Are you having enough fun?
02 December 2009
Today I had the pleasure of a trip to Manchester to check how much fun people there are having. Arts and Media had commissioned me to re-run a course I once ran in 2001 for New Work Network called “Are You Having Enough Fun?”. Then things had seemed to be in the balance and I had to keep a careful check that the “fun” quotient did outweighed the “infuriatingly soul-destroying” quotient. Now the answer is a simple ‘yes’ and I’m considering launching an “Are You Having Enough Sleep?” course. An engaging and mostly voluble group had gathered at the Chinese Arts Centre and it sounded as if most of them were not anxious as to whether they were having enough fun, just whether it was possible to wring any further fun out of their already fun filled lives. I hope they weren’t expecting the actually training day to be fun. I’m a theatre director not a trainer and so I spent most of the day feeling rather anxious. Nevertheless, it was interesting to hear different people’s approaches to their artistic work, what they value and feel reward in, whose opinions they value and what makes them happy. I would be fantastic to see them all at work doing their thing. Initially I was worried there was too much time for the material I had prepared but spending a long time thinking about something allows you to interrogate it closely, to move beyond the reflex answers and I ended up rather wishing I was on the course not running it.
James, Stan’s Cafe http://www.stanscafe.co.uk/
Equate Video Diary
21 October 2009
As many of you know it can be a very solitary world as an artist. Arts+Media work with a wide range of practitioners who come in a variety of guises. Our blog offers you an insight into how other artists’ approach to creativity, exploring their thoughts, feelings and how they work. Please feel free to comment on these blog entries at the bottom of each section…. or let us know if there is something you would like to feature.
As part of the Equate project Lesley and Adam, have been using the A+M blog to write about their thoughts and ideas… here’s Adams latest video entry, so sit back and enjoy!
Follow this link for more information about the Equate project
Lorsen Camps - Beauty in the Disregarded: Beauty in the Disregard(shed)
29 September 2009
As many of you know it can be a very solitary world as an artist. Arts+Media work with a wide range of practitioners who come in a variety of guises. Our blog offers you an insight into how other artists’ approach to creativity, exploring their thoughts, feelings and how they work. Please feel free to comment on these blog entries at the bottom of each section…. or let us know if there is something you would like to feature.
Local Artist Lorsen Camps latest exhibition “Beauty in the Disregarded: Beauty in the Disregard-shed” has just finished, find out his thoughts….
Beauty in the Disregarded: Beauty in the Disregard-shed was set within a large shed at the front of Earlsdon Primary School. I call it a shed but it’s more formally known as a Centre for Contemporary Art and had come out of the Bob and Roberta Smith show at the Mead gallery, early 2009.
"I organised the BITD exhibition, showing work alongside Martin Green and Joanna Rucklidge. It comprised collections of found objects carefully displayed and ordered. We invited the public to bring in objects that they found which then became part of the work.
"I am still reflecting on the success of the last show (550 visitors over three weeks, and more importantly lots of positive feedback, comments and public involvement) and am eager to use this as a springboard onto my future projects. I am aware that this can be a time when momentum slips and I want to combat this.
"I’ve learnt the importance of evaluating my exhibitions and for me the process is not complete until this is done. I am creating a 2-3 page document where I will consider what worked, what didn’t, lessons learned and areas for development. Aspects to focus on include marketing, logistics of setting up an exhibition, ways of developing networks and following up leads and contacts. I am currently planning what’s next – targeting forthcoming exhibitions and deadlines. This encourages me to make new work and keep within a given timescale."
The Friends of the War Memorial Park
02 September 2009
As many of you know it can be a very solitary world as an artist. Arts+Media work with a wide range of practitioners who come in a variety of guises. Our blog offers you an insight into how other artists’ approach to creativity, exploring their thoughts, feelings and how they work. Please feel free to comment on these blog entries at the bottom of each section…. or let us know if there is something you would like to feature.
As part of the Equate project Lesley, has been using the A+M blog to write about her thoughts and ideas….
‘Spoke to ‘The Friends of the War Memorial Park’ a few weeks ago at The Council House about how I wanted to investigate/interpret the park drawing reference to mathematical concepts. The whole idea takes a certain amount of creative thought I suppose, and this made me reflect on how effectively I communicated this. How do you communicate your creative thoughts/processes to people who have little experience of The Arts? I’m very aware that careful choice of language can win people over and aid understanding, whereas the language of creativity can often have the opposite effect - suppose the answer is trying to get that balance right. Hope I was successful….
