Thursday 30 September 2010

new work-new ideas


Lesson 27


Lip-Slur

Here are two collage and paintings that I have just recently carried. I am finding old manuscript books and painting relevant and sometimes irrelevant illustration with in. Sounds a little basic but it is fun.

Wednesday 29 September 2010

Monday 20 September 2010

Auction



These were considered worthless but they are to be made as Interactive Sculptures

So I went to the Art Auction where I donated three of my sculptures that I made from cardboard and took about a week to design, build a paint. I waited for the time that the auction would start and when three items sold I eagerly awaited my turn. Lo! and behold...they didn't sell. Not a bean was offered.

This may sound like bad feelings or a bit of 'it's not fair' ness but what surprised me is that it was very cliquey. It doesn't need Sherlock Holmes to deduce that only the people from year three was and so were their friends. They all bided on each others things and of course...poor old me [et, cetera] didn't get a look in. Well, at least I put myself forward for public ridicule. I'm the only person to consider myself and my objects as Art Auction Failures but, [FUCK THAT]. Life is too damn short to cradle rejection and embarrassment close to the heart. I'm starting back at Uni tomorrow and will see the spectaters from the auction... I've been through worse socially uneasy predicaments in the past and will go through even more in the future.

I am on with poster for the preview night of Collective Vision versus Creative Transit and it looks good also, the tiled lettering looks fab with thanks from Charlie, the master tile maker. Start From Scratch is plodding along but I haven't got a bite with my photography, I am considering holding a photography exhibition and may be asking Bodie for pointers.

Wednesday 15 September 2010

Poster Design for CV v CT FFAF 2010



Original Idea



First Rendition

CVvCT - FFAF 2010

Well the acronym above stands for:

COLLECTIVE VISION versus CREATIVE TRANSIT - FREE FOR ARTS FESTIVAL 2010

It is basically the CV and CT leg of the FFAF exhibition. The CV team are the 3rd year Interactive Arts students and the CT are the 2nd years of which I am one. We are going to exhibit in Piccadilly Place, Manchester; where there will be three different exhibitions going on. The plans are now in full effect and I have squeezed myself onto the organising team. I am putting together 100 goodie bags just like I have already done for Start From Scratch and now have the task of designing the poster campaign. The poster is looking good and is very Manchester and in the style of Peter Saville and the Constructivists. Which is now surprise really if you know my work and background of influences.

It is going to be a very busy couple of weeks now with the [MUTE] piece having to be finished, the Art Auction is on tomorrow, the Preview Night is 1st Oct and on the same night is the [MUTE] part of FFAF 2010. so in fact:

Sept 15th | Art Auction 6-9pm=Common Bar
Sept 21st | Start of Uni
Oct 1st | Preview Night 6-8pm=Piccadilly Place
Oct 1st | Official Opening Party 8pm 'til late=Sand Bar
Oct 2nd | MUTE Live=Soup Kitchen

And they are the dates that I'll be involved such as schmoozing, selling art-work, exhibiting photographs and seeing if I can hack it with found-sound... I also on with the poster campaign as previously stated and this needs to be for tomorrow and only got the commission yesterday teatime...

But in between the Sept and Oct dates I have two holidays planned one weekend in Portmerrion (which is a life-time dream) and then in Shell Island...both in Wales.

Monday 13 September 2010

genesis of new work and other news



This is a marriage of two works that I have finally got the impetus to try to complete. The background was started about nine months ago and had layers upon layers added until the paint had thicken to a consistency that I wanted. It's far, far from perfect and needs work on it now that I have added the lettering. The lettering reads:

REACT

After a typing glitch the word said REACTR before deleting the R but, I kind of like it with the R and may keep it as that but it means a lot more work... REACTR...yeah it has a graphic pull.

Now that the preview and after party is over and I have the chance to sit and reflect, I am beginning to see the horizon on a very different way. My work may go into a new direction involving typography, paint and photography...Well, I know that I've concentrated on them styles for a while now but...

The weekend was absolutely a success on such different levels. I have met new creatives and contacts and networked with people from the industry and beyond. The main people I bumped into must be the Trailer Trash DeeJay Krew. They are entertainment types who I must get involved with regarding sculpture within music events etc...more on that subject soon...

Saturday 11 September 2010

masks


moenipulation

treacle clothing
====================
these are two polaroids of two different mask makers...

the [aftermath]




Photos of some of the exhibits. . .more to come

The preview night was fun, met up with some creative guys, a few contacts made and thoroughly enjoyable night. The nerves came when I was on the bus over and like any performer, these go as soon as the curtain came up. The audience came in quite slow at first but the gig got going with Nu-Funk and Soul from the Trailer Trash crew. All in all there is a fine selection of work, very illustrative and well-to-do. A surprisingly wide bunch of ideas and outcomes. The A0 Stray Dogs series are quite something else though...kind of cathedralesque. My work looked good within it's space and had a good vibe about it.

The gallery is going to be open for the whole of September and hopefully we will sell what is on offer...we just need the people of Burnley to empty their pockets and buy some original work. I'm offering seventy for each of mine and a fiver for the unframed prints. We all went to the Bridge after and had a drinkie with the exhibitors and some guests. Andrea came a little late but apologised...I think she had a good night, she seemed happy enough.

