Between the eye and the object

Getting going again…

After a run of exciting exhibitions and commissions spanning over the Summer and into the Autumn, its time to get back into making new work in my studio at Rogue.

The Summer began for me in June with an Arts Council England funded Barnaby Festival commission for Macclesfield’s Grosvenor Centre.

I was awarded Arts Council England Grants for the Arts funding at the beginning of Summer for the research and development of new work, for this I started making drawings, large scare light-works and invited a number of art industry professionals and curators to my studio for critical feedback sessions.

I showed this new work at my solo presentation On Brown & Violet Grounds at Piccadilly Place and in my studio space for the annual Rogue Open Studios in late September.

I was then invited to make new work for Bury Light Night by The Hamilton Project in early October.

From this, I was asked to take part in Synthesis, an exhibition exploring art and science at Victoria Warehouse as part of Manchester Science Festival, curated by Forefront Collective at the end of October.

The BBC’s Ian Youngs and Colin Paterson (online news, BBC Breakfast, Look North and North West Tonight) covered a story on my practice and work as a collector, which was very exciting. This gave me lots of coverage and brought national awareness of my work.

I really enjoyed spending time in my studio over the Summer, so am keen to get going again. As some of you may already know, I tend to struggle in Winter time with Seasonal Effective Disorder so have brightened up my studio with good old fairy lights and heaters; this makes it super cosy and a place I want to spend my time instead of a cold place.

I always like to set myself a project to help me get back into the swing of making. I have recently been asked to show work in Gallery333, which is part of Phoenix Exeter in January. This will give me a focus and allow me to experiment and test ideas within my studio beforehand. I started yesterday by mocking up the space within Gallery333 using scraps of wood, then positioning my sticklights in different arrangements and photographing them along the way to see which worked best.

As I played around, I incorporated the use of my mirrors (again, something I have plenty of in my studio). I felt this changed the piece completely, but by illusion increased the size of the space, throwing out more light and hopefully create more hue as visitors pass by the gallery window.

I went on to make technical sketches of all the different possible arrangements. This preparation will be useful for my upcoming show, but has also helped me get back into the studio and get going again. Like many artists, I always find getting going again with new ideas and work very difficult after a run of exhibitions or a period away from the studio.

Watch this space…

Mark Devereux Projects Launches New Space for Artists in Manchester

In July 2012 Mark and I worked as a team to put together my first major solo exhibition ‘Chroma’ at BLANKSPACE, Manchester. After the show came down he left Blank Media Collective (BMC) as their director, head curator, technician, producer, etc… basically he was the backbone to the organisation, keeping it standing up. It was always going to be interesting to see what he was going to do after BMC.

It took two months for Mark to get itchy feet again and the desire to be at the helm of an arts organisation once more. As his soon-to-be-wife (8 months till I become a Devereux), I could see this itch burn until he just had to have a scratch. Over the summer and autumn of 2012 we talked together about the possibilities and what was needed within the arts sector. What was it crying out for?

The idea of Mark Devereux Projects finally came about, after months of deliberation and discussion. It was decided that by supporting three inaugural artists; Nicola Dale, David Ogle and Nicola Ellis (yes, of course their were debates as to whether I should be one of them!), alongside an associate member programme open to any early-career artist. Mark would provide a bespoke, critically engaged and nurturing support mechanism on a one-to-one basis in each of the artist’s studios or via Skype. Through this individual approach, he is able to find out more about each of the artist’s ambitions and requirements and provide directed knowledge and experience to enable the growth of their careers. Mark Devereux Projects was officially launched at CUBE in Manchester in July with an exhibition, book and website of Nicola Dale, David Ogle and Nicola Ellis’ work.

I set house rules from the beginning: Mark wasn’t to make himself ill from overworking this time, I insisted he ‘down-tools’ at 6pm daily except in the days of exhibition install (where I always donned a paint-suit and got stuck in anyway), I insisted he pay himself a wage for the work he was doing instead of being voluntary like when at BMC and I promised I would help him as much as I psychically and mentally could. I urged Mark to use his own name for the organisation so people/artists recognized it as him; quality, hardworking and supportive.