Anyway my proposals were well received and I’ve started visiting the park quite regularly to investigate what is there. Armed with my sketchbook and a camera I’m often to be seen lurking in bushes and poking around in the undergrowth. Spent a good deal of time lying in the grass on my last visit, and since Adam wasn’t available my daughter Elisha kindly agreed to come along too. I love the way that younger people can sometimes see things in a different way and with vast expanses of grass, looking for possibilities with new eyes is vital.
I feel as though I’m at an important organisational stage. Gathering all this information together into a coherent line of thought, and then thinking about logistics. Also continuing to do lots of reading. It’s a good place to be.‘
Lesley’s Reading list
28 August 2009
As many of you know it can be a very solitary world as an artist. Arts+Media work with a wide range of practitioners who come in a variety of guises. Our blog offers you an insight into how other artists’ approach to creativity, exploring their thoughts, feelings and how they work. Please feel free to comment on these blog entries at the bottom of each section…. or let us know if there is something you would like to feature.
As part of the Equate project Lesley, has been using the A+M blog to write about her thoughts and ideas….
‘I’ve been reading a book called ‘The Garden of Cosmic Speculation’ by Charles Jencks. Sheilagh lent it to me and I’ve been looking after it very carefully :)
Charles Jencks is an internationally celebrated architectural critic and designer. He and his late wife created a 30 acre garden in the Scottish Borders that explored fundamental aspects of the universe. The project was (and is..) an ongoing speculation into the basic elements of nature and I have found many of his ideas quite thought provoking. He speaks about how his work is there to be enjoyed, but on another level how it is an attempt to reinterpret the way in which we relate to the space through new ideas - something I can really relate to at the moment. He speaks about how many of us are blind to many mathematical discoveries because they are not interpreted on a cultural level and given artistic expression. I think this is so true. There’s loads in the book that I have to keep writing down - but it’s a slow slog. I have to keep going back and rereading bits and because of this I’m nowhere near the end yet!
Another book that was a lot lighter to read, and a real page-turner, was ‘Loving Frank’ by Nancy Horan. It was about the legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright and his love affair with Mamah Cheney. I’d been to The Guggenheim in June to see the exhibition ‘From Within Outside’ and found both the exhibition, and the building itself, very inspiring. The book had constant references to his ideas and philosophies about organic architecture, and was a great read. ‘I go to nature every day for inspiration in the day’s work. I follow in building the principles which nature has used in its domain.‘
Have also been in and out of ‘Does God Play Dice’ by Ian Stewart and ‘Pi in the Sky’ by John. D.Barrow. Thanks Jack!
Opening ourselves up to the public by Susie Mendelsson
16 July 2009
I’ve been beavering away in my home studio in Kenilworth since I moved here 10 years ago. Like most visual artists, I prefer to work alone. It’s not very conducive to being creative when someone’s looking over your shoulder! But at some point we need to engage with the outside world, not least because we want people to see (and buy!) our work. Time to let the public in.
My studio will be open from 11am to 5pm on the weekend of 18th and 19th July . I will have examples of all my work on display and for sale. This will be a chance to buy art direct, avoiding expensive gallery commissions! You can also see examples of my work on my website: http://susiemendelsson.co.uk
I first opened my studio as part of Warwickshire Arts Week in 2004 I had quite a few people come round and managed to sell a few pieces. I worked out the other day that I’ve created over 300 pieces of work since I’ve been in Kenilworth! Storing it all is a bit of a problem, so I hope to sell some more this time.
It’s strange looking at old work. I don’t have the same connection with it as when I first made it so it sometimes doesn’t feel as strong or relevant as my latest work. On the other hand, I have an objective distance on it and it can be almost like someone else has done the work and I can really look at it afresh. Always good to clear your cupboards out and dust off some of your old work!
I have always been fascinated by the human figure and consider myself to be a figurative painter. This is what I’ve said in my press release:
“The way people look, move and behave fascinates me. They are like unwritten books which reflect their life’s journey, their struggles, and the vulnerabilities which lie behind the mask. I can watch people for hours, inventing stories about them. Like made-up fairy tales, but with the real characters in front of me.”
