Windsor & Newton through their painting technology. The creation of paint-tubes allowed artists to paint outside, instead of land-locked in their mighty studios. This led to a re-investment in nature and most keenly for painters of this time it established a new relationship with light. This was revolutionary. Painters working outdoors was unheard of and it was new technology that ignited it. This is not a footnote in the history of art but an inspiration for his landscape work. He studies Monet, Matisse and others first hand, even visiting Arles and painting at night to see the same colours Van Gogh saw.
Derek's talks me through a selection of his work, which takes in many styles including Pop-Art, Landscapes, Wildlife, Figurative and Sculpture, he starts with “1812”.
“1812” is a series of sumptious volumputious smooth curvy and delicious women. The title refers to the ladies measurements, not to the Overture. The bodies lay brightly over orange yellow and blue piano paper with punch holes, a joyous celebration of big beautiful women. He talks of how Matisse and Monet loved curvy women, going into details of their personal lives with deft display of intricate knowledge.
He then shows me a set of images exploring the icon with Bowie, Dylan, Lennon, Madonna, Christ and Che Guevara , who's image has become the archetypal revolutionary (as well as a global merchandising sensation). The image was painted from a photo negative taken just before he was executed. In the photo he is reading a book on guerilla warfare. The source image was printed from a PC and due to an error it was slightly scrambled, an effect that appealed and was worked into the final result. This is a particularly strong image and has all sorts of evocative hints, Catholicism with modern stencil & silhouette effects, mixed with ancient ideas of hero's and saints, soldiers and villains, passion and redemption and finally the glitchiness of the computer error era. A sublime image.
He moves to his Pop-Art paintings. Burst with images of galaxies, Buddy Holly, Buzz Lightyear, (to whom he bears an uncanny likeness), saints, travel alarm-clocks, visa and master cards, constellations, his own glasses and references to born free, (an association that he has supported throughout his career), they detail an active narrative of their creator.
Finally he shows me some work in progress. We walk into a small room, part of his studio. Here I see a splendid piece with Laurel & Hardy juggling, a colourful sculpture about two foot high. The juggling balls are in fact references to the planets and atoms, clowns playing with the universe.
As for the future he's off to Venice to study Turner and Monet, ( both visited Venice in their 60's), is planning some new seascapes and is considering the possibility of writing a book about his experiences in the '60's.
Derek is clearly a master craftsman who knows his subjects and studies them first hand. Our conversation has been saturated with gems and flourishes of keenly studied knowledge and observations.
I felt enchanted and refreshed by his eloquent conversation and knowledge. His work is stunning, the quality and range left me breathless and very inspired. Derek is my first ever interviewee, I genuinely don't think it could have been bettered and I am very lucky to have met the man and his work.
By Luke Payn
work available at www.normancrossgallery.co.uk
Derek Massey
I walk into the room and see the dining table bursting with portfolios and photo-albums, bold prints and sumptious paintings. Derek conversation flows easily and soon we are discussing a full cast of art-historic themes. His knowledge on art and his ease of manner make the whole subject of art seem vibrant and real.
Born in the East End, Derek grew up around the timber yards where his father worked. He started using paints at the age of 5 whilst his father was teaching him carpentry and design. He recalls this dialogue with his father;
“what do you want to be when you grow up?”,
“a painter, dad” he replied.
“there's no way you're going to be a painter, I'll make sure it won't happen.”
Shortly after this he began secretly painting at his aunts house, during the weekends.
Leaving school at 14 with no qualifications he applied to art school but was turned away. Working as a mechanics apprentice he reapplied to Art School, they said they would let him in but only to take a graphics course, however once in Derek spent more time in the life drawing classes and spent most of his time with the art students rather than in the graphics department.
In the early 60's he and his brother spent a couple of years in a band with some notable successes,
getting several singles pressed, appearing on TV and generally being part of the buzz in the early 60's.
Derek was recording in Abbey Road when his friend Pip showed up and said “you're not going to be big in music, there's hundreds of bands doing this sound now, you're a painter. Why don't you come and work for me, I need someone to help me with my sculpture,.” So in 1966 he moved to study painting and sculpture with Pip Warwick at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. After qualifying as a teacher, and with the encouragement of his wife, he moved back to The Fens to work, becoming a full time professional in 1987.
During our conversation he links Hirst and Emin with Monet and Michaelangelo, “sure Michaelangelo would have taken Saatchi's money.” The business of art, it's fashion and politics, hasn't changed much. We talk about how the renaissance studios would have been much like the film-studios of today, creating big productions to wow the public and generate revenue from the church, the state and the wealthy aristocracy. His sense of how theatrics and marketing influences artists success, their income and longevity, is well informed.
The conversation evolves to Impressionism which he tells me was created by Windsor & Newton through their painting technology. The creation of paint-tubes allowed artists to paint outside, instead of land-locked in their mighty studios. This led to a re-investment in nature and most keenly for painters of this time it established a new relationship with light. This was revolutionary. Painters working outdoors was unheard of and it was new technology that ignited it. This is not a footnote in the history of art but an inspiration for his landscape work. He studies Monet, Matisse and others first hand, even visiting Arles and painting at night to see the same colours Van Gogh saw.
Derek's talks me through a selection of his work, which takes in many styles including Pop-Art, Landscapes, Wildlife, Figurative and Sculpture, he starts with “1812”.
“1812” is a series of sumptious volumputious smooth curvy and delicious women. The title refers to the ladies measurements, not to the Overture. The bodies lay brightly over orange yellow and blue piano paper with punch holes, a joyous celebration of big beautiful women. He talks of how Matisse and Monet loved curvy women, going into details of their personal lives with deft display of intricate knowledge.
He then shows me a set of images exploring the icon with Bowie, Dylan, Lennon, Madonna, Christ and Che Guevara , who's image has become the archetypal revolutionary (as well as a global merchandising sensation). The image was painted from a photo negative taken just before he was executed. In the photo he is reading a book on guerilla warfare. The source image was printed from a PC and due to an error it was slightly scrambled, an effect that appealed and was worked into the final result. This is a particularly strong image and has all sorts of evocative hints, Catholicism with modern stencil & silhouette effects, mixed with ancient ideas of hero's and saints, soldiers and villains, passion and redemption and finally the glitchiness of the computer error era. A sublime image.
He moves to his Pop-Art paintings. Burst with images of galaxies, Buddy Holly, Buzz Lightyear, (to whom he bears an uncanny likeness), saints, travel alarm-clocks, visa and master cards, constellations, his own glasses and references to born free, (an association that he has supported throughout his career), they detail an active narrative of their creator.
Finally he shows me some work in progress. We walk into a small room, part of his studio. Here I see a splendid piece with Laurel & Hardy juggling, a colourful sculpture about two foot high. The juggling balls are in fact references to the planets and atoms, clowns playing with the universe.
As for the future he's off to Venice to study Turner and Monet, ( both visited Venice in their 60's), is planning some new seascapes and is considering the possibility of writing a book about his experiences in the '60's.
Derek is clearly a master craftsman who knows his subjects and studies them first hand. Our conversation has been saturated with gems and flourishes of keenly studied knowledge and observations.
I felt enchanted and refreshed by his eloquent conversation and knowledge. His work is stunning, the quality and range left me breathless and very inspired. Derek is my first ever interviewee, I genuinely don't think it could have been bettered and I am very lucky to have met the man and his work.
By Luke Payn
work available at www.normancrossgallery.co.uk
Wednesday 28 January 2009
Art & Soul Magazine_Andie Scott , “1100 Tokens”
First published in Art & Soul Magazine June 2008
Andie Scott @ Space4
“1100 Tokens”
Andie Scotts paintings are sombre meditation on the valiant perseverance of the Burmese people, monks, nuns and ordinary citizens facing up to such a brutal and medieval regime.
