15th of June
9am I met the scaffolders in the induction room of the Skanska office and after a brief induction we were able to start on site. The scaffolding was up in 3 hours and I was able to start with my work. Firstly I covered and protected all the hand railings incase of damage and collected an overhead projector from the school.
I began with setting up the tree proportions and drawing onto the wall and ceilings. This wasn’t an easy task as the light in the staircase was to bright and you could hardly see the projected image, also the staircase space was not wide enough to achieve the required angle and the positioning of the projector. I decide it to wait until it got darker and tried to black out the windows using black sheeting found on site, which I believe is used for roofing protection… after hours of playing around with the perspective of positioning the image on the walls and ceiling I decide it to scrap the projector and continue by hand. I left site at 10.30pm that evening.
14th of June
It was my first day on site and the beginning of my commission in the new building at St Bede’s Catholic college in Bristol. I met with the depute head Patrick McDermott and the ABC Scaffolding at the reception of the old school. The staircase of the new building was handed over to the school this morning, which meant that I could start with my work. We walk over to the staircase with the scaffolder Colin to finalise the scaffolding which was installed the following day.
12-13th of June
I love the kung fu camp, happens once a year and it is very hard work but there is so much going on and so much to take in and learn that the days go very fast. In the evening we stay until early hours and play games and have fun, an incredible weekend of White Crane Martial Arts in Shoreham.
11 June
I had a meeting with Paul Bulkeley, architect from Snug Projects we are working together on the ArtChitecture project in the New Forest. Paul came to visit my studio for a first time to see and get an idea of how I am working and to have a better understanding of what my requirements are for a studio space. We discussed how we can approach the exhibition that opens on the 26th of June at ArtSway and made plan of action of how to best exhibit the work in progress.
Saturday 26 June – Sunday 27 June 2010
Presentation and Discussion: Saturday 26 June 2010 at 2pm
Three teams comprising an artist, architect and engineer have been collaborating to develop proposals for temporary live/work studio spaces at three sites in the New Forest. The project will offer opportunities for debate on sustainable development and contemporary art in the rural environment. The exhibition offers an opportunity to see the work to date, hear the teams talk about their proposals and join in a discussion around the issues raised.
Project Teams:
The artists involved all have experience and understanding of working in sensitive environments, the architects and engineers are all locally based practices with a commitment to sustainable design.
•Artist: Elpida Hadzi-Vasileva *Artist: Hywel Davies •Artist: Stephen Turner
•Architect: Paul Bulkeley *Engineer: Nick Gradidge •Engineer: Michael Dorgan
•Engineer: Trevor Thickett *Architect: Carl Leroy-Smith •Architect: Graham Perring
For more information please contact Phil Smith at Solent Centre for Architecture + Design Ltd:
telephone: +44 (0)23 8028 3053 or email: [email protected]
ArtSway
Station Road, Sway, Hampshire, SO41 6BA
T: +44 (0)1590 682260 E: [email protected] W: www.artsway.org.uk
ArtSway is open: Tuesday – Sunday 11am – 5pm
10 June
I met again with Verity S. to follow up and discuss the next steps of my project and also to discuss the possibility of longer term working together.
I contacted Jane Fordham and arranged to visit Chesworth Arts Farm, in Horsham, which is an artist run not for Profit Company. http://www.artsagri.com
Chesworth Arts Farm is an amazing space set within a beautiful countryside although it is in Horsham feels like you are in the middle of nowhere. I met with Jane to discuss the possibility of me using the space as a studio for two to three days per week for the year starting in September. Jane was very accommodating and offered the space at particular rate so I could still afford to keep my studio in Brighton.
The reason for looking at additional space is that I have been asked to participate in a group exhibition called Compulsive, Obsessive Repetition at the Towner Gallery in Eastbourne.
The exhibition is curated by Sanna Moore and is planed to open in July 2011, with the idea of touring to four different venues around the country.
My proposal for this exhibition is to create multiple tile-like pieces made out of fish skins that will cover the entire wall of the gallery – it will create an anusual pattern.
My exciting studio is not suitable to do this kind of work, is not big enough and I don’t have a sink and I am sure it wont be long before someone complains about the smell in the space and corridors! I have decided to look for an alternative space where I can do the processes of cleaning and preserving of the skins and have large enough space to test and create the work.