But recently I’ve found myself making abstract works using rollers and printing ink! I have no idea where this impulse came from, but I’m very excited by the vibrancy and colours of the new work. You can see some in the background of the photo here. They’re proving to be very popular with people and I’ve already sold a piece even though the ink is still wet! I’m still struggling with fitting this new direction into my perception of myself as a figurative artist.
I do hope some of you might be able to pop along. Because we create in private, it can sometimes feel a little isolating so it’s always good to meet people face to face and hear what they think about your work. I’d welcome comments, feedback and personal impressions of what I do.
My studio is at Southcot, Crackley Crescent, Coventry Road, Kenilworth CV8 2FF. Phone 07866 470 444.
I completed an MA in Art at Coventry University in 2001 and I’m a member of the Leamington Studio Artists (LSA), Association of Midlands Artists (AMA), Coventry Artspace and the Coventry & Warwickshire Society of Artists (CWSA).
I will be showing at this year’s LSA Summer Show which runs from Friday 10th July to Friday 24th July at the School of Arts, Warwickshire College, Warwick New Road, Leamington Spa CV32 5JE.
One of my paintings received a commendation at the recent annual exhibition of the CWSA at the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum in Coventry. You can also see one of my paintings on display at the University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire, and I will be holding a joint exhibition with Polish artist Jarek Jancuta at the jGallery, Northampton in November.
For more information on Susies work take a look at: Susie’s profile
Just back from New York
14 July 2009
As part of the Equate project Lesley, has been on a trip to New York. Follow her thoughts and ideas ....
‘Having just got back from New York and some ideas I had been having prior to this trip were embedded further with 1. A trip to Central Park and 2. The process of navigating the grid system there. In fact quite a few things that I’ve been seeing (like the work of Yinka Shonibare) have emphasised and enhanced my thinking. It’s a great feeling!
Been very busy with thoughts and ideas and have started to get quite excited about possibilities; don’t know specifically when things really started coming together…...it was a gradual process.. ...anyway the result is….....I think I know what I want to do with the information and understanding I’ve been gathering for the last few months, and I feel that what will follow will be a valuable progression in the way I approach and interpret what I see.
How? I like the idea of grid referencing - it’s a bit like looking through windows and a good way to organise thoughts. Where? I initially thought about lots of different spaces but wanted to focus on somewhere that was significant to me…..Coventry…....at this moment in time. An easy option would have been a botanical garden, but I wanted to stay away from the obvious. Then one day I drove past The War Memorial Park and thought that it could make an interesting case study….offering a real challenge in terms of the open spaces and expanses of green grass. And I’ve decided that the only way to describe the natural world is to look at the many different aspects of math’s that I see demonstrated. When I first began this project I thought that one element would stand out and result in an in-depth study but no, it’s not that easy. I don’t see one thing or the other, I see many things.
So I’ve begun to draw everything together….......all the pieces that didn’t make sense for so long.‘
find out more about the Equate project
Equate - Lesley’s and Adam’s day trip to Warwick Uni
21 May 2009
Lesleys comments: ‘Today I met Adam at University of Warwick as he had arranged for us to use the microscopes there. We were met by Dr. Ken Flint, Director of Undergraduate Studies, Biological Sciences, who let us into the building and took us upstairs to the labs. It was really quiet there, think perhaps we were the only people in the building. Ken had got all the microscopes set up for us which was very kind of him and he was a great source of knowledge, explaining what we were seeing and the science behind everything. It was fascinating - a hidden world. We could see the structure of the plant - cell walls, membranes, the chloroplast and the cell nucleus. Some plants worked better than others, the Acer tree from our front garden worked particularly well - the red leaves signaling fields of iridescent green demarcated with streams of pink. We had a few microscopes to chose from ranging from x3 to the really powerful ones x100. Also had the option of removing a lens and fitting a camera on to take photos. Enjoyed science, especially biology, when I was at school and loved being in that environment again.
I know a month or so ago I had questioned whether having the contribution of a third party was mixing things up too much (having spoken to another mathematician and then an Arts professional) but have been having other thoughts…....would there be room for another person but from a different discipline? One that maybe pulled the equation together (maybe botany or microbiology)...? Almost like a bridge that links the divide…...now that could be interesting!‘
Click here to find out more abour Equate
Equate - Lesley’s thoughts on the seminar…
13 May 2009
‘We had a seminar booked for the evening of April 30th at ICE. One good thing about working alongside someone is sharing the workload and being able to bounce ideas off each other. Being a visual artist often means working in isolation so for me this was a definite bonus.