The installation comprises 1100 portraits of prisoners and demonstrators, some of whom have died through torture.
The room is awash with the colours so familiar to us representing Burma, oranges, reds and yellows, like the robes and the flags. The simplicity of the line portraits also recalls the simplicity of the Buddhist message, elegance and grace, subtle and yet profound and engaging. I felt quite tearful walking around the room, looking at faces who had, are many who still are, facing such horrible imprisonment and torture.
Scott has also produced small Buddha icons, which symbolise the lost dignity of the Burmese people and the reason why they risk imprisonment to highlight their cause on the world stage.
£10 from the sale of each canvas goes directly to the prisioners via Assistance Association for Political Prisioners Burma (AAPPB) www.aappb.org
I urge you to take time out this month to visit this exhibition and experience an art piece that truly has something to say.
Luke Payn
Art & Soul Magazine_Luke Payn
First published in Art & Soul Magazine June 2008
Arts Diary June 2008
Summer is nearly here and I hope the sunshine is striring your creative appitites because there is loads going on. Please feel free to contact me with any ideas for future features, contact details below.
This month my brain has been brimming with visual stimulation. I got the chance to go the opening night of Ruth Joyces show in Stamford, great pictures with lots of movement and action, many thanks to Ruth for making us feel so welcome. I also visited London to see “The Adam & Ron Show”, and the Duchamp /Man Ray / Picabia show at the Tate Modern, and also took in a huge piece by Banksy that had gone up about 48 hours before. I came home dizzy with delight and inspiration, well worth the train fare.
Space4 has two other artists exhibiting alongside the installation. Photographer Doug Gray whose ‘Selected Coincidences’ makes use of “accidental multiple exposures where seeking out the hidden objects within the prints becomes an experience in itself”, and painter Andie Scott's “1100 Tokens”, comprising of 1100 portraits in oil on canvas of Burmese monks. 9th May -22nd June
Newly opened at The Great Northern Hotel is Peter Boizots gallery which house's his private collection alongside regularly rotating work by new and local artists. Kat Moores work will be on show here until June 15th.
In London you can check out the retrospective of Cy Twombly at the Tate Modern. A great opportunity to see this mans work in his 80th year. It is his first major retrospective to be held in over twenty years. If it is as well designed as the Duchamp show then expect to be impressed. 19th June-14th September. At ElmLesters gallery is “Delta: The New Dutch Master”. “Delta” aka BORIS TELLEGEN has been an inspirational pioneer in the European graffiti scene since 1983, this work goes to a whole new level however. June 6th - 28th. www.elmslesters.co.uk
Over in Cambridge you can visit Kettles Yard to see the work of Michelle Charles whose subject is everyday domestic life - glasses of milk, medicine bottles, tea towels, pan scrubs and bars of soap. Working in series - in paintings, drawings, photograms or cast glass - she repeats a motif to explore the possibilities of how we might see the same thing in many ways, depending on the fall of light or the attention we give it. Recent series include house flies and the knitting and unraveling of wool. 7th June - 27th July. www.kettlesyard.co.uk
Whilst in Cambridge you might like to visit the Fitzwilliam Museum's “Fifty Etchings 2005” by Christopher Le Brun's. Made over one year and employing an extraordinary variety of subtle etching techniques, the series revisits a wide range of subjects known from Le Brun’s other work whilst also introducing new themes and motifs. The sequence shapes associations of literature, music and art, like the questing travellers in the prints, the viewer is drawn into a metaphysical journey in search of meaning as well as beauty.
20th May to 28th September .
Also at the Fitzwilliam is the very exotic “Chinese Imperial Jades” displaying exceptional pieces of jade from the Qing imperial collection. These jades were carved during the reign of the Emperor Qianlong (r.1736-96), and their materials would have been mined and carefully shipped to Beijing to be carved in the imperial workshop. Some of the pieces on display bear poems composed by the Emperor himself emphasising the important status of jade in Chinese art and culture.
The pieces on display illuminate the different features of Qing dynasty jade carving, including the fashion for copying ancient objects, particularly bronzes, and the technique of carving a two-dimensional landscape with figures onto a three dimensional jade.
1st May to 29th June
www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk
At the Sainsburys Centre for Visual Art is Margaret Mellis's - “A Life in Colour”
Margaret was a central figure in the St Ives group of artists which included Barbara Hepworth and Ben Nicholson.
1st July to 31st August
www.scva.org.uk
Angelor Mellor Gallery
The Angelor Mellor Gallery in Ely is showing “In Return – Cycles of Influence” a show exploring the returning and revolving influences between textile artist Gill Recordon and her daughter, painter Tess Recordon.
Gill is an experienced textile artist who has travelled widely. A characteristic of her work is the interplay of images to be seen and found. Dragons can form out of tree roots and fire; winding serpents, fish or tree branches from rivulets flowing across win-ribbed sand.
Tess, working from her memories of Morocco and Japan, explores the space between landscape and abstraction. The paintings use condensed colour and texture to convey the atmosphere of rural and urban landscapes.
14th May – 14th June
www.angelamellorgallery.com
At the Stamford Arts Centre is The Guild of Fine Artists' “Summer Exhibition”, an exhibition of traditional fine representative paintings by a Guild dedicated to keep traditional craft techniques in the production of visual art. Subject matter ranges from still life, natural world, landscape, townscape and marine.
10th - 28th June
www.stamfordartscentre.com
“Continuous Practice” is currently showing in Kings Lynn at The College of West Anglia.
The Art and Design Department shares an insight into the work of tutors, created as continued professional practice in their specialist teaching fields. It is the strong belief of the department that art educators should remain current within their fields, so as to be able to convey an up to date and real enthusiasm for their subject to their students. For the very first time, tutors and technical staff show some their work . 7th – 21st June www.kingslynnarts.co.uk
Nearby in Wisbech and presented byAtelier East are Louise Stebbing's prints at The Angles Theatre, 1st June - 4th July
www.atelier-east.co.uk
And finally Peterborough Open Studios is back! The opening event is at the end of June with the Open Weekends taking place throughout early July. Be sure to make the most of this wonderful opportunity and support our local artists.
www.paos.org.uk
So plenty to quench your creative thirst this month as the solstice sun glides across the horizon, have a great month!
By Luke Payn
Monday 26 January 2009
Luke's Arts Diary May 2008
Arts Diary May 2008
This month has been very busy for me, I have really enjoyed writing for this magazine, meeting several artists and visting art shows, great fun indeed.
I said last month that I would find out about Space4 closing. Well the rumour that the gallery will be shutting it's doors in September is simply untrue. There is no one officially curating the Space4 at the moment, however shows are booked up until October this year.
This month I thought I'd look at events happening slightly further afield. And the theme seems to be claim the streets, claim the city with a re-wiring of the social spaces & structures that weave us together.
First up is “The Adam and Ron Show” which features the work of billboard-hijacking, pop surrealist and US legend Ron English and British artist Adam Neate who's subversion of street space has resulted in reports on CNN and European television, major collectors and celebrities fighting for his originals and international critics praising the artist's work. Over the past five years Adam Neate has left thousands of pieces of work on the streets of London, either hanging on nails or propped against lampposts for people to find. His two and three dimensional paintings use recycled cardboard boxes as canvases - Neate is a street artist with a difference. His work is technically expert and has won him acknowledgement from Tate, National Portrait Gallery and The National Gallery.
Ron English has pirated over one thousand billboards in the last twenty years, replacing existing advertisements with his own hand-painted "subvertisements." He revels in taking on the establishment, tearing down corporate icons, and unravelling social constructs. His works on canvas contain an equally biting commentary whilst being flawlessly painted in a hyper-real style.