Mark launches his new HQ Projects: Manchester at Federation house with his Associate Members exhibition Beyond Merely Assembling. Projects: Manchester is part of Castlefield Gallery’s New Art Space initiative on Friday 8th November… 2 days to go! See you there?

More info: http://markdevereuxprojects.com/

NEW WORK: An Additive Mixture #2

In this site-specific installation work, specially conceived for Synthesis, West has systematically arranged numerous multicoloured fluorescent stick-lights as a direct response to details in the space within Victoria Warehouse. The title of work is taken from Josef Albers text ‘Interaction of Colour’, where it is explained that a direct mixture of projected light demonstrates an additive mixture where the sum of all colours in light is white. An Additive Mixture #2 is a development from recent work where West is responding to works-on-paper and translating them into three-dimensions. The relationship between the different hues is apparent through West’s attraction and understanding of colour theory.

An Additive Mixture #2

Installation (T5 stick-lights, extension cables)

Dimensions Variable

2013

New Works: Consumed & Consumed #2

Consumed is a collection of found and recycled objects, gathered and stripped of any identifiable labelling. These consumerist objects are displayed within three large perspex cases. Underneath each of the vitrines, powerful light boxes emit primary colours that soak the plastics and radiate vibrant hues that bleed together on nearby walls. Lowering our gaze inside the light boxes, the ethereal reflections further distorts our visual perceptions of the objects and singular case. In elevating these mundane objects by directly appropriating museological display methods, such as the vitrine and systems of ordering/classifying objects, West asks us to consider the inherent beauty that emerges in these gatherings. – Jack Welsh, 2013

Consumed
Installation (Fluorescent bulbs, wood, acrylic, foil, objects)
100cm (W) x 100cm (D) x 75cm (H) [x 3]
2013
Consumed was commissioned for Barnaby Festival, Macclesfield. The work responded site-specifically to an empty shopping unit in the Grosvenor Shopping Centre.

Consumed #2
Installation (Fluorescent bulbs, wood, acrylic, foil, objects)
100cm (W) x 100cm (D) x 225cm (H)
2013
As part of West’s continuing studio practice, the reinterpretation of materials and past works is paramount to the development of new ideas. In Consumed #2 West has adapted and reconfigured an installation responding site-specifically and spatially to Victoria Warehouse of the exhibition Synthesis, part of Manchester Science Festival. Exploring colour theory, sensory impact and intensity of light saturation, West intrigues and captivates viewers by utilizing everyday items and turning them into new sculptural forms.

Synthesis exhibition install

Curator of Synthesis, Tracie Shaylor had visited and seen recent work at Bury Light Night and immediately wanted me in the show. The in-depth colour theory that I employ in all my light works ties in neatly with the exhibition being part of Manchester Science Festival.

I am most excited by site-specific work. If I was to be part of this exhibition I wanted my ideas to be responsive to the space. With that in mind last Thursday I was given a tour of the ground floor exhibition space at Manchester’s Victoria Warehouse. I had been keen to get into the space for some time and didn’t want to waste this opportunity.

Upon entering the exhibition space I was blown away by the possibilities for new work, my mind started racing. Tracie had ear-marked two particular spaces for my work, upon inspection they are not the easiest to work with, but these are the spaces I am excited by the most. I like a challenge.

One of the spaces was in front of a vast window looking on to the main road past the Warehouse. A light-work would defiantly attract passers-by and act as an advertisement for the show. I aim to rework the recent commission I made for Macclesfield’s Barnaby Festival by stacking the light boxes on top of each other instead of presenting them side-by-side. Configured this way it would lend itself to the space and illuminate the nearby white walls.

The second space is within the main exhibition hall. A set of blue railings guard a drop down to the floor below; this was the space I had to respond to! In this site-specific installation conceived specially for Synthesis, I will systematically arrange numerous multicoloured fluorescent stick-lights. The title of work is taken from Josef Albers text ‘Interaction of Colour’, where it is explained that a direct mixture of projected light demonstrates an additive mixture where the sum of all colours in light is white. I am super excited about it and as with most of my installations, you have to see them in the flesh to fully appreciate.

I can’t wait to install these works and perhaps see you at the preview on Thursday evening?