We went to Alice Maher's exhibition, "Natural Artifice", at Brighton Museum and Art Gallery on Saturday. Alice gave a talk there in January which sadly we missed, but this weekend we went to a gallery talk by Gill Perry, Head of Art History at the Open University, about the exhibition and about Alice's work in general.
The exhibition includes work in a variety of media. A series of photographs explore Alice's relationship with nature as she wears a hood of moss, a helmet of snail shells and a collar of hearts; large scale charcoal drawings are inspired by Bosch's "Garden of Earthly Delight"; a human sized "ice bed" and a miniature house of thorns play with ideas of comfort and discomfort and subvert the familiar.
The talk brought up issues which we've been thinking about within our own practices; questions about working broadly with an assortment of materials and processes on a range of themes which sometimes appear to be unrelated. It was reassuring to see the links in Alice's work which have appeared over a considerable length of time. Something for us to think about more when we write about each other's work.
As part of our research on collaboration I went to see Lone Twin in their show Nine Years at the Gardner Centre, University of Sussex.
Gregg and Gary have spent the last nine years making work together. They have travelled half way across the world, given performances in the places they visited. They cycled round cities, walked over bridges, talked to the people they met.
They dressed as blindfolded cowboys and danced in a local hall. People were invited to join in and dance too. One person whispered as she left, "you are very special".
This celebratory Lone Twin show played against video of past performances including footage of people waving back as they travelled home.
At times I laughed, sometimes sighed. The show was wry, poignant, hopeful. I loved it.
I watched the way Gregg and Gary worked together as a team. How they played to their individual strengths. Gary carried more of the humour, Gregg more of the straight man.
Helpful research.
http://www.lonetwin.com
Roz's photgraph of the allotment (see yesterday's post) whets my appetite for a "site visit". I haven't yet been to the allotment and I'm looking forward to my first visit. It will be exciting to get a feel for the place, to explore and to begin to develop our plans for the time when we're "In Residence".
I always have a great sense of anticipation when I'm starting a new project – that feeling that anything can happen.
www.rozcran.co.uk www.judithalder-live.co.uk
Here is a photo of the allotment we plan to use for our residency. It is covered in patches of carpet (now banned) to hold back the winter growth of weeds. This gives an idea of the space available for our projects. The allotment sits on top of the Tenantry Down opposite Brighton Race Course and the garden centre.
The views over Brighton are spectacular. On a clear day the Isle of Wight is visible. Kestrels hover for minutes then rocket down. The daffs are opening and the rosemary has grey flowers.
Soon I will dig it over and plan the planting. A last strim of the grass and then leave it for the cowslips and polyanthus.
A space for growth, reflection, questions, wonder.
www.rozcran.co.uk www.judithalder-live.co.uk
Yesterday I visited my allotment which we will use for our residency. I found polaroid photographs scattered over the overgrown flowerbed. They show antique furniture: a desk, table, chests of drawers. How did they get there? Who took the photos and for what purpose? Perhaps they were a record to use in case of theft. Perhaps they themselves have been stolen and abandoned. I took some digital photographs to record the event. www.rozcran.co.uk