Take the opportunity to see this astonishing work if you can.
May 2nd - 31st at Elms Lesters Painting Rooms,
Tuesday - Saturday 12 - 6pm, Thursdays 'til 9pm
www.elmslesters.co.uk
The second event on the radar is futuresonic in Manchester. This is an “Urban Festival of Art, Music & Ideas” titled “The Social - Social Networking Unplugged”. An annual event currently in its 12th year, futuresonic is extending the focus on presenting artworks in unexpected city spaces, and on social art and social technologies. The 2008 theme presents a sideways and playful look at social networking. This is the first major art exhibition to present a comprehensive and creative look at social networking. For five days and nights Manchester will be the most sociable city on the planet - with new commissioned artworks and many world firsts from an array of international artists Manchester city centre will be overrun with ‘unplugged’ social networking.
So what's the thinking behind this project? In their words: “Computers have become social interfaces to build online communities and folksonomies. Some technologies are more social than others. Social technologies are bottom up and many-to-many instead of one-to-one or one-to-many. They can include technologies created and maintained by social networks, such as communities of developers and users working collaboratively with open source tools. At the same time we see how electronic communication can isolate us, as more and more people drown in a deluge of email that generates stress, even reducing IQ. Additionally, 'online communities' are based upon an artificial equivalence between 'users' which obscures power relationships and issues of ownership.The festival and conference will explore the new social spaces and the social implications of technologies for the many different kinds of people who make, use and are affected by them.”
“This runs much deeper than online social networking websites alone. When you use your credit card, you are using a social technology. Each time we buy something we let the company know where we are and what we are buying. An electronic profile is created for each one of us and the aggregated information is used to shape services and select the products on the shelves. This in turn shapes the choices available to us, and the society we live in. Futuresonic plans to pull out the plug in order to take the new social spaces apart, see how they work, and put them together in new ways.”
1-5 May, exhibitions till 17th May.
Exhibitions are free
www.futuresonic.com
Street Blitz is a 2 week festival of street art and creative subversion. The motivation for this festival is, in their words, the “corporate image factory” which “spends a huge amount of money on billboards, flyers or ‘guerrilla’ marketing campaigns masquerading as street art. They fill your lives with an unrelenting barrage of preposterous ideals, numb values and false icons. No one asks for your permission before they push these images in your face so neither should we seek consent in order to leave our own mark on the city.” And it's action that counts as they propose a 2 week blitz of street art in London between 1st-15th May. “Whether you make murals, stencils, stickers, posters, sculptures, street projections, sign modification/removal/additions, billboard subverting/defacing/destruction etc; whether creative or destructive; whether to convey a message, brighten up a dull spot, rewire some corporate brainwashing tactics; whether to leave your mark, remove a stain, express yourself or simply to show your disgust – it’s all valid and all adds to The Blitz!” So if that sounds like your thing nip done and get involved. www.streetblitz.com
And also for your consideration are the following events, Blek Le Rat's solo show at the Black Rat Press gallery in London, May 8th -22nd. Blek Le Rat is one of the pioneers of street art and has been weilding his stencil styles since 1981, a visionary artist and well worth a look. www.blackratpress.co.uk and Noisefestival which is the UK's first cross-media showcase for artists under 25, there are loads of opportunities to present your work, check their website www.noisefestival.com and see just how big this project is.
Luke Payn
lukepayn@hotmail.com
www.myspace.com/muddyarts
First published in Art & Soul Magazine in May 2008
This month has been very busy for me, I have really enjoyed writing for this magazine, meeting several artists and visting art shows, great fun indeed.
I said last month that I would find out about Space4 closing. Well the rumour that the gallery will be shutting it's doors in September is simply untrue. There is no one officially curating the Space4 at the moment, however shows are booked up until October this year.
This month I thought I'd look at events happening slightly further afield. And the theme seems to be claim the streets, claim the city with a re-wiring of the social spaces & structures that weave us together.
First up is “The Adam and Ron Show” which features the work of billboard-hijacking, pop surrealist and US legend Ron English and British artist Adam Neate who's subversion of street space has resulted in reports on CNN and European television, major collectors and celebrities fighting for his originals and international critics praising the artist's work. Over the past five years Adam Neate has left thousands of pieces of work on the streets of London, either hanging on nails or propped against lampposts for people to find. His two and three dimensional paintings use recycled cardboard boxes as canvases - Neate is a street artist with a difference. His work is technically expert and has won him acknowledgement from Tate, National Portrait Gallery and The National Gallery.
Ron English has pirated over one thousand billboards in the last twenty years, replacing existing advertisements with his own hand-painted "subvertisements." He revels in taking on the establishment, tearing down corporate icons, and unravelling social constructs. His works on canvas contain an equally biting commentary whilst being flawlessly painted in a hyper-real style.
Take the opportunity to see this astonishing work if you can.
May 2nd - 31st at Elms Lesters Painting Rooms,
Tuesday - Saturday 12 - 6pm, Thursdays 'til 9pm
www.elmslesters.co.uk
The second event on the radar is futuresonic in Manchester. This is an “Urban Festival of Art, Music & Ideas” titled “The Social - Social Networking Unplugged”. An annual event currently in its 12th year, futuresonic is extending the focus on presenting artworks in unexpected city spaces, and on social art and social technologies. The 2008 theme presents a sideways and playful look at social networking. This is the first major art exhibition to present a comprehensive and creative look at social networking. For five days and nights Manchester will be the most sociable city on the planet - with new commissioned artworks and many world firsts from an array of international artists Manchester city centre will be overrun with ‘unplugged’ social networking.
So what's the thinking behind this project? In their words: “Computers have become social interfaces to build online communities and folksonomies. Some technologies are more social than others. Social technologies are bottom up and many-to-many instead of one-to-one or one-to-many. They can include technologies created and maintained by social networks, such as communities of developers and users working collaboratively with open source tools. At the same time we see how electronic communication can isolate us, as more and more people drown in a deluge of email that generates stress, even reducing IQ. Additionally, 'online communities' are based upon an artificial equivalence between 'users' which obscures power relationships and issues of ownership.The festival and conference will explore the new social spaces and the social implications of technologies for the many different kinds of people who make, use and are affected by them.”
“This runs much deeper than online social networking websites alone. When you use your credit card, you are using a social technology. Each time we buy something we let the company know where we are and what we are buying. An electronic profile is created for each one of us and the aggregated information is used to shape services and select the products on the shelves. This in turn shapes the choices available to us, and the society we live in. Futuresonic plans to pull out the plug in order to take the new social spaces apart, see how they work, and put them together in new ways.”
1-5 May, exhibitions till 17th May.
Exhibitions are free
www.futuresonic.com
Street Blitz is a 2 week festival of street art and creative subversion. The motivation for this festival is, in their words, the “corporate image factory” which “spends a huge amount of money on billboards, flyers or ‘guerrilla’ marketing campaigns masquerading as street art. They fill your lives with an unrelenting barrage of preposterous ideals, numb values and false icons. No one asks for your permission before they push these images in your face so neither should we seek consent in order to leave our own mark on the city.” And it's action that counts as they propose a 2 week blitz of street art in London between 1st-15th May. “Whether you make murals, stencils, stickers, posters, sculptures, street projections, sign modification/removal/additions, billboard subverting/defacing/destruction etc; whether creative or destructive; whether to convey a message, brighten up a dull spot, rewire some corporate brainwashing tactics; whether to leave your mark, remove a stain, express yourself or simply to show your disgust – it’s all valid and all adds to The Blitz!” So if that sounds like your thing nip done and get involved. www.streetblitz.com
And also for your consideration are the following events, Blek Le Rat's solo show at the Black Rat Press gallery in London, May 8th -22nd. Blek Le Rat is one of the pioneers of street art and has been weilding his stencil styles since 1981, a visionary artist and well worth a look. www.blackratpress.co.uk and Noisefestival which is the UK's first cross-media showcase for artists under 25, there are loads of opportunities to present your work, check their website www.noisefestival.com and see just how big this project is.