I spent some time going through my journal and trying to put my thoughts into some sort of coherent structure. This took time but I actually found it deeply cathartic. A bit like clearing the loft out - deciding what to keep, what to put to one side and what to throw out! Afterwards I had a clarity of thought that I’d been lacking beforehand. Over the next few days I revisited my notes and streamlined down further so that what I was left with was a clear and concise record of events in all it’s true colours. This was an excellent way of self evaluating and far more useful than if someone else had sat and conducted a formal affair.
Felt the seminar went well although always a personal challenge as you want people to take something away with them. It was useful for me to communicate our journey to a different audience - I just hope that our choice of language enabled an insight into the true nature of what has taken place. One regret is that I didn’t include any images of my work (a few people mentioned this afterwards). I had purposefully not done so as I wanted to challenge the notion of an ‘end product’. However providing images would have given people a context and an idea of my starting point. I even have these snazzy leaflets that could have been included in the evaluation material and would have served this purpose really well - dah!
The audience offered some excellent feed back and suggestions for future investigation. One point that resonated was whether we should revisit the aim that we initially set, which was ‘To investigate the natural relationship between Art and Mathematics’.......this is an assumption. Maybe there isn’t a natural relationship… ? ‘
Click here to find out more abour Equate
Equate: Adam Boddison Video Diary
06 May 2009
Follow Adam Boddison (a mathematician) video diary, as he explore how to think on a different level and experiment with processes whilst working with artist Lesley Whelan … What happens when a visual artist collaborates with a mathematician?
To find out more about Lesley’s thoughts see previous blog entrys. For further details about the Equate project follow this link …
Public Art training - By Sheilagh Holmes
27 April 2009
I was in Manchester again recently, running the latest in A+M’s series of training events for the DART project. This time it was ‘Public Art Commissions’ and the course participants were local authority arts development officers and artists with a range of artforms. The trainer was Sam Wilkinson of InSite Arts who has an impressive depth and breadth of experience in this field. As an introduction, everyone spoke briefly about an example of public art they knew and why it succeeded or failed. The chosen ones were all new pieces of visual art - no old statues on plinths – and most were from Greater Manchester and the North West: the ‘Tree of Remembrance’ by Wolfgang Buttress and Fiona Heron in Piccadilly Gardens; ‘Marge and Steel’ by Marcela Livingstone and Liam Curtin in Cadishead; ‘B of the Bang’ by Thomas Heatherwick Studio at the Manchester Stadium; ‘Coming Full Circle’ by Chris Drury in Irwell, and Anthony Gormley’s ‘Another Place’ on Morecambe beach. This exercise set the tone for the day, as we went on to look at the role of public art, commission briefs, proposals, what can go wrong (e.g. siting in an inappropriate location, over-ambitious engineering, lack of maintenance), and what makes for success (e.g. early involvement of artists, community engagement, agreement and clarity of purpose). As ever with this course, my abiding thought is of the extraordinary impact that imaginative and well planned public art can have on all who experience it. This can be clusters of small-scale and ephemeral works, as well as permanent, monumental ones. Neville Gabie’s work with the former Middlesborough Football Club ground and at Cabot Circus construction site in Bristol were two examples of this.
InSite Arts has a number of beautiful books on various public art projects – see its publications webpage for details.
Equate Project - Lesley’s thoughts so far (April)...
06 April 2009
‘The past few weeks have been quite difficult as I’ve had lots of other commitments. Prior to this though I was getting into something called fractal dimensions (which is a statistic showing how completely a fractal appears to fill a space) but I’m discovering there are many different definitions and I find this quite confusing. I spoke to someone else about it, who questioned me further and then I really needed to back-up my thinking with another chat with Adam. It’s been really, really difficult to coordinate any meeting time though and what with one thing or another those lovely, fresh and exciting ideas I was getting have dissipated. It’s frustrating but we’ve decided the best way around this is to earmark meetings well in advance instead of having the more flexible approach that we agreed on at the start.
