Jo Spence: Work (Part I and II)
Studio Voltaire www.studiovoltaire.org
Lambeth Women’s project : www.lambethwomensproject.org
Jo Spence (1934-92) emerged in ’70s, pioneering ‘phototherapy’, a form of co-counselling. The show is a brilliantly compiled celebration of her extensive work and process; playful and heart-wrenchingly awful. Photography as an empowering capacity, when applied to issues of: class, power, gender, health and the body.
Well-researched and supported by events, welcoming/informed staff, quality publicity. Good to see this work and address these issues in a gallery space.
Gasworks: www.gasworks.org.uk
Yashas Shetty: Expanded microscope workshop
No introduction. A darkened room, lit only by a few table spotlights, about 15 participants perched on unsteady chairs around a line of tables. Like Chinese whispers we blindly fumbled with a web cam, removing the back and releasing the lens-bit, reversing it to make an ‘expanded microscope’. There weren’t enough screwdrivers, so this took up the whole hour of the workshop.
The woman next to me sums it up ‘I have no idea what that workshop was about’.
Tino Seghal: Tate Modern, Turbine Hall
I stumbled across this without knowing anything about it. Crossing the Turbine Hall on my way to The Tanks, I sensed a wave of motion, a swarming around me, as a group of about 60 people walked purposefully towards the back of the hall – and then back again. They seemed to be actors of some kind; graceful movement- with a confident sense of body. They picked-up pace and it I think the crowd were joining in. But it was difficult to distinguish the crowd from performers, as they were all dressed the ‘same’ – an everyday group of people in the city – something I see everyday. Some performers chatted to people in the crowd, but would suddenly leave, as though called by a higher force. The lights flickered, pace and movement changed unannounced – I felt completely drawn-in; an eerie sense of unease and foreboding. The tangible tension, overwhelming vitality and sense of flow in the space of the Turbine Hall was truly amazing, a feeling that’s still with me after 5 days.
I’ve just heard Mark Lawson on Radio 4 interview Tino Seghal. Tino asks the performers a series of questions, so there is a rule structure, but their replies are their own. He’s interested in exploring individual and group agency, co-creating movement together.
Tino Seghal: Tate Modern, Turbine Hall
I stumbled across this without knowing anything about it. Crossing the Turbine Hall on my way to The Tanks, I sensed a wave of motion, a swarming around me, as a group of about 60 people walked purposefully towards the back of the hall – and then back again. They seemed to be actors of some kind; graceful movement- with a confident sense of body. They picked-up pace and it I think the crowd were joining in. But it was difficult to distinguish the crowd from performers, as they were all dressed the ‘same’ – an everyday group of people in the city – something I see everyday. Some performers chatted to people in the crowd, but would suddenly leave, as though called by a higher force. The lights flickered, pace and movement changed unannounced – I felt completely drawn-in; an eerie sense of unease and foreboding. The tangible tension, overwhelming vitality and sense of flow in the space of the Turbine Hall was truly amazing, a feeling that’s still with me after 5 days.
I’ve just heard Mark Lawson on Radio 4 interview Tino Seghal. Tino asks the performers a series of questions, so there is a rule structure, but their replies are their own. He’s interested in exploring individual and group agency, co-creating movement together.
Tate tanks at Tate Modern
Bold tendencies www.boldtendencies.com
Very excited spatially by these shows – experiential understanding of the power of space and juxtaposition.
Tanks. A refreshingly intimate space within the sometimes-overwhelming Mothership. Beautiful raw materiality; unashamedly industrial, black-black with sturdy cast rivets and raised lettering on pavement-sized panels curved to form an enclosure. Worked perfectly for Suzanne Lacy’s ‘The Crystal Quilt’; a performance involving 430 women over age 60 in a shopping centre, originally broadcast live on TV. Intimate details of frank discussions/opinions (things we don’t like to talk about) were presented in one of the round tank rooms, containing a circular seat, where I lay down (nice!) in close proximity to other bodies – not an experience I usually associate with Tate M. Chris Dercon (Director Tate M) in the blurb, presents the 15-weeks programme as an opportunity to redefine the museum in 21st century. Looking forward to seeing a performance in the space.
Bold tendencies. A complete contrast to the Peckham I experience on street level. The show is on the upper levels of a car park, with fantastic views across London – seeing the big open sky left me feeling mellow and idealistic (great bar too!). Mary Redmond’s piece used familiar urban materials (paving slabs painted ‘Evian’ blue, bashed-up corrugated metal), poetically engaging with the intricacies of this unique space and guiding you to ‘see’ the space; articulating a tension between the low ceilings/floor using bamboo in a state of strain. The juxtaposition of this show (ie Peckham High Street below) is an important part of the work. Very friendly. Events throughout the summer.