Luke Payn
lukepayn@hotmail.com
www.myspace.com/muddyarts
First published in Art & Soul Magazine in May 2008
Muddy Arts Festival Update-May 2008
Muddy Arts Festival Update-May 2008
So the waves of change ebb against the shore of good intentions. I wrote last month that there would be a gallery on site, this has changed slightly. There will not be a gallery in the normal sense, it would be a bit of a logistical nightmare to produce this in five months, with super lo-budget, and with the additional factor that it would only be up for two and a half days it all seems like the energy could be better spent. And so it could, the concept of the gallery is to be turned inside out; 8 ft by 4ft boards will be positioned around the site, each board with a separate painting on it. They will zig-zag to create high-impact visual delights, space and atmosphere around the various stages and tents.
I have include a photograph of the sort of set-up I mean, these pictures were taken in Barcelona. The supports we will be using are more robust, at present we are looking at having large wooden fencing spikes hammered into the ground on either side and large screws affixing them.
We will have the boards in the art studio @ the glass onion which you can paint there, all styles and mediums are welcome. If you want to produce work with spray paint then these can be painted in the back garden of the Onion. (which hopefully will be open to the public very soon,) And, if coming down to the onion studio is awkward or inconvenient for any reason then we may even be able to discuss delivering a board or two to your address and collect when ready.
So if you want a board or two to paint up then please contact me and we can get something sorted. They will be left outside for the duration of the festival, i.e. they will be prey to the rain, so they may be in for a “weather experience”, as The Prodigy so eloquently put it on the masterpiece that is their first album. However the work can be protected to a degree with varnish or a PVA mixture.
There will also be a number of boards to be painted throughout the event itself, with all festival goers encouraged to participate in some of these. Hopefully we will have up to 50 boards, which gives a potential of 100 paintings.
(it is worth noting that these boards are usually scrapped by a local factory in Ramsey as they form part of the packaging that other materials arrive in, thus they would otherwise be destroyed or dumped, we arrange for them to be stored and collect them throughout the year for various art projects.)
All artists are invited to take part in this project. If graphics and design is your thing and these boards seem too big then perhaps team up with someone and make a collaboration piece. Your work could be printed out on our large format printer (A0 sizes) and pasted to the boards, or printed to acetate and projected onto the boards for outline work, there are many other possibilities. After the festival they can be stored for future use or returned to you.
I also wrote last month of a forested area, this too has been scrapped, money, time, space, and mostly the “weather experience” means that the idea is simply untenable. As too have the columns of light, unless a sensible solution can be developed then they too are crossed off the list. However sculptures are still gunning for it, alongside the flags. The flags will be made from reclaimed material, the flag poles, dunno, any ideas please give me a call. Lastly there are the banners for the various stages and areas, these will be done on large and long tarpaulin banners reclaimed from retail and promotional....thingies. These too can be painted at the glass onion. There are regular décor meetings at the Glass Onion, currently every Wednesday at 7pm approximately, please feel free to pop down for a chat.
big love from Muddy Arts team,
Luke Payn
lukepayn@hotmail.com
www.myspace.com/muddyarts
First Published in Art & Soul Magazine in May 2008
Lauren Shields exhibition review / interview
Lauren Shields
Lauren Shields recent exhibition at The Glass Onion saw a fantastic response from visitors.
The work was part of the Exhibit:U project initiated by Gary Law last year.
Her work is bold, simple and fresh. Spacious in colour and composition yet the subject is always shown directly. Whether it is a grimy image showing modern life behind the curtains, or a simple and timeless image of flowers, there is nothing in the image that is unnecessary.
The work was very well presented and had an overall sense of harmony. The images moved from detailed shots of plugs, piled up ready for recycling, to the disused detail of a fire engine, also awaiting recycling and beautifully segued into a inspiring image of a dilapidated brick wall with a beautiful vista of a dreamlike landscape; lush greens married to an eternal blue sky. This was one of the most popular images in the show, people couldn't wait to get a copy of it!
There were also enigmatic shots of a Mansion in France and rural pathways in the countryside outside of Bolton. Both these images were wonderful exercises in the art of composition and had an elusive nature about them, they could have been taken anywhere.
Lauren is a young photographer who I am sure will go far. An industrious and conscientious 17 year old Lauren is studying at Peterborough Regional College doing Photography and Art 'A' Levels (A2) and a City & Guilds in Photography and is hoping to start a degree in September.
Lauren's Father died when she was just 7 years old. He was a graphic designer by trade but also was a keen artist and photographer and she grew up with his paintings and pictures around her. It was this work of her father that started her love affair with imagery and image making.
When she was very young she walked around with disposable cameras and simple roll-film cameras taking pictures of whatever was around. Nowadays she uses either a Nikon D50 (with either a standard lens or a Macro 105mm) or a Nikon F80d film camera. When using film Lauren's preferred make is Ilford's Pan-F ISO 50. A black & white fine-grain film that compliments the crisp composition of her pictures. All the pictures in show were taken on the D50, digital images with very little work in Photoshop. Lauren loves working in the darkroom and uses Photoshop as she would use the darkroom.
What I liked most about the work on show was that she doesn't over intellectualise the image. She does a lot of her work un-planned, relying on her intuition. She uses her subtlety and a lightness of touch to respond to her surroundings, taking the image on the “spur of the moment”. Laurens focus is on the composition. When I ask her why she loves photography so much she tells me it is because
strong images can talk to all of us, Lauren flips through her notebook to find a favourite quote of hers that illustrates this sentiment better, aha here it is she smiles; “good photography should transcend the barriers of language and nationality”.
Lauren became known for her photography when she started taking pictures of local bands, some of them being published in this magazine, but at the moment she is finding the work on her personal projects more rewarding. I asked her what she would like to be doing in the future, serenely and modestly she replies that she would like to have more exhibitions and more of her work published, perhaps owning a coffee shop with her photographs and jewellery etc. for sale, ..............she quite gracefully says she's not really sure, she'll use her intuition and “go with the flow.”
by Luke Payn
First published in Art & Soul Magazine in May 2008
Lauren Shields recent exhibition at The Glass Onion saw a fantastic response from visitors.
The work was part of the Exhibit:U project initiated by Gary Law last year.
Her work is bold, simple and fresh. Spacious in colour and composition yet the subject is always shown directly. Whether it is a grimy image showing modern life behind the curtains, or a simple and timeless image of flowers, there is nothing in the image that is unnecessary.
The work was very well presented and had an overall sense of harmony. The images moved from detailed shots of plugs, piled up ready for recycling, to the disused detail of a fire engine, also awaiting recycling and beautifully segued into a inspiring image of a dilapidated brick wall with a beautiful vista of a dreamlike landscape; lush greens married to an eternal blue sky. This was one of the most popular images in the show, people couldn't wait to get a copy of it!
There were also enigmatic shots of a Mansion in France and rural pathways in the countryside outside of Bolton. Both these images were wonderful exercises in the art of composition and had an elusive nature about them, they could have been taken anywhere.
Lauren is a young photographer who I am sure will go far. An industrious and conscientious 17 year old Lauren is studying at Peterborough Regional College doing Photography and Art 'A' Levels (A2) and a City & Guilds in Photography and is hoping to start a degree in September.