Friday 10 September 2010

15 LPs in 15 Minutes

As a response to a Facebook message I hi-jacked; late, late last night...


1|Frank Zappa...Live at Filmore East:
A fun record to listen to and just for 'Tears began To Fall' alone.

2|Stereolab...Mars Audiac Quintet
The turning point in my audio pleasure and still makes me fuzzy inside.

3|Mogwai...Rock Action
A band grows up and makes a pop album.

4|The Lynnfield Pioneers...Free PopCorn
Unknown band to me until 3.30pm yesterday and now is my favourite album at the moment.

5|The Beastie Boys...Ill Communication
Hardcore, Jazz, Hip-Hop and Funk rolled up in neat little package

6|The Aphex Twin...I Care Because You Do
Could've chosen Drugks but this has a special place in my heart

7|Neu!...Neu!
An influence to many how care and to many who don't.

8|Slayer...Reign In Blood
The first album I bought when I was a wee nipper.

9|New Order...Power, Corruption and Lies
Worth the black eye when I stole it off my big brother when a teenaged oik.

10|Kitsune Three...Compilation
A bumper LP with much goodies that a stick can be shook at.

11|The Damned...The Damned
The first punk album released and is still fresh heard today.

12|Natural Born Killers...OST
Not just a soundtrack but a mixtape form a good friend.

13|Everything, Everything...Man Alive
Something compelling about the band and good live to boot.

14|Bis...The New Transistor Heroes
Lo-Fi Disco Punk from Scotland that still gets aired regularly in the kitchen...A forgotten gem...

15|Throbbing Gristle...TG1
Blew my mind on the first hearing an aural masterpiece.

This was so hard to do and I know that I have left out a great deal...15 albums to choose over a lifespan is just too tragic to comprehend...[o_O]

biz cards




These were designed and made up late last night and are very LO-FI.

Tonight is the Exhibition Night

It is on... The opening night is this night. Start From Scratch will opening it's doors at 6pm and the masses are going to descend. There are at least twenty of us exhibiting and that IS value for money. I paid a visit to the gallery space yesterday and the venue is well ample enough for what is planned. DeeJays are from 'Trailer Trash' so the sounds will be funky.

I have priced up the prints at £70- each and assorted prints for a fiver so I'll recoup costs of the prints. Most of the artwork is of the illustrative type with canvases, mirror-work and other graffiti-type pieces. It does look good and is what a small ex cotton mill needs for it's town centre.

I have made 26 goodie bags that I will give free which includes:

three photographs,
double-sided business cards
a bag of Haribo sweeties
and a clothing peg.

The contents of the bag do appear random but they are included for reasons of which I'll explain;

The photographs are to show the build-up of the final three prints and to further explain the concept in imagery instead of wording. The business cards are self-explanatory, the sweets are to enhance the sensory receptors. And the clothing peg, something to remind the recipient of me and my artwork.

So it is on...the exhibition starts at 6pm.

Monday 6 September 2010

CREATIVE TRANSIT [invite]


=============================================
This is just the preliminary layout design. The text are templates for tiles that my friend is kindly going cut for me.

START FROM SCRATCH [invite]

Countdown for [start from scratch]

It is now Monday the 6th of September and in just a few days which will be Friday 10th September; I will be involved in one of my first exhibitions that is organised outside of an educational facility. This is the first of the exhibitions that I will be involved with this month and in October. By sheer luck and guts and of course a fair amount of networking allowed me to go as far as I have. I wasn't just three months ago that I bumped into a stall holder at BeatHerder and began talking about Polaroids, Tee-Shirt designs and Graffiti appreciation that got this ball rolling.

Start From Scratch will start for me on Friday at 6pm and end the morning after a private party at Koko's. This is a great opportunity to networking and make friends with fellow artists, musicians and the like. I have a guest list with names that I have added for moral support. Andrea and her boyfriend, Charlie and Chrissy are coming and hopefully Neil [recordshop owner guy] will be there.

I have printed the large scale Polaroids at a professional company and they look fantastic now that they are mounted and framed at a little lace called [tilt]. tilt has customised three frames at cost price and he also mounted and framed the two digital prints that I am displaying at Free For Arts. I need to settle on a pricing system now that it is getting serious. I obviously have to recoup my costs, make some profit and pay the commission to the curator/gallery owner. For the framed photographs (in Burnley-Start From Scratch), I will have to charge in the region of £75- each...they are supposed to be a triptych but who knows. The Adidas five piece are lovely and can be sold individually for £10- each...

I had a meeting this afternoon with James Moffat, the leader of the Mute-Free For Arts exhibition where we talked about the venue, spaces, limitations and set pieces. It was a balls-up at first though with the venue being closed for the inspection that was going to take place but we had a comfy chat and generally got to know each other.

The third exhibition is the Collective Vision v's Creative Transit show. My set pieces are framed and ready to go. They do look good and I am quite proud with what I've achieved and reckon the concept is spot on. University starts in two weeks and that is going to be a social stirrer