Above: extracts taken from Lesley’s sketch book
Another interesting thing that seems to happen is if I talk to others about where I think I’m going (and I’ve done this on a few occasions) they seem to muddle the equation up even more. Sure this isn’t intentional - they are only trying to help me by challenging my thought processes, but is this a good thing? Or should I just try and concentrate on the collaboration with Adam? Is there insufficient room in the relationship for other contributors?
Above: extracts taken from Lesley’s sketch book
Have a trip planned to Cambridge Botanic Gardens next Monday which I’m really looking forward to. Adam’s feeling a bit more apprehensive because there isn’t an official agenda to the day but what I’m looking forward to is seeing how another person sees (if that makes sense).... especially someone who comes from such a different background.
Above: extracts taken from Lesley’s sketch book
Think I’ve realised that we’ve got to start with the visual, rather than the mathematical (which is where we have tended to start from). It makes it much easier to understand; I guess this is to be expected - I am a visual artist after all….‘
Learning points: 1. ‘Go outside and shut the door…‘ and 2. ‘Be less critical’
Equate Project, Feb - Mar
23 March 2009
Equate allows Lesley Whelan (artist) and Adam Boddison (mathematician) to work in collaboration exploring some important issues, and through this research to grow and develop, perhaps in ways that I have not yet been considered at this stage.
“Drawing together the disciplines of mathematics and art using innovative approaches will be empowering” (Adam Boddison)
Above: work in progress
Lesley’s thoughts so far:
"In hindsight, I came at this project fairly naively and thought that it would be easy to run with ideas and thoughts. How wrong I was.
Above: extracts taken from Lesley’s sketch book
The first few weeks have been a personal battle where I’ve felt my head was in the sand and I was heading down blind alley ways - so many new ideas, themes and possibilities but I couldn’t seem to get my head round any. And the maths - it felt like I was back at school and struggling to understand.
Above: extracts taken from Lesley’s sketch book
It’s been a challenging time for me but as I’m writing this I’m aware that a corner has been turned and I’m seeing a little light. Why? Honesty has been important, not just with those around me but also with myself. I haven’t pretended and because of this I think I’m getting somewhere.
Above: extracts taken from Lesley’s sketch book
My last session with Adam was the shortest yet but we spoke about a few ideas that have started to resonate. Fractal dimensions are starting to take shape in my mind and the visual possibilities are starting to happen.
Biggest learning points - 1. Do nothing for as long as possible, and 2. Simple subtraction"
Manchester - Delivering Arts Workshops
05 February 2009
I’ve just come back from the bright lights of Manchester, where I was managing the latest in a series of training events that A+M is delivering there (the DART project ). We were at the lovely Chinese Arts Centre in the ‘northern quarter’ of the city centre and the course was ‘Delivering Arts Workshops ’, commissioned by A+M to help artists diversify and use their artistic practice to make a living. The course is very focussed and practical: it challenges artists to explore their own strengths and weaknesses in this area of work, takes them through structured steps in every aspect of running workshops, and gives them plenty of issues to think about! The trainer, Amanda Pearce-Burton of Formation Training , and I had worked hard beforehand to make sure it was relevant and tailored to participants’ needs. The 12 participants were a great bunch of mainly sole trader artists, most at an early stage in their careers, and from across various artforms. I noticed several of the textile/fashion people getting together to network and exchange information in the breaks. The course was a great success and was given top marks across the board by all participants. I think we all went home tired but happy at the end of a very good day.
Sheilagh Holmes , DART Project Co-ordinator
A+M the famous jelly beans have become “has beans”!!!
25 December 2008
2008 was incredibly busy for A+M. Like all successful businesses we don’t believe in resting on our laurels. As well as moving house we began a relationship with Coventry University and continued to deliver professional development to the sector through a range of projects and with a number of partners. You can find out more about these by working your way around the site.
Speaking of which, with the help of Supercool we have refreshed our look (the famous jelly beans have become “has beans”) and our website has been redesigned to offer new opportunities for artists to promote their practice. Do let us know what you think.
The cultural sector is currently enjoying (and enduring) a period of flux and the role of public funding – crucial in the delivery of subsidised training – is changing. A+M is keen to retain its identity as a leading independent provider of support and development, and we have been working hard to identify new ways to support an arts sector which commits to, invests in, and takes responsibility for, the lifelong development of its workforce.
Do you feel able and equipped to devote the time and budget to developing your practice, business or organisation in these straightened times: contact me on Jeanne@arts-media.org.