Lauren's Father died when she was just 7 years old. He was a graphic designer by trade but also was a keen artist and photographer and she grew up with his paintings and pictures around her. It was this work of her father that started her love affair with imagery and image making.
When she was very young she walked around with disposable cameras and simple roll-film cameras taking pictures of whatever was around. Nowadays she uses either a Nikon D50 (with either a standard lens or a Macro 105mm) or a Nikon F80d film camera. When using film Lauren's preferred make is Ilford's Pan-F ISO 50. A black & white fine-grain film that compliments the crisp composition of her pictures. All the pictures in show were taken on the D50, digital images with very little work in Photoshop. Lauren loves working in the darkroom and uses Photoshop as she would use the darkroom.
What I liked most about the work on show was that she doesn't over intellectualise the image. She does a lot of her work un-planned, relying on her intuition. She uses her subtlety and a lightness of touch to respond to her surroundings, taking the image on the “spur of the moment”. Laurens focus is on the composition. When I ask her why she loves photography so much she tells me it is because
strong images can talk to all of us, Lauren flips through her notebook to find a favourite quote of hers that illustrates this sentiment better, aha here it is she smiles; “good photography should transcend the barriers of language and nationality”.
Lauren became known for her photography when she started taking pictures of local bands, some of them being published in this magazine, but at the moment she is finding the work on her personal projects more rewarding. I asked her what she would like to be doing in the future, serenely and modestly she replies that she would like to have more exhibitions and more of her work published, perhaps owning a coffee shop with her photographs and jewellery etc. for sale, ..............she quite gracefully says she's not really sure, she'll use her intuition and “go with the flow.”
by Luke Payn
First published in Art & Soul Magazine in May 2008
Dan Donovan Photography Review
Dan Donovan
Demanding Landscapes: Fenland meets The Algarve
Demanding Landscapes is a series of images that locates similarities in the heartland of the Fens to the idyllic destinations of the Algarve in Portugal.
A move to the The Fens at the beginning of the 1990s prompted him to get behind the lens to capture the bold, stark landscapes that give the area its eerily beautiful character.
After visiting The Algarve in Portugal, Donovan was again inspired. The dry, barren sun-soaked landscapes and cobalt blue skies offered a new vantage-point for Dan’s artistic interpretation, and he said it seemed like a natural step to place these two different geographical shoots in one context as one exhibition.
A Derbyshire-born artist and adopted Fen Man Dan has a background in design which allows him to consider the overall visual impact of an image. “I have an interest in abstract qualities and juxtapositions, manufactured and organic lines that make contemporary gestures”, he said. “Stark, distressed environments excite me and I always seek to enhance these qualities when I take a picture. In so many ways The Fens and The Algarve make similar demands; there’s an emptiness and sense of space with the occasional intrusion, be it man-made or natural.”
And what of the images on show? “Fen Crate” is a black & white image of stacked crates, it has lots of lines and could almost be the skeleton or scaffolding of a building. I really liked this photo, it shows a real feel for the fens and looks almost architectural. To me it suggests that the architecture of the fens is in fact the agriculture.
Mostly the show presents close-ups, taken low to the ground, used to emphasise the sense of flatness or direct you to the detail. “Fen Flowers” is no exception with it's wild Daisy's (or was it Camomile? Did we ever find out Mike?!) but not the iconic and pretty daisy but a wilting and battered bunch on a piece of scrubland. The greens are not lush but earthy and natural.
“Fenland Abbey” placed next to “Algarve Church” could almost be photos of the same building. They both have the same tone of clear blue sky and white church bricks. Again very linear and uncluttered.
“Atlantico Thorns” and “Fen Fruit” create an interesting contrast, the former having dark-blue summer storm clouds and showing a very spiky, dry, dusty, sharp and brittle plant whilst the latter has a soft and light blue sky with a bounty of soft, lush and inviting red berries.
The final image creates a contrast to the rest as it is an image that could not be taken in the fens. “Atlantico Rock” is taken from the top of a cliff looking down and generates a quite inquisitive image of rocks which looks more like an abstract painting.
There are no people or animals in these images, in fact there is nothing there that moves at all. Dan finds life and beauty in the static compositions, in the details and the immediate, in the desolate and the distressed.
There is a synergy in the images here tonight he says, “both are desolate places. The other synergy is that one is bright and beautiful the other dark and wet, both offer lots of colours.”
Luke Payn
First published in Art & Soul Magazine in May 2008
Ana Maria Pacheco: Prints
UNKNOWN LAND
Ana Maria Pacheco: Prints
Space4 Gallery
March 22nd to April 20th
www.anamariapacheco.co.uk
Ana was born in the centre of Brazil, and at 65 years of age she is still as active and prolific as ever before. Primarily a sculptress she got involved with printmaking whilst studying at the Slade School of Art. She was recently the Associate Artist at the National Gallery (1997 - 2000) - the first non-European and sculptor to hold the appointment. Since 1973 Ana has lived and worked in England.
The exhibition at Space4 concentrates on her printed work and displays four of Pacheco's printing techniques (etching, multi-plate colour etching, woodcut and drypoint) by bringing together five sets of her prints:
Rehearsal 1-10 (etching, 1989),
Gargantua and Pantagruel I-X (woodcut, 1994),
Terra Ignota 1-10 (drypoint, 1994),
Lux Aeterna I & II (drypoint, 1995)
Tales of Transformation I-V (multi-plate colour etching, 1998).
In each series Pacheco has concentrated on a specific historic fable or social tradition to produce dramatic, highly charged images that illustrate the fine line between human comedy and tragedy.
It is clear as you look at the first selection of prints, “Rehearsal 1-10”, that Ana is interested in the world of theatre and story telling. In the first room there are two sets of prints on either side of you, each a series of five images. These prints are of heads, closely and tightly cropped, dark and black, with small touches of a striking mute red. The faces have life and character, and they are doing something, or have a hold of something, though you cannot be sure what.
In the next room are a selection of woodcuts from the “Gargantua and Pantagruel I-X” series. These are based on the stories of Rabelais and feature flying pigs, giants, men urinating and other scenes loosely associated with his medieval naratives. They are simplistic images with a lightness of touch.
“Tales of Transformation I-V” are produced through multi-plate colour etching and relate to scenes from Ovid's 'Metamorphoses'. With prints of Orpheus singing to Persephone, Circe and the men she transformed to pigs they display a further example of Ana's love for storytelling. Talking about the use of myths in her work she says, “it's not that I'm interested in myths in a direct way. If you investigate them they reflect patterns of behaviour that actually haven't changed that much.................we always hope we can change although this doesn't happen that often.” These prints have an almost illustrative quality as though from a childs fairytale book. The colours are bold and the overall effect is captivating.
Moving into the cental part of the gallery we see “Terra Ignota 1-10”. Ten prints made using the dry-point technique. These show a series of images with ships in dry-dock. Her theme of journey's, travel & transformation taking a twist, the people here are in a vessel that is going nowhere. These show groups of people in boats raised from the ground with stilts (one bizarrely supported by a Rhinoceros). These images are inspired by the work of D.H.Lawrence, from his poem 'The Ship of Death'. The title translates as 'unknown land' and continues her exploaration of ideas to do with the underworld, the lands after life, and the body as a vessel for the soul and the transformation of body and spirit. I enjoyed these images very much, they strike an unsettling resonance, desperate hope with abject futility.
Also in this room are two prints from her Lux Aeterna I & IV series. The title comes from a Requiem Mass and translates as 'eternal light'. When looking through some magazines Ana saw a photograph of a conflict in the Middle East which showed a crowd of civilians huddling under the dominance of a helicopter, on seeing this she was instantly reminded of another photograph she had seen, one taken in 19th Century Brazil. The similarity of these two scenarios was, she felt, something worth investigating in her prints. The prints show fearful faces cowering, one from a helicopter and in the other there is a female Griffin and what appears to be a burning ship. The faces could be of any race, they are human, but it is hard to make out any other distinction. Asked if there is a political message behind Lux Aeterna she says “ I think it would be naïve to think you can make any work that doesn't have a social connotation – I am not talking about politics or politicians, I am talking about a human condition: humankind as political beings. You live in a society and your interaction with others is a political statement. So in that sense my work has political implications because it is a part of what we are as humans.” To me these prints show the connection that these myths, stories and poems have to real life, the eternal inspiration behind the recurring stories of humankind. On the subject of this connection Ana says “I am fascinated by the manic reality of everyday life and also between the divide between drama and melodrama. What do I mean? Something, I think, about the mis-match of realities of expectations in everyday life. Obviously this has a lot to do with the values of my own culture; nevertheless, the cultural references come to me in a very fragmented way.”
Ana Maria Pacheco is an artist of extraordinary diversity. Her work draws on a wide variety of cultural references that include Brazilian folklore, classical myth, mystical Catholicism and medieval satire. Pacheco uses her source material to create works that play with the art of storytelling. She has developed a particular use of symbols, motifs and devices that combine to produce a distinctive and fantastic imagery.
Seeing work like this gets to the very root of art. Images that inspire, lead you into them, tell stories and take you on journey's. With themes that are present in the first stories & poems of man, settings that relate to today's situations and set somewhere on the psychic borderland.
A very good show, I only wish there were more! I am glad that I have had the chance to be introduced to Ana's work. She has a wonderful style, confident and natural with very much her own idiosyncratic vocabulary. I will certainly look out for more of her artwork, hopefully next time I will be able to see some of her sculptures.
By Luke Payn
First published in Art & Soul Magazine in May 2008
MUDDY ARTS: FESTIVAL UPDATE April 2008
MUDDY ARTS: FESTIVAL UPDATE
The dates are set for the festival, the palms have been chalked, a deep gulp of air and we're off, it's the hundred metre sprint to the opening of the GrassRoots Festival of Music & Art 2008. The first few décor meetings have been held and plans are underway for transforming a flat and unadorned patch of land into a magical fantastical wonderland for three whole days. We have six months to create the décor for the site; flags, sculptures, banners and stage design. The theme, loosely, is the five elements. Each area will be based on one of the elements. Roughly the areas are dance, acoustic, main stage, chillout, art/cabaret & healing. We don't have much time to make the stuff and we don't have much of a budget for it either, but there is plenty of enthusiasm and inspiration for the project. There are ideas for making small forested areas, spiral pathways from flags, columns of light, video cubes, large sculptures, sensory garden and much more besides. All artists are invited to join in with this project, if you would like to paint large banners, make a large sculpture or installation, design the flags, decorate the insides of the tents or anything else then please don't hesitate to come and get involved. We are also building a large gallery for the site so if you would like to show your work then please get in touch. Or if you would like to run a workshop, a stall or do something in the kids tent then contact us. You can chat with the artists involved on the muddy forum, go to www.muddy.org.uk, and head to the forum. We have set up a new set of threads for this years festival so please visit them as they are a very useful resource for this type of project.
There will be regular décor meetings at the Glass Onion, currently every Wednesday
at 7pm. When the art studio is ready we will move into there and get on with painting banners and making décor items. However, if anyone has any large space available for Muddy Arts to use please contact us. We need a large enough space for working with very large pieces of wood, and using power tools, and preferably where the work can be left in-between sessions. The Onion doesn't have the space for this kind of work and it is vital to the festival that we can get on with this as soon as possible. A large yard or garage would be great. So don't be shy, all help is appreciated, and it's a great way of meeting other artists and being involved in something really special.
More newts next month folks,
big love to the Muddy Arts team,
Luke Payn
lukepayn@hotmail.com
www.myspace.com/muddyarts
The dates are set for the festival, the palms have been chalked, a deep gulp of air and we're off, it's the hundred metre sprint to the opening of the GrassRoots Festival of Music & Art 2008. The first few décor meetings have been held and plans are underway for transforming a flat and unadorned patch of land into a magical fantastical wonderland for three whole days. We have six months to create the décor for the site; flags, sculptures, banners and stage design. The theme, loosely, is the five elements. Each area will be based on one of the elements. Roughly the areas are dance, acoustic, main stage, chillout, art/cabaret & healing. We don't have much time to make the stuff and we don't have much of a budget for it either, but there is plenty of enthusiasm and inspiration for the project. There are ideas for making small forested areas, spiral pathways from flags, columns of light, video cubes, large sculptures, sensory garden and much more besides. All artists are invited to join in with this project, if you would like to paint large banners, make a large sculpture or installation, design the flags, decorate the insides of the tents or anything else then please don't hesitate to come and get involved. We are also building a large gallery for the site so if you would like to show your work then please get in touch. Or if you would like to run a workshop, a stall or do something in the kids tent then contact us. You can chat with the artists involved on the muddy forum, go to www.muddy.org.uk, and head to the forum. We have set up a new set of threads for this years festival so please visit them as they are a very useful resource for this type of project.
There will be regular décor meetings at the Glass Onion, currently every Wednesday
at 7pm. When the art studio is ready we will move into there and get on with painting banners and making décor items. However, if anyone has any large space available for Muddy Arts to use please contact us. We need a large enough space for working with very large pieces of wood, and using power tools, and preferably where the work can be left in-between sessions. The Onion doesn't have the space for this kind of work and it is vital to the festival that we can get on with this as soon as possible. A large yard or garage would be great. So don't be shy, all help is appreciated, and it's a great way of meeting other artists and being involved in something really special.
More newts next month folks,
big love to the Muddy Arts team,
Luke Payn
lukepayn@hotmail.com
www.myspace.com/muddyarts
April's Art Diary 2008
Fisrt published in Art & Soul Magazine in April 2008
http://www.artandsoulmagazine.com
April's Art Diary
This is the second of my art diaries, a quick look at what has happened in the month past and what will be happening in the month ahead.
Thanks for all the feedback from last months column, please don't hesitate to get in touch and get involved, I want this column to be an open dialogue with you guys as well. Five years ago we, the creative people of Peterborough, didn't have resources such as this magazine, the Unity club nights, Eco Arts, the various projects of Muddy Promotions & Muddy Arts, and the Glass Onion. Please grab hold of these opportunities and breathe your life into them as all of them thrive on your involvement, and Peterborough is a much richer city for the myriad endeavours of it's creative populace.
If you wish to have an item included or comment on anything then please contact me using the details below.
Right, now let's get down to business, this month sees the 30th Birthday of Sainsbury's Centre of Visual Arts. Based in Norwich they have contributed to the arts in East Anglia tremendously, providing a large space for exhibitions including a large sculpture-garden. Their collection has big numbers, with several thousand items which span over 5000 years of human history. Pretty awesome. They also provide a regular programme of events and workshops throughout the year. The current show, “Cloth & Culture Now” runs until 1st June and features work by 35 artists from Estonia, Finland, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania and the UK.
www.scva.org.uk
Kettle's Yard has an inspiring exhibition lined up for us this month called “Beyond Measure: conversations across art and science”. This show explores how geometry is used by artists, physicists, astronomers, engineers, surgeons, architects, molecular biologists and mathematicians - among many others - to interpret, explain and order the world around us.
Beyond Measure will explore both historical and up-to-the-minute aspects of geometry moving from the origins of geometry on the banks of the Nile to interactive computer visualisations.
The show includes work by the man who launched a thousand psychedelic ships, mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot, and the sculptor (or 'fabricator' as he prefers to be called ) Richard Deacon. Top class stuff. I will hopefully be visiting this show and will bring the raw review live and direct from the mind of Mr Payn.
www.kettlesyard.org
Geometry in art links us quite nicely with “Art Islam” which is an organisation dedicated to the development and exhibition of Islamic art and culture. This group will be hosting an introduction to their work which will include live Qawwali music performances, food, talks, plus loads of arts and crafts stalls. It takes place at the John Clare Theatre, (above the library), entry is £5 and starts at 7pm. For more details contact Ollie on 07708 921045.
Karen from Angles Theatre (on Alexander Rd, Wisbech) tells me that she is still accepting entries for Atelier East's 3rd Annual Summer Exhibition (6th July - 1st Aug) This is a group show, so if you would like to get your work exhibited then email her on info@atelier-east.co.uk. Angles Theatre's current show opens on April 6th , runs 'till the 2nd May and is dedicated to the textile work of Helen Free.
And bringing it back to the city of Peterborough Space4 this month sees the work of Ana Maria Pacheco, simply titled “prints”. This is the first solo show at Space4 for nearly four months, and looks to be a change of pace for the gallery with a selection of drawings & sketches in ink, charcoal and similar materials. opening on March 22nd and runs until April. This exhibition has been organised by the South Bank Centre as part of the 'Haywood Touring' project. Check out Ana's work on her website www.anamariapacheco.co.uk for a great selection of her work. Impressive and otherworldly images that occur somewhere on the psychic borderland. Can't wait!
Space4 is apparently closing down in September, so there will only be three or four more shows before it is gone for good, I will endeavour to find out more details on this situation for next months diary. (which brings me back to my comment earlier in this column, support the creative and artistic projects within this city if you want them to thrive.)
wwww.thespace4.org
And lastly back to the Muddy HQ, The Glass Onion has a new exhibition opening on March 22nd with works by Karen Green, she will be showing a variety of work on canvas and will be on display for about a month.
That's all folks! 'til the next time, stay happy 'n' let your love shine on, peace.
Luke Payn
lukepayn@hotmail.com
www.myspace.com/muddyarts
http://www.artandsoulmagazine.com
April's Art Diary
This is the second of my art diaries, a quick look at what has happened in the month past and what will be happening in the month ahead.
Thanks for all the feedback from last months column, please don't hesitate to get in touch and get involved, I want this column to be an open dialogue with you guys as well. Five years ago we, the creative people of Peterborough, didn't have resources such as this magazine, the Unity club nights, Eco Arts, the various projects of Muddy Promotions & Muddy Arts, and the Glass Onion. Please grab hold of these opportunities and breathe your life into them as all of them thrive on your involvement, and Peterborough is a much richer city for the myriad endeavours of it's creative populace.
If you wish to have an item included or comment on anything then please contact me using the details below.
Right, now let's get down to business, this month sees the 30th Birthday of Sainsbury's Centre of Visual Arts. Based in Norwich they have contributed to the arts in East Anglia tremendously, providing a large space for exhibitions including a large sculpture-garden. Their collection has big numbers, with several thousand items which span over 5000 years of human history. Pretty awesome. They also provide a regular programme of events and workshops throughout the year. The current show, “Cloth & Culture Now” runs until 1st June and features work by 35 artists from Estonia, Finland, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania and the UK.
www.scva.org.uk
Kettle's Yard has an inspiring exhibition lined up for us this month called “Beyond Measure: conversations across art and science”. This show explores how geometry is used by artists, physicists, astronomers, engineers, surgeons, architects, molecular biologists and mathematicians - among many others - to interpret, explain and order the world around us.
Beyond Measure will explore both historical and up-to-the-minute aspects of geometry moving from the origins of geometry on the banks of the Nile to interactive computer visualisations.
The show includes work by the man who launched a thousand psychedelic ships, mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot, and the sculptor (or 'fabricator' as he prefers to be called ) Richard Deacon. Top class stuff. I will hopefully be visiting this show and will bring the raw review live and direct from the mind of Mr Payn.
www.kettlesyard.org
Geometry in art links us quite nicely with “Art Islam” which is an organisation dedicated to the development and exhibition of Islamic art and culture. This group will be hosting an introduction to their work which will include live Qawwali music performances, food, talks, plus loads of arts and crafts stalls. It takes place at the John Clare Theatre, (above the library), entry is £5 and starts at 7pm. For more details contact Ollie on 07708 921045.
Karen from Angles Theatre (on Alexander Rd, Wisbech) tells me that she is still accepting entries for Atelier East's 3rd Annual Summer Exhibition (6th July - 1st Aug) This is a group show, so if you would like to get your work exhibited then email her on info@atelier-east.co.uk. Angles Theatre's current show opens on April 6th , runs 'till the 2nd May and is dedicated to the textile work of Helen Free.
And bringing it back to the city of Peterborough Space4 this month sees the work of Ana Maria Pacheco, simply titled “prints”. This is the first solo show at Space4 for nearly four months, and looks to be a change of pace for the gallery with a selection of drawings & sketches in ink, charcoal and similar materials. opening on March 22nd and runs until April. This exhibition has been organised by the South Bank Centre as part of the 'Haywood Touring' project. Check out Ana's work on her website www.anamariapacheco.co.uk for a great selection of her work. Impressive and otherworldly images that occur somewhere on the psychic borderland. Can't wait!
Space4 is apparently closing down in September, so there will only be three or four more shows before it is gone for good, I will endeavour to find out more details on this situation for next months diary. (which brings me back to my comment earlier in this column, support the creative and artistic projects within this city if you want them to thrive.)
wwww.thespace4.org
And lastly back to the Muddy HQ, The Glass Onion has a new exhibition opening on March 22nd with works by Karen Green, she will be showing a variety of work on canvas and will be on display for about a month.
That's all folks! 'til the next time, stay happy 'n' let your love shine on, peace.
Luke Payn
lukepayn@hotmail.com
www.myspace.com/muddyarts
Thursday 22 January 2009
Muddy Arts Collective at Space4
Muddy Arts: Collective
On December 1st last year the Muddy Arts Collective opened the doors on our first major exhibition. More than twenty artists filled the walls of Space4 with over 200 works of art, 1500 photographs, two pieces of video art, and one massive group produced installation. Not bad for a first show. With over 4500 visitors to the show over the two months of December and January it was one of the Space4's biggest shows for the time of year.
For the theme of the show we took the idea of 'collective'. It was a chance to look at ourselves and to think about how the collective was formed and the relationships that structure it. It was very interesting to see that there is not a simple structure, it is a quite complex and interwoven community with no easy chronology. Beautifully awkward in fact.
The feedback we have had from visitors to the show has been fantastic with the two most talked about parts of the show being the installation piece and the slide show of 2000 photographs. These photographs date from summer 2005 reminding us of the very early days of the Glass Onion right the way through to a week or so before the exhibition opened. The 2000 strong slide show projected images taken by many photographers, but the bulk of the images were taken, naturally, by Mike Hat ( cheers Mike! ) These photographs were a chance to celebrate the many thousands of beautiful and precious moments we have all shared since the decision to put on GrassRoots Festival and the birth of Muddy Promotions. Looking back to the the glorious days of the festival was a wonderful experience, the projected photographs were at an amazing size of 4 metres wide by 3 metres high, making the views of the sun-setting behind the main stage as your friends are captured frozen in time spinning, stomping and blissed out to the music, or the geo-dome going up at midnight on Friday, all the more entrancing. These giant photographs hooked us in as we sat in the back room of the gallery and stared at the illuminated wall. The colours, the smiles, the silly faces, and the incredible views absorbing us and reminding us of how many people have made all this happen. Knowing you would have to sit there for nearly two hours to see all 2000 of them only served to heighten the experience.
The installation as an idea was tugged and pulled, sketched and re-sketched, bounced around and slowly, slowly pulled out of the collective psyche. Photographs were taken upstairs in the art studio of The Glass Onion throughout September and November, this was great fun and allowed the project to involve more people in the creative
process, increasing the element of collaboration. The photographs were then printed using an A0 banner printer, taken to the gallery, trimmed and pasted to the wall. This process was undertaken by at least ten artists working long hours and late nights throughout November. It was a really great sight to see both studios at the Onion so busy for so long and for so much creative interaction taking place by dedicated individuals.
Both these pieces, the installation and the slideshow, reveal the essence of the collective. Both in execution and in the finished result you can clearly see the hands and souls of many wildly individual artists pouring their creative energies into the melting pot.
The work on show displayed a wide range of mediums & styles, from traditional painting styles and subjects to futuristic 3D computer modelling & graphics, photography & mixed media. The quality of work was very high and the overall effect walking around the gallery was impressive and professional. There was a lot of work on show, yet the walls did not feel cluttered but spacious and fresh. Many of the artists had not exhibited their work before, hopefully there will be many more opportunities in the future.
If you would like to become involved with the Muddy Arts Collective then please contact me below, or pop into the Glass Onion, we are very open and are looking for more artists to come and get muddy!!!
to view a 360° panoramic photograph of the installation visit
http://www.chopperchoons.com/art.htm
Luke Payn
Arts Diary March 2008
Arts Diary March 2008
This column is the first of my arts diaries which will be used to run very quickly through what has happened in the month past and what will be happening in the month ahead. If you wish to have an item included please contact me using the details below.
So this month you might still have a few days to catch the Peterborough Photographers Society annual exhibition before it closes on March 8th, and if you're really quick you might even catch the end of Lauren Shields' exhibition at The Glass Onion before it closes on March 3rd. Then after that you will be able to see the work of Julian Rey, a collection of painting, stone sculpture and resin casting which runs until 23rd of March. This will be followed by the photographic work of Laura Cream which is on display from the 24th March, a busy month for the Glass Onion Gallery, three artists in one month, which is very refreshing to see after the lull during the new year period. These three shows are part of the Exhibit:U project started last year, many thanks to Gary Law & Ollie Thorley for organising these shows.
Alistair Butt's photo-realistic paintings of coastal life are also still on display this month at the Norman Cross Art gallery and further afield at Wysing Arts Centre is a project by a London collective called “Public Works” consisting of Guided Walks & Talks between 13th to 16th of March followed by a gallery exhibition from the 20th March to 27th April at the Wysing Artrs Centre.
The London-based artists’ collective have been working with Bourn map-makers, ramblers, land-owners and primary school over the past year looking at creative ways talking about the local area. For four days they will occupy a temporary structure in Bourn village, from where the guided walks, talks and rambles will take place. The structure will return to Wysing to occupy the gallery space, joining other works by artists N55 and Jose Arnaud-Belo who recently undertook a residency working with a group of people of Traveller origin in the area, and myvillages.org. who will bring their travelling Bibliobox to Wysing.
For more info:
I also hear on the grapevine that Robin Warren and Andy Little are working on a collaborative project, I have no details on exactly what it is they might be producing but I wait with excitement to see the results.
Hope you all have a great month,
Luke Payn
My Articles in Art and Soul Magazine
Over the past year I have been dabbling in the worlds of journalism, of course as Scroobius Pip says,
just 'cos you got a blog, don't make you a journalist, fair play. I was asked to supply a local magazine, called "Art & Soul", with arts editorial. This was in February 2008. There was little in the way of arts content going into the magazine at the time. (the music scene in Peterborough is far in advance of the visual art scene) This request caught me completely by surprise, but I was excited by the idea, gave it a go and absolutely loved it.
Art; it's histories, theories, practice, the opinions, the science, the social commentary and political potentials, and it's philosophy have been a passion of mine for a very long time. The idea of writing for a local magazine, voluntarily, which had a print run of 5000 each month, fitted in nicely with all my other projects, my passions and my previous experience's. I have studied Film, Photography and English, I have studied TV & Film Production and Art & Art History, I have had work exhibited in London & Manchester and done loads and loads of live work with my mates in raves, bars, clubs etc,providing banners, projections and VJ'ing etc. I was also, (and still am) working with a local Art Collective, called Muddy Arts, who were doing big group shows and art projects, including running own own bar/cafe and putting on big events including a festival (Grassroots festival, http://www.thegrassrootsfestival.co.uk/)
So the chance to write about art and artists, to meet new artists, to document the art scene in Peterborough was like manna from heaven. have been doing it for one year, with a break just recently over Christmas and New Year, and in that time of reflection I felt I should probably make my articles available online in one place. So here it is for you. Over the next few weeks I will upload my work from the previous year and then start to add new material as the 2009 unfurls itself from it's coil of infinity into the finite crosshairs of future and past.
Have Fun, and please feel free to ask questions or leave comments. I want to develop my work so any dialogue that can help me to evolve my technique is always received with the good grace of a Kendo student.
Much Love,
Luke Payn
Burghley Road Studios
January 2009
just 'cos you got a blog, don't make you a journalist, fair play. I was asked to supply a local magazine, called "Art & Soul", with arts editorial. This was in February 2008. There was little in the way of arts content going into the magazine at the time. (the music scene in Peterborough is far in advance of the visual art scene) This request caught me completely by surprise, but I was excited by the idea, gave it a go and absolutely loved it.
Art; it's histories, theories, practice, the opinions, the science, the social commentary and political potentials, and it's philosophy have been a passion of mine for a very long time. The idea of writing for a local magazine, voluntarily, which had a print run of 5000 each month, fitted in nicely with all my other projects, my passions and my previous experience's. I have studied Film, Photography and English, I have studied TV & Film Production and Art & Art History, I have had work exhibited in London & Manchester and done loads and loads of live work with my mates in raves, bars, clubs etc,providing banners, projections and VJ'ing etc. I was also, (and still am) working with a local Art Collective, called Muddy Arts, who were doing big group shows and art projects, including running own own bar/cafe and putting on big events including a festival (Grassroots festival, http://www.thegrassrootsfestival.co.uk/)
So the chance to write about art and artists, to meet new artists, to document the art scene in Peterborough was like manna from heaven. have been doing it for one year, with a break just recently over Christmas and New Year, and in that time of reflection I felt I should probably make my articles available online in one place. So here it is for you. Over the next few weeks I will upload my work from the previous year and then start to add new material as the 2009 unfurls itself from it's coil of infinity into the finite crosshairs of future and past.
Have Fun, and please feel free to ask questions or leave comments. I want to develop my work so any dialogue that can help me to evolve my technique is always received with the good grace of a Kendo student.
Much Love,
Luke Payn
Burghley Road Studios
January 2009
Friday 16 January 2009
GETTIN' THE LINKS?
THE MUDDY ARTS COLLECTIVE
http://www.myspace.com/muddyarts
THE GLASS ONION_music & art community centre in Peterborough
http://www.myspace.com/onioneers
My VJ page_visual, pics etc
http://www.myspace.com/VJLuminousFlux
ART & SOUL MAGAZINE
http://http://www.artandsoulmagazine.com/
My FLICKR Photos
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lukepayn/
http://www.myspace.com/muddyarts
THE GLASS ONION_music & art community centre in Peterborough
http://www.myspace.com/onioneers
My VJ page_visual, pics etc
http://www.myspace.com/VJLuminousFlux
ART & SOUL MAGAZINE
http://http://www.artandsoulmagazine.com/
My FLICKR Photos
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lukepayn/